UPDATE: Radar Online and National Enquirer posted the alleged transcript of what Hulk Hogan said on the tape. Warning, the content in the article is explicit in language and extremely offensive.
On the day that former WWE Superstar Virgil held his AMA on r/SquaredCircle, a surprisingly fun and light-hearted engagement between wrestling fans and a man known for his GoFundMe account, asking people to make him a millionaire (no, really), another former WWE Alumni has stolen the headlines.
Hulk Hogan, a wrestler that once told children to eat their vitamins, drink their milk and say their prayers, has managed to pass his foot between his infamous blond, handlebar mustache and straight into his mouth. According to the National Enquirer, Hogan went off on a tirade that included several racial slurs, all of which were caught on tape. While information is air-tight and audio documentation has yet to be released, insiders close to the source are saying “there’s no coming back from this.”
Wade Keller, Founder and Editor of PWTorch and MMATorch, has released the following tweet:
Breaking: Hogan apparently done with WWE. Totally SCRUBBED from http://t.co/RYpbdiX8lC, not listed as Tough Enough judge anymore.
— Wade Keller (@thewadekeller) July 24, 2015
As stated by Keller, Hogan’s WWE Alumni page and Hall of Fame page have both disappeared from the site, either temporarily deactivated or permanently washed way. If you head over to WWE Shop, there is no merchandise available with the red and yellow colors. Gone. The Tough Enough portion of the site? Hulk Hogan is nowhere to be found, despite being an active member of the show, at least at the very start anyway. Even Axelmania is no more, as his roster page has been reverted to the very generic Curtis Axel. Although it’s on the vague-side of things, Hogan has sent out a tweet that may or may not be about the issue:
In the storm I release control,God and his Universe will sail me where he wants me to be,one love. HH — Hulk Hogan (@HulkHogan) July 24, 2015
In the wake of these allegations and audio that has yet to be released, Dan Gross of the Philadelphia Enquirer has spoken out on the issue, stating that he has spoken with a source that has seen footage of Hogan, dropping several N-bombs and other derogatory terms towards black people, in a video recorded at a Florida home. The latest was reported at TheDirty.com, which in April was the first to post about the Hogan sex videos and to identify Heather Cole.
Back in 2012, a video was posted to YouTube of a podcast in which the Hulkster appeared on. At the 1:55 mark of the video, he begins to re-tell the story of the time Booker T accidentally let the N word slip during a promo, and at no point does Hogan hesitate to belt out the word, even repeating it a few more times. WARNING: The content in the video is extremely offensive and contains explicit language.
It’s not surprising to see a major reaction to these allegations, as the world has witnessed terrible tragedy regarding racism, with the shootings in Charleston that claimed nine lives, in an act of vile racism and terrorism. The company has undergone scrutiny in the past for alleged racism, be it Michael Hayes allegedly calling Mark Henry the N word, or Vince McMahon himself dropping it during a segment backstage. However, just one week after the despicable actions in Charleston, racism simple can not be ignored this time around, nor should it ever (if we’re being honest).
While this isn’t exactly a Chris Benoit situation, where he was completely wiped from the history books altogether, action has been set in motion to remove any profiles and merchandise for the time being. With that said, it will be extremely hard to erase Hulk Hogan’s stamp on the industry and the content he is involved in, on the WWE Network. For now, the company has made a drastic move to wipe away his name, which appears to have been done even quicker than when C.M. Punk quit the company and trashed their medical staff on Colt Cabana‘s podcast. And even then, his merchandise was available at WWE Shop for weeks, albeit at a heavily-reduced rate.
This will definitely be one of the biggest stories in recent history and one that will be followed until the very end.
