Hulk Hogan returning to WWE

[Loss]

Isn't the reason Hayes was not fired because Mark Henry asked that he not be? Then again, recently he was quoted talking about being part of some "delegation" that was against bringing Hogan back right now. The major difference is obviously nobody outside of the viewing audience really knows who Hayes is and Hogan cost them something like 50 million in the stock market and spooked advertisers.

 

To be clear, if they never bring him back and stick to it, I think that's fine. It's the firing him, waiting it out, and then bringing him back like it never happened that's problematic to me.

[Matt D]

 

Isn't the reason Hayes was not fired because Mark Henry asked that he not be? Then again, recently he was quoted talking about being part of some "delegation" that was against bringing Hogan back right now. The major difference is obviously nobody outside of the viewing audience really knows who Hayes is and Hogan cost them something like 50 million in the stock market and spooked advertisers.

 

To be clear, if they never bring him back and stick to it, I think that's fine. It's the firing him, waiting it out, and then bringing him back like it never happened that's problematic to me.

 

As such, they've been careful with the recent statements, I think.

[Coffey]

How different would things have been had it been a different racial slur, against a different group of people? If Hulk Hogan on his leaked video made an anti-semitic remark, would people have reacted the same way?

 

It would still be awful but I do think people treat different slurs more harshly than others.

 

And the defense of having buddies come out of the woodwork to say "well, I've known him forever & he was never racist" is always a terrible look too. Hall & Nash sticking up for him just made it look worse IMO.

 

Hulk Hogan was a huge part of my life but there's no defending what happened here, regardless of how the information was obtained. Reap what you sow, right?

[C.S.]

How different would things have been had it been a different racial slur, against a different group of people? If Hulk Hogan on his leaked video made an anti-semitic remark, would people have reacted the same way?

 

It would still be awful but I do think people treat different slurs more harshly than others.

I'm not sure if you think people would react better or worse to an anti-Semitic slur. I think both are equally as serious and would garner pretty much the same reaction.

 

You might not get the ridiculousness of Mark Henry claiming there's a secret "delegation" formed to combat racism, but perhaps Goldberg gets offended and never returns? Maybe other Jewish wrestlers - whoever they are - make a major issue of it. It would certainly be a big deal with the fans and definitely sponsors, advertisers, networks, etc.

[iamthedoctor]

Booker T was on Heated Conversation Sports Radio 610 yesterday with Brad Gilmore addressing the rumors of Hulk Hogan returning to WWE. Booker is asked if Hulk Hogan should be able to come back to the WWE after Hogan’s inflammatory comment. Booker talks about how a lot of the youth today use the N word as common place and how it’s become popular. Booker says “until we can stop saying the word ourselves, we shouldn’t have a problem with anyone else using that term”.

 

Booker says “the only thing Hogan can do is apologize, atone for it and move forward. Everyone deserves a second chance”.

 

Booker credits Hogan for the push that Harlem Heat received in WCW. Booker says that he wants Hogan to take his rightful place back in this business. Booker suggests that he and Hogan could go on the road and speak to youth concerning the damage that this topic can cause to your life/career.

 

[Victator]

I don't think Hall or Nash defending him makes a difference.

But wrestlers like Virgil, Kamala and Harlem Heat defended him. WWE has no problem keeping Terry Taylor around who has been called racist by different minority wrestlers.

I know Mark Henry said if Hogan issued face to face sincere apologies to the black wrestlers on the roster he would accept him back.

Hogan should have just flat out apologized. The crap he said on TV sounded like someone trying to rationalize something bad instead of a firm apology.

[iamthedoctor]

I don't think Hall or Nash defending him makes a difference.

 

But wrestlers like Virgil, Kamala and Harlem Heat defended him. WWE has no problem keeping Terry Taylor around who has been called racist by different minority wrestlers.

 

I know Mark Henry said if Hogan issued face to face sincere apologies to the black wrestlers on the roster he would accept him back.

 

Hogan should have just flat out apologized. The crap he said on TV sounded like someone trying to rationalize something bad instead of a firm apology.

 

Didn't Mark Henry also have heat with Michael Hayes over a similar issue?

[C.S.]

WWE has no problem keeping Terry Taylor around who has been called racist by different minority wrestlers.

What's the story here? I've never heard this before.

 

Didn't Mark Henry also have heat with Michael Hayes over a similar issue?

Didn't Hayes approach Henry at the post-WrestleMania party and claim to be the "bigger n-word" between the two? I think that's what I remember hearing.

[Victator]

I did not hear of it until a few years ago. But Taylor was named in the WCW racial discrimination lawsuit along with Russo were named as the main parties.

Stevie Ray called out Taylor as a racist on his podcast. Sorta related but on one show discussing the Hogan story, Stevie said he was the blackest white man he has ever known. Though he did not elaborate.

[El-P]

How different would things have been had it been a different racial slur, against a different group of people? If Hulk Hogan on his leaked video made an anti-semitic remark, would people have reacted the same way?

 

Just as a cultural footnote, I think an anti-semitic remark would have come off even worse (not saying what he said would not come off awful already) in France for instance (for obvious reasons). In the US I have no idea. Maybe not as much. But it's interesting.

[Victator]

Didn't Hayes approach Henry at the post-WrestleMania party and claim to be the "bigger n-word" between the two? I think that's what I remember hearing.

 

That is it. There was also the issue of them calling Henry a Silver Back on TV. Henry had asked not to be given that name. As a kid other kids had called him cruel names. I think they shifted to making it the "Self Proclaimed Silver Back". It was not dropped until the incident with Hayes and they were afraid of being sued.