Hulk Hogan was one of the hosts of WrestleMania 37 this past weekend, and fans didn’t approve. On both nights of the event, Hogan was booed every time he stepped on stage with his co-host Titus O’Neal. During the live broadcast, a few boos were heard when Hogan was talking. However, fans who attended WrestleMania 37 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida revealed that Hogan received a ton more boos than broadcasted on TV.
Hogan’s work during WrestleMania in the 1980s and 1990s is a big reason he was named a host for this year’s event. But fans are not about Hogan due to things that happened to him the last few years. In July 2015, Hogan’s contract was terminated with WWE due to his racist rant in a sex tape.
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Hogan got booed lmao #WrestleMania pic.twitter.com/2nxRjLWVmR
— Justin J. Lopez (@stellar_jl319) April 11, 2021
“Eight years ago I used offensive language during a conversation. It was unacceptable for me to have used that offensive language; there is no excuse for it; and I apologize for having done it,” Hogan said in a statement to PEOPLE in 2015. “This is not who I am. I believe very strongly that every person in the world is important and should not be treated differently based on race, gender, orientation, religious beliefs or otherwise. I am disappointed with myself that I used language that is offensive and inconsistent with my own beliefs.”
When WWE released Hogan, he was scrubbed from WWE’s website. He was also removed from the online Hall of Fame. “WWE terminated its contract with Terry Bollea (a.k.a. Hulk Hogan),” the company said. “WWE is committed to embracing and celebrating individuals from all backgrounds as demonstrated by the diversity of our employees, performers and fans worldwide.”
In 2018, Hogan was reinstated into the WWE Hall of Fame. That led to him being invited to additional events over the last few years. WWE said in a statement: “This second chance follows Hogan’s numerous public apologies and volunteering to work with young people, where he is helping them learn from his mistake. These efforts led to a recent induction into the Boys & Girls Clubs of America Alumni Hall of Fame.” Hogan, a two-time WWE Hall of Famer, is considered one of the all-time greats. In 2016, IGN named Hogan the third-best pro wrestler of all time.
