UPDATE x 3: WWE has now confirmed to us that it has in fact severed ties with Hulk Hogan and provided us with an official statement on the matter. WWE has terminated its contract with Hogan, and the rest of the statement suggests there is legitimacy to the claims of Hogan making some overtly racist statement. You can read WWE’s full statement on the issue below:
“WWE terminated its contract with Terry Bollea (aka Hulk Hogan). WWE is committed to embracing and celebrating individuals from all backgrounds as demonstrated by the diversity of our employees, performers and fans worldwide.”
This same statement is now posted on the WWE.com website.
UPDATE x 2: The following is from TMZ.com:
Hulk Hogan has mysteriously gone MIA from the WWE’s website at the exact same time reports started swirling about new audio of him throwing around the n-word is about to be released.
Hulk’s image and name have been completely scrubbed from the WWE’s main site … as well as its Hall of Fame site — but the n-word part of this story is complicated. Fact is … Hogan’s been recorded several times using the word … and it’s unclear which, if any, prompted the WWE to take action.
During a 2012 satellite radio interview … he dropped the n-word repeatedly while discussing run-ins he’d had with Birdman, Lil Wayne and fellow wrestler Booker T. But that audio was widely publicized when it first came out … so, seems unlikely that’s it.
More likely … it’s tied to Hogan’s current lawsuit over his sex tape. Audio of him using the n-word while discussing someone working with his daughter is reportedly going to be entered as evidence when the trial begins.
We’ve reached out to the WWE and Hulk … no word back from either yet.
UPDATE: More details are starting to come in regarding this story with Hulk Hogan allegedly making racist statements. The National Enquirer claims to have the tapes of Hulk Hogan making repeated racist statements. Those tapes were shared with WWE, which led to the company distancing itself from Hogan and removing references of him from the official website. The offending tapes will reportedly be released later today.
In addition, The Huffington Post has reported on some more rumored details on Hogan’s rant, which suggest that the statements that have gotten Hogan in trouble may have something to do with The Rock. Sources claim to have seen the transcripts of the audio tapes, where he refers to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in racist terms. Currently, The Rock is one of Hollywood’s top stars, and he is still on very good terms with WWE.
Journalist Marc Lamont Hill has claimed to have seen the transcripts of the audio of Hogan’s rant and posted the following on Twitter:
I haven’t gotten confirmed audio yet, but the transcripts that I’ve seen have Hogan calling The Rock the “N-word” and “sambo” among others.
— Marc Lamont Hill (@marclamonthill) July 24, 2015
Hulk Hogan is the iconic wrestling figure of the 20th century, perhaps the biggest ever. For the WWE to disappear him is a BIG DEAL.
— Marc Lamont Hill (@marclamonthill) July 24, 2015
After this story broke, a video of an interview with Hulk Hogan using the “n-word” has been re-circulated online. The interview aired on Eminem’s Sirius XM hip-hop channel Shade 45. You can check out a video of the interview below. Keep in mind, the interview is from 2012, and appears to not be the one that has gotten Hogan in trouble for this latest incident.
ORIGINAL: Hulk Hogan is gone from WWE as noted earlier here on the website. Late Thursday night, the company removed all references to Hogan from WWE.com. This includes, in a rare stroke, his profile in the WWE Hall of Fame section of the page. He is also no longer listed among the judges for Tough Enough, nor is his merchandise available in WWEShop.com.
A source has indicated that Curtis Axel’s “Axelmania” gimmick has also been dropped immediately, and that WWE.com’s staff was told to remove every reference to Hogan as quickly as possible. As recently as the end of SmackDown, there were still references to Hogan on the main page.
In possibly-related news, Hogan posted the following, rather vague affirmation to his Twitter account late last night:
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
There is a lot of unconfirmed speculation going around as to the reason. As soon as we know more, we’ll bring you up to speed.
