"Hulk Hogan Said Some Things But He Wasn't A Racist": Vince McMohan
Hulk Hogan was fired from the WWE in 2015 after some of his racist comments were leaked in public.
The late Hulk Hogan knew how to remain in the news. The WWE icon had a knack for capturing fans' attention, not just with his presence in the ring but also for his personal life outside the fighting arena. As FOX aired TMZ's documentary The Real Hulk Hogan, former WWE owner Vince McMahon recalled one of the most controversial phases of Hogan's career. It was McMahon who backed Hogan to the hilt, helping him become a global face in the WWE universe. But, he also admitted that the racist comments the Hall of Famer made almost derailed his career.
Hogan had to be fired from the WWE after a leaked s*x tape saw him making certain racist remarks.
"It was unforgivable and I was agasp, 'What happened?'" McMahon said in a chat with TMZ's Harvey Levin. "When those things occurred, that's not like him. 'What in God's name is going on?'"
McMahon revealed that the WWE management decided to severe ties with Hogan immediately and even take his name off the Hall of Fame list.
"As soon as it happened, obviously, the company didn't have anything to do with him anymore. We took him out of the Hall of Fame. You just don't do those things."
Vince McMahon on Hulk Hogan's racist comments:
— WrestleTalk (@WrestleTalk_TV) August 13, 2025
"I knew he wasn't a racist, I'd been with him for so many years. He wasn't a racist. He said some racist things, and he should pay for that, and he did.
"But in the end, I think that everyone saw the real Hulk Hogan, Terry Bollea,… pic.twitter.com/IJnvWDAFQs
Yet, McMahon maintains that Hogan wasn't a racist, despite the controversial remarks he made.
"I knew he wasn't a racist, I'd been with him for so many years. He wasn't a racist. He said some racist things, and he should pay for that, and he did. "But in the end, I think that everyone saw the real Hulk Hogan, Terry Bollea, and they felt, wait a minute, this guy, he doesn't act like a racist, he's not a racist. "We all make mistakes. That was a big one, but he wasn't a racist."
Hogan's final WWE appearance came on January 6, 2025 during the Monday Night Raw debut on Netflix. McMahon, however, feels Hogan deserved much more.
"I was angry; he deserved much more," McMahon said. He felt that the segment "wasn't set up properly" and that's "not the way I would have done it."