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While fans excited for the nostalgic excitement that will come with a Hulk Hogan return to World Wrestling Entertainment are already primed for that moment when “Real American” blares, let’s not get ahead of ourselves yet.
Hulk Hogan shouldn’t be let off the hook, yet. Not by a mile.
While WWE is beginning to take baby steps publicly (obviously given all we have heard in recent months about conversations between the two sides, that process was already going on, privately) to allow Hogan his second chance, let’s not ignore what happened and that just because Hogan was given the chance to address the WWE locker room at Extreme Rules, his attempts to reconcile his disgusting, hurtful language should not end.
Yes, Hulk Hogan didn’t know he was being recorded. Yes, it was likely leaked to hurt him. Yes, it came out three years ago and was recorded years before it ever leaked. We know all that and none of that comes into question, but the reality is, Hogan said it. It was evil language that came from someone who built his career on playing a red, white and blue American hero to the masses.
The words hurt a lot of people, because people of all backgrounds who grew up with Hulk Hogan as the biggest name in pro wrestling bought into the character. They spent money on him because they believed in the character. It’s impossible to overstate the importance of who Hulk Hogan was in making pro wrestling what it is today. He was the alpha and omega. He was Superman and Captain American rolled into a single package. Fans looked upon him as some modern-day myth built on years of performances, antics and the overall feeling of “knowing him” because of how often he was on their TV and in their minds as a pro wrestling star.
That wasn’t their fault. It was something they did because Hogan was so good at his job. A big part of the reason why the situation was so hurtful and still elicits such anger from fans is that the last person anyone expected to be outed for racist language was the guy they grew up with telling them to train, say their prayers and eat their vitamins.
The aura of Hogan the character they loved was torn away with the evil that came out of the mouth of the man behind the performer. That doesn’t just go away, not with that level of racist language.
Hulk Hogan may have been inducted into the Boys and Girls Club Alumni Hall of Fame and he has done charity work, but Mark Henry brought up an excellent point when he spoke to TMZ, pointing out that it Hogan really wants to effect change, he should be assisting charities and organizations in inner cities. Mark Henry is right, and WWE should be expecting more from Hogan than just some speeches and charity work,
Hogan’s words tarnished his reputation, forever because they were evil, hurtful words. Those words would have hurt no matter who spoke them, and they were evil, no matter where they were coming from, but given his level of celebrity and the level of pure, unadulterated love that he received over the course of his career by fans of all backgrounds and ethnicities, that hurt was magnified an infinite amount of times.
No matter what he does with WWE going forward, the history and narrative of who Hogan was, as a person and a character, will always have that evil stench floating over him, even if he’s forgiven by even the majority of his audience.
The bottom line is, in my opinion, Hulk Hogan still needs to do more than what he's done if he wants to be forgiven.
In my mind, if Hogan really wants to make amends for what he did in the best way possible, he should call for a press conference and at that conference, point out that the fact he was filmed without his knowledge shouldn’t be an excuse for what he did. He should make it clear that he regrets his actions and that while he won a lawsuit based on the fact that what was filmed was published illegally, getting that legal settlement doesn’t excuse his actions, either.
Hogan should then announce he’s taking (at least) 10% of his Gawker settlement money (which given that his legal fees were paid for by Peter Thiel, should amount to something in the area of $3.1 million dollars) and is donating it to create scholarships and/or programs for inner city children to assist in their education.
Then, Hogan should announce that Mark Henry has been picked to help oversee the process. Henry has always been one of the performers in the WWE locker room who have the reputation for being one of the most fair and just human beings who work for the company – and he’s been very outspoken over the Hogan situation. Even this past week, he went against what would obviously be WWE company line by admitting that among African American WWE performers, it’s 50/50 with how they feel about Hogan being reinstated by WWE. If pro wrestling has a Jiminy Cricket, it’s Mark Henry. He will keep the process honest for those who would automatically assume Hogan is pulling some sort of con to get back over with the masses.
I'd really like to see Hogan do that, but even with that gesture, Hulk Hogan can’t be let off the hook. While all of what I suggested would be a huge step forward in a way that, thus far, we haven’t seen publicly, there’s always going to be a question of what’s the intent behind everything Hulk Hogan does and what’s being said behind closed doors. There's no time limit on hurt. That’s Hogan’s cross to bear for the rest of his life, because he revealed a side of himself that no one ever wanted to see.
Whether Hulk Hogan was complicit in the video being taken or not (and we know he was not) doesn’t matter – the damage is done. For many, Hogan will never be the performer or man they believed him to be. So, he needs to try and prove that is that man. He will never win everyone over, but that shouldn't be the reason for making the moves in the first place. If he is truy as heart-broken and as apologetic as he has claimed to be, nothing else but trying to fix this should matter to him.
It’s great and fine that Hogan wants to address the WWE locker room and warn them they can always be recorded when they aren’t aware. It’s sound advice, but it doesn’t excuse what he said that night when he wasn’t aware he was being recorded. Nothing does, and nothing should.
It’s going to take far longer than three years of being exiled from a Hall of Fame that never admitted Hulk Hogan was exiled until the same day he was welcomed back to make it up to those he upset. Apology tours are great and make for great ratings. Charitable appearances are great and certainly bring goodwill (and good publicity), but when you cut into the heart of the matter, the best thing Hulk Hogan can do is humble himself with an act that shows how deeply he truly hurts over the matter.
It may have been years since Hulk Hogan ranted about his daughter's then-African American boyfriend and he likely feels at peace at having settled the Gawker situation, but if he wants to truly try and bridge the gap between how he was perceived before that tape leaked and how he’s still seen by many today, he needs to make a true, heartfelt benevolent move and it should be a big one.
In the wake of his victory legally, Hulk Hogan made the media rounds and said the Gawker case was never about money to him, but about clearing his name. He said that had he not pushed forward with the lawsuit, ignoring their attempts to settle before they entered a Florida court room, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself.
If it wasn’t about the money, he can live with making a major donation by creating something that can legitimately change the lives of those who desperately need a hero to help them by making their lives better. That should be the type of thing that Hogan should want to do. By not paying it forward, by not trying to turn his absolutely disgusting statements into something that can prove to be a positive for someone else, that’s the type of thing that Terry Bollea shouldn’t be able to live with himself over. If he wants to make his family proud, he should perform the type of awe-inspiring move in real life that his character was renowned for.
While the root cause of all of it was and is abhorrent, Hulk Hogan today has the ability now to do something massive and as a result, be seen as a fraction of the red, white and blue hero that he once portrayed in the ring. Terry Bollea should take publicly admit his trespasses before the world again, by his own choice, and then try to lift up the lives of others in a giving way and truly attempt to be the hero that once saw the Hulk Hogan character as.
There is no doubt Terrry Bollea suffered emotionally and financially due to his mistakes, but there are others who were and are hurt by his words and others who will suffer due to the limitations of their social and economic backgrounds if someone doesn't assist them in bettering themselves. They are who are important here, not Terry Bollea. If he can be the type of selfless person that his character was always portrayed to be, it won't be a perfect soluton, but it's a bigger step forward than Hulk Hogan has truly accomplished thus far.
Until we see that bigger step made and we see that it's something more than public apologies and token handshakes, then, and only then, should WWE ever think about playing “Real American” and allowing Hulk Hogan back on their television.
Mike Johnson can be reached at MikeJohnsonPWInsider.com.
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