Vince McMahon defended his decision to bring Hulk Hogan back to WWE in 2018, three years after the company severed ties with him once it was revealed that the pro wrestling icon had used a racial slur.

Vince McMahon has acknowledged Hulk Hogan ‘said some racist things’, but insisted that doesn’t mean the late WWE was ‘a racist’. The former WWE chief has opened up about his longtime friend – who died on July 24 aged 71 following a cardiac arrest – in a very rare interview weeks after his death.

Wrestling icon Hulk Hogan's death in July 2025 sparked reflection on his final WWE appearance. Vince McMahon expressed anger over fans booing Hogan on RAW's Netflix debut, feeling he deserved better recognition for his contributions.