"He made the N-word comment" - Hulk Hogan was a divisive character in the locker room, says former WWE writer (Exclusive)

The world of professional wrestling was dealt a huge blow a few weeks ago as news of former WWE Champion Hulk Hogan's passing broke out. Hogan sadly passed away on July 24, 2025, following a heart attack, at his home in Florida, aged 71.

Hulk Hogan was a pioneer in the field of professional wrestling, playing a significant role in expanding the reach of the sport. He became one of the first prominent wrestlers to make the move to Hollywood, playing a part in Rocky III.

Former WWE writer Vince Russo spoke about Hulk Hogan recently on Sportskeeda WrestleBinge and explained why he was such a divisive character. Tapes recorded in 2007 revealed that Hogan used the N-word, which led to his firing from the company in 2015. Since then, people have been conflicted about The Hulkster.

"It's hard because what happened with Hulk was he made the N-word comment. So Saudi Arabia wanted Hulk on the card, and Vince [McMahon] is like, man, bro, you know, there's a lot of money involved here. And Vince is like, 'I've got to deliver Hulk,' but Vince knows I've got to have him address every black dude and woman in the locker room," Russo said. [From 1:15 onwards]

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Russo added that The Hulkster did address the locker room regarding his comments, but it didn't have the desired impact.

"Hulk addressed the locker room about the use of the N word. And bro, what he, what he did was he blamed it on drinking too much, and everybody in that room, like coach Mark Henry, everybody in that room were [sic] like, 'Are you freaking kidding?'" [From 1:56 onwards]

Despite the controversies, Hogan remains an integral part of WWE history. He was a huge attraction during the 1980s, and the professional wrestling business wouldn't have been the same without the presence of The Hulkster.

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About the author

Faiz is a WWE writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling. He is a BBA graduate who is passionate about sports and wants to make a career in that field. This passion led to a postgraduate degree in Journalism, which helped him pivot into becoming a sports writer. When writing, he puts the utmost importance on accuracy and thorough research.

Faiz has six years of work experience across four companies. He started his career with Zomato and then moved to Amazon. He shifted to becoming a football writer at TV9 Digital and is now with Sportskeeda. He covered the Wrestling Xtreme Mania event in Gurgaon in 2025, where he had the opportunity to interview Raj The Maharaja, fka Jinder Mahal. At the same event, he also got quick interviews with former WWE Superstar Dijak and Japanese Joshi legend Emi Sakura.

When it comes to his favourite wrestlers, Faiz has two names in mind. He loved to watch Triple H before the current WWE CCO retired, and he is a huge fan of Roman Reigns. Being a loyal fan since the Tribal Chief's SHIELD days, Faiz credits Roman's mic skills and unmatched in-ring storytelling for his mega success. When he was young, one in-ring story left a lasting impression on his mind and eventually got him hooked on WWE. That match was Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair at WrestleMania 24. Apart from that, he is also a fan of RAW.

When Faiz is not writing for Sportskeeda, he loves to keep up with other sports. He is an avid cricket and football fan, a huge gamer, and loves playing some RPGs on the PlayStation.

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Edited by Pratik Singh