Hulkamania Rules- Hogan Reinstated to Hall Of Fame
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@smarkmouth
Friendly Neighborhood
There are better WWE brand ambassadors with less baggage than Hulk Hogan. Not to mention that the demographic that spends money only cares so much about a sexagenarian that's had back surgery and won't be taking bumps. I don't get this decision at all.
therockiswwf
The voice of Michael Cole's headset
Hogan hasn't done anything to show that he is truly sorry for what he has done. Has not shown any hint of changing. Has not acknowledged directly what he said and why it was wrong. That is the worst part for me. He tried to make excuses for it ("I grew up around people using that word"). He's sorry he got caught. Not to mention the weird stuff he said while talking to his son in jail.. I'm sure everyone has said something stupid in private that they don't mean. I'm not sure Hogan didn't mean what he said.
Agreeing with Smarkmouth here. Don't get this decision at all.
Agreeing with Smarkmouth here. Don't get this decision at all.
TheHitMark-SirJoseOle
A Fan Of Wrestling Not Backstage BS
The Ultimate Warrior and Steve Austin deserve all royalties and profits that Hogan would get per his potential WWE return. They are far better men! This is in addition to what they are already making!
Not to mention Mike Tyson! Best celebrity inductee ever, in fact he should be WWE’s brand ambassador when they do things for International Women’s Day.
TheHitMark-SirJoseOle
A Fan Of Wrestling Not Backstage BS
I am indifferent to Hogan having an on-air role, but the fact Austin and Warrior have Legends deals, and are in the HOF, is WWE hypocrisy. Despite their own disgraces, which in Austins case, physical violence on your significant other(s) far outweighs racism, and yet they are still heralded.
Hogans lack of sensitivity and self-awareness aside, his WWE HOF removal was bullshit, firing him from his on-air role, a far different story, that I was indiffere t to. But nothing is more amusing than self-righteous fake outragers all over the internet that seem to only focus on Hogans flaws, but overlook the obvious flaws of others in WWEa HOF.
Where have you been for the last three years. He been doing everything in is power to show that he was sorry. Just watch all his social media accounts and even some of the mass media have reported stuff about how sorry Hogan was about what he did.
Hogan deserve to be in the hall of fame just for what how much he contributed in making the company what it is today even if you don't agree with some of his choice he made in his personal, has a character, he is WWE because if you didn't have a hulk Hogan, you wouldn't have a Steve Austin, a rock or even a John cena because Hogan made the wwe what it is today and deserve to be in the hall of fame. If you are able to keep a vile human being like Donald Trump who's as done thing that are 10 times worst then what Hogan did, you can have Hogan in.
It was BS how? What has Hogan physically done to show he was sorry? Retweeting on social media doesn't mean a damn thing. He was sorry he was caught. The only reason people are able to overlook this and say "no big deal" is because they are probably just as racist as Hogan is in private. If Hogan insulted any other demographic besides black people, I bet WWE wouldn't dare reinstate him.
@smarkmouth
Friendly Neighborhood
Nice twist on trying to use whataboutism on me, but Austin, Warrior, Tyson, Snuka and whoever else you can name are irrelevant to the conversation. The better brand ambassadors I was refering to were Rock or Cena. Mark Henry's even somewhat on his way. Hell, they could have a PR goldmine with Titus if they made the effort.
Should Hogan get royalties for previous work? Sure, I don't give two tugs about what his bank account looks like. But this PR handwashing WWE has taken, right down to revising the history of terminating his contract into a suspension is a waste of effort in 2018.
Also, thanks for the rep, sweetie, but objective analysis doesn't equate to "moralistic bullcrap." Grow up.
therockiswwf
The voice of Michael Cole's headset
This is called whataboutism.
You want to know what a really stupid defense would be in a murder case? Going yeah I may have killed one person but what about Ted Bundy? He killed so many more people than me.
Warrior is an ass. Austin hasn't done anything much like Hogan. However this thread isn't about them. Which is why I didn't talk about them. Make a thread about them and I'll talk about them.
I saw an interview where he said people I grew up with used that word. That's making an excuse. He should have said here is what I said and this is why I'm sorry and why you should never say it.
Again, Trump is whataboutism here. I hate Trump with a passion. This thread isn't about him. Since WWE is fake, I'm not really concerned about the legitimacy of their HOF. I get your argument that he should be in. However, I don't view their HOF as equal to other sports though.
so let me ask you something then, if you don't view their HOF as equal as those in other sports, Why does it matter do much who go in and who's out. If WWE is going to take out everybody that done something Wrong in their personal life, you wouldn't have one guy in that hall of fame.
Plus on the whole hogan didn't do anything to get forgiveness, he's getting a fucking award from all the good thing he did with children and telling them to learn from their mistake. He went on a national tour pretty much telling everybody that would listen that he's sorry about what he did and has learn from his mistake. But like always those who hate Hogan for what i supposedly did on a professional side, don't want to believe that the guy as change and has learn from his mistake.
OYDK
King Of The Ring
I thought the ban in and of itself was fucking stupid to begin with. People like to hold themselves on such a pedestal because when speaking in a public forum, they can choose what they want to say and portray an image that they themselves want to portray to the world. They can do this without the fear of having their private conversations/worst moments leaked to the press and then published to the masses. I would hazard a guess that every single person on these forums, and the majority of people in the world, have said things at one time or another that would be categorized as offensive or disgusting, and if those statements ever got out, they would be ashamed of themselves. They would tell themselves and the world that it's not who they really are.
I'm not agreeing with Hogan's statements by any stretch, but do I view him as a racist piece of garbage who should never be forgiven because he used the n-word and made derogatory comments? No, I don't. Hulk Hogan is not a damn skinhead. I think it's pretty clear that he doesn't hate black people. Almost every black wrestler who knew or worked with Hogan has come right out and said, he's not a racist. Hogan's 64 years old. My grandpa has said things much worse than Hogan has been recorded saying but I know for a fact that he's a good person who would never hate or harm somebody based on the color of their skin.
Ranting I know, but I am very sick of the witch-hunt era in which we live. Hogan said some stupid shit, stuff that should not be tolerated in a public setting. But his words were not said in a public setting. They were not directed as an assault at somebody. That doesn't make his statements right but I also believe nobody should have their private moments recorded and published. Like I said, if the majority of the world had to face that type of scrutiny, I'm sure we would hear a hell of a lot worse by some people who are crucifying or have crucified Hogan.
I'm glad he's back. He never should have been "blackballed" in the first place.
I'm not agreeing with Hogan's statements by any stretch, but do I view him as a racist piece of garbage who should never be forgiven because he used the n-word and made derogatory comments? No, I don't. Hulk Hogan is not a damn skinhead. I think it's pretty clear that he doesn't hate black people. Almost every black wrestler who knew or worked with Hogan has come right out and said, he's not a racist. Hogan's 64 years old. My grandpa has said things much worse than Hogan has been recorded saying but I know for a fact that he's a good person who would never hate or harm somebody based on the color of their skin.
Ranting I know, but I am very sick of the witch-hunt era in which we live. Hogan said some stupid shit, stuff that should not be tolerated in a public setting. But his words were not said in a public setting. They were not directed as an assault at somebody. That doesn't make his statements right but I also believe nobody should have their private moments recorded and published. Like I said, if the majority of the world had to face that type of scrutiny, I'm sure we would hear a hell of a lot worse by some people who are crucifying or have crucified Hogan.
I'm glad he's back. He never should have been "blackballed" in the first place.
TheHitMark-SirJoseOle
A Fan Of Wrestling Not Backstage BS
Its not whataboutism, its plain and simply calling out hypocrisy....point blank.
Say all that you want but bottom line, WWE are hypocrites. Plain and simple.
TheHitMark-SirJoseOle
A Fan Of Wrestling Not Backstage BS
Hahaha, so slapping multiple women around is no big deal! Spare me dude. Thats hilarious bullshit right there.
Just too fn funny.
Spidey Revivey
Porn is okay here long as it ain't dudes.
Not sure how else you could punish the man, really. Especially from a conversation that was said in private. Yes, he should have been blackballed because he still represents a company here, but it's kind of difficult to figure out the right course of action for Hogan's words, and for how long, because that's what all it was really about - a word that never should have been said got said. But he isn't Papa John talking to a group of his peers. Or David Duke. Or half of Trump's Cabinet. He's an old man with nothing left to give pro wrestling but his name and face.
And that's why WWE reinstated him. "Hulk Hogan Returns" is a big deal even if we desensitized wrestling critics pretend it isn't. Normal folks see his name and get interested. He's extremely valuable. If it means a bump in ratings then it makes sense to have him back. Let's not pretend this is on the Top 10 of worst stunts WWE has pulled either.
Also who does or doesn't deserve to be in the Hall of Fame is besides the point. This isn't a legitimate sports award. They're entertainers, not heroes. Completely irrelevant.
And that's why WWE reinstated him. "Hulk Hogan Returns" is a big deal even if we desensitized wrestling critics pretend it isn't. Normal folks see his name and get interested. He's extremely valuable. If it means a bump in ratings then it makes sense to have him back. Let's not pretend this is on the Top 10 of worst stunts WWE has pulled either.
Also who does or doesn't deserve to be in the Hall of Fame is besides the point. This isn't a legitimate sports award. They're entertainers, not heroes. Completely irrelevant.
THTRobtaylor
Once & Future Wrestlezone Columnist
The issues here are quite big...
Like it or not, he was being illicitly recorded when that came out... and he won that case. So while it came out, the reality is that had he not been illegally recorded, no one would EVER have known about it. While it doesn't mean he is innocent, the reality is that everyone in the WWE has said something behind closed doors or done something they shouldn't have... Hogan was just being taped without knowing.
That doesn't excuse WHAT he said, but it mitigates the punishment for it... This wasn't Mel Gibson going on an anti-semetic rant because he was getting arrested, it's a guy using bad words to describe a guy who could be screwing over his daughter... it's not a life ban from anything. It cost him 3 of his highest possible earning years/remaining years from the WWE...
Do I think he's ACTUALLY racist, not really... no more than anyone else from the old school. But reality is he served his "time" and he is now very wealthy, something Vince will be keen to get him back involved with... Hogan using some of that win to shore up WWE initiatives etc... good business.
Onscreen, it's dicey... It's no good having him apoligize to the boys and not the fans in the ring...but then it brings more attention to it. They can't have someone come down like Lashley and either endorse or do an angle over it as it would cheapen the situation.
IF Hogan is going to come back, it's got to make sense. but let him have his Hof honor back. It won't change what he said or that it came out.
Like it or not, he was being illicitly recorded when that came out... and he won that case. So while it came out, the reality is that had he not been illegally recorded, no one would EVER have known about it. While it doesn't mean he is innocent, the reality is that everyone in the WWE has said something behind closed doors or done something they shouldn't have... Hogan was just being taped without knowing.
That doesn't excuse WHAT he said, but it mitigates the punishment for it... This wasn't Mel Gibson going on an anti-semetic rant because he was getting arrested, it's a guy using bad words to describe a guy who could be screwing over his daughter... it's not a life ban from anything. It cost him 3 of his highest possible earning years/remaining years from the WWE...
Do I think he's ACTUALLY racist, not really... no more than anyone else from the old school. But reality is he served his "time" and he is now very wealthy, something Vince will be keen to get him back involved with... Hogan using some of that win to shore up WWE initiatives etc... good business.
Onscreen, it's dicey... It's no good having him apoligize to the boys and not the fans in the ring...but then it brings more attention to it. They can't have someone come down like Lashley and either endorse or do an angle over it as it would cheapen the situation.
IF Hogan is going to come back, it's got to make sense. but let him have his Hof honor back. It won't change what he said or that it came out.
Also let's face it, That hogan WWE network Special will probably do huge numbers for them because of how mainstream the whole thing as become. Like it or not, Hogan is a bigger draw now then he's ever been in his entire career because of this real life incident. Does it excuse what he said in the heat of the moment Hell no. But he serve is time and now he's back in the good grace of the company. So i wouldn't be surprise if somehow, he makes it in WWE 2k19 as a DLC character since pretty much everybody that has been asking for him to be included in the game for the last 3 years.
Kodo Sawaki
Championship Contender
Always felt HoF removal was a bit harsh. I can understand its a bad PR. You are a big public company, you dont need bad PR. But having a legend who made your company what it is removed from HoF because of something like that? That is just harsh. Though, I have a feeling that, in most cases like Hogan, ADR, Enzo and such, when WWE do stuff like that, its just an excuse. Most of them are problematic individuals to begin with so they just use it to remove "dead weight" before it becomes really problematic. So they just "cut ties" with him before it becomes really a problem. And now when it was all settled suddenly bringing him back would be profitable. And WWE can forget all if they know it will make $$$$.
Vintage Punk
Pre-Show Stalwart
Bottom line is, dude apologized and has been out of the mix for over 3 years. Get over it and move on. So many people out there ready to cast stones but have probably said things they regret or when they were mad or whatever that would be considered racist, sexist, etc. Too much PC in this world. If you've truly never said anything like that and are holier than thou, by all means take shots. However, most have said things in the past they regret. And yes being from a different era may not excuse it but you can understand it. There are just as many older blacks that did not want their sons or daughters dating whites just as much as older white guys not wanting sons or daughters dating blacks. I think it has gotten better over the years of interracial dating and has become way more acceptable in this day and age than it was back in the day. However, the media loves to keep these things around and sensationalize what someone says because it draws ratings or drama. One of these days hopefully we can all realize that we are just people. There are great people of all races just like there are pieces of crap and thugs/punks of all races.
BigSexyHBK
Dark Match Jobber
He shouldn't have been suspended/fired anyways. He was being recorded without his knowledge. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and feelings. It's not like he was out there spreading hate. A lot of people want their sons/daughters to marry inside of their own race. It doesn't mean you hate other races.
d_henderson1810
Mid-Card Championship Winner
Hulk Hogan is the main reason WWE is even in existence today. If WWE hadn't had Hulk Hogan back in the 80's, Wrestlemania I might not have been a success, and WWE might have folded.
Everyone in the WWE HoF is there because of people like Hogan brought to the industry. Being the guy who could "sell" the Rock 'N Wrestling Connection, selling Wrestlemanias etc meant that many other wrestlers went on to be superstars.
A WWE HoF doesn't look right if the main star isn't in it. O.J. is still in the NFL HoF, and he went to prison. What Hogan said was bad (but then, so is taping a private conversation and then publicly airing it) but it isn't anywhere near the level of what Chris Benoit did.
d_henderson1810
Mid-Card Championship Winner
I hope you are being sarcastic (apologies if you are, it is hard to tell on the internet).
Warrior has made plenty of racist and homophobic slurs, Austin is a wife-beater and Tyson was accused of rape. In fact, I bet that many people in the HoF, and most other HoFs have things in their past which should exclude them.
I generally don't believe in removing people from the HoF. It is based on your achievements. It isn't a "Nice Guys Hall Of Fame". The only time I think behaviour should exclude you is in extreme circumstances, where what you did was so bad, that you can't be celebrated. So far, for mine, that only excludes Chris Benoit. Unless you commit a serious crime, you should be allowed in, if your achievements warrant it, regardless of morality.
d_henderson1810
Mid-Card Championship Winner
Yet neither the Rock nor Cena are in the HoF, so it is irrelevant to use them as examples, when they aren't even in.
Mark Henry is overrated, and his push was stopped and started so many times, that he never got traction to see if he could be a Legend. Who knows how big he could have been if given a consistent run of feuds and PPVs (I think he should have been pushed as a threat to Brock Lesnar, for example).
Titus would be a PR goldmine, but I doubt his achievements warrant him being in the HoF, since he is only on TV every few months.
@smarkmouth
Friendly Neighborhood
I'll admit to misspeaking. I've lumped this HOF reinstatement into the same discussion as him being back in the WWE in an active role. The YouTube videos are already rolling out. I have no objection to his reinstatement. Giving him a new role and platform is what I find questionable, unwarranted, and is more effort than it's worth. Don't confuse that with ambivalence towards his achievements and don't bother me with history that I lived through. I don't see Hogan's presence in WWE being a net positive in 2018.
