Reports came out earlier this week that Hulk Hogan was in talks with WWE to make a return to the company nearly three years after his contract was terminated.
WWE confirmed those reports on Thursday, saying in a statement, “We have had discussions with Terry Bollea (aka Hulk Hogan) about how he can help others learn from his mistakes, however, he is not under any contract with WWE.”
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Mark Henry, who was announced for the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2018 on Monday, discussed the possibility of having Hogan come back into the fold in an interview on Busted Open Radio.
“He’s a public figure,” Henry said, discussing Hogan’s involvement in the upcoming Andre The Giant HBO documentary. “It doesn’t mean that everything that he’s done is forgiven, you just gotta take the good with the bad and see how you could help the situation. I’m sitting on the chair of the delegation and they’re not ready. I’ve had many talks, with dozens of guys, and the consensus is there’s a lot of work to be done to heal that wound and to fix that wall.”
By delegation, Henry was referring to African American wrestlers who compete in wrestling promotions across the world.
“Every promotion… there’s not a wrestling promotion that doesn’t house someone from the delegation,” Henry said
Hogan was fired back in 2015 after segments from his leaked sex tape showed the former WWF Champion saying multiple racist things about black people and opening admitting he was a racist.
Henry said more has to be done on Hogan’s end if he and other wrestlers are willing to accept him back.
“There’s gonna have to be more community service and outside work. Support for programs and even creative programs that deal with diversity in the workplace. … I don’t process everything like everybody else. I believe that everybody should be given a second chance but I also believe that you have to own your issue, whatever that issue is. You gotta try to make closure on everybody else’s behalf, not just yours.”
As recently as January, WWE was publically still against allowing Hogan to be a member of the company, whether as an ambassador on on-camera performer.
“At this time, WWE remains committed to its decision,” WWE wrote in a statement at the time.
However, Hogan consistently pushed for his return in public interviews.
“For me, I’d love to change that last story that was told with the Hulk Hogan career,” Hogan said in an interview with TMZ in February. “I’d love to get back in the fold, get back on the inside and correct a lot of stuff. It has to be the perfect timing for both sides. We’re all on good terms. We’re all working towards the same goal. So hopefully, I’ll be able to be back with my wrestling family some day soon.”
