Vince McMahon is standing by his choice to bring Hulk Hogan back to WWE in 2018 — three years after the company cut ties with the wrestling icon over his use of a racial slur.
The former WWE chairman — who resigned from the company and parent group TKO in January 2024 after a sexual misconduct lawsuit was filed against him — spoke about the controversial decision in a rare TV interview.
McMahon shared his thoughts on how Hulk should be remembered during TMZ Presents: The Real Hulk Hogan, which aired Tuesday night (Aug. 12).
Why McMahon Brought The Hulkster Back
McMahon said he had “no issues” reinstating Hulk to the WWE Hall of Fame and featuring him on programming after the multi-time world champion had, in his eyes, “paid a price.”
“I knew he wasn’t racist. I’ve been with him for so many years. He wasn’t a racist. He said some racist things. He should pay for that, and he did,” McMahon told TMZ.
“In the end, I think everyone saw the real Hulk Hogan, Terry Bollea, and they felt, ‘Wait a minute, this guy doesn’t act like a racist. He’s not a racist.’ We all make mistakes,” he continued. “That was a big one, but he wasn’t a racist.”
The Racist Allegations
In 2015, leaked audio from a 2007 sex tape captured Hulk using the N-word multiple times and saying, “I guess we’re all a little racist.”
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A 2008 prison-recorded conversation between Hulk and his son Nick also contained racist language.
McMahon said he was stunned when he first heard the remarks.
“It was unforgivable and I was aghast, ‘What happened?’” he recalled. “When those things occurred, that’s not like him. ‘What in God’s name is going on?’”
The controversy left WWE with no choice, McMahon explained: “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.”
Reactions From Friends and Peers
Hulk’s longtime friend and fellow wrestling legend Jimmy Hart told TMZ he never believed the flamboyant superstar was racist.
Former WWE star Mark Henry, however, felt the WWE legends’ apology efforts fell short.
He refused to defend the comments but suggested Hulk could visit Black colleges to personally apologize and start repairing the damage.
“Go and talk to them and be honest with your apology,” Henry recalled telling Hulk. “He was like, ‘I’ve been advised not to talk about it no more.’ I said, ‘I think that’s bad advice.’”
Reflecting on Hulk’s passing, McMahon called it “a blow to my heart.”
Hulk Hogan’s Death
The wrestling icon died on July 24, 2025, at his home in Clearwater, Fla., at age 71.
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His cause of death was listed as an acute myocardial infarction, commonly known as a heart attack.
Medical records also showed that Hogan had a history of leukemia and atrial fibrillation, a heart condition that causes irregular heartbeats.
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