How Hulk Hogan’s legacy became as controversial as it is iconic

A legend remembered with mixed feelings

News of Hulk Hogan’s death at 71 has prompted tributes from across the wrestling world. He was the face of the industry during its boom years, creating unforgettable moments and shaping the modern sports entertainment landscape. Yet alongside the admiration sits a history of scandals and disputes that ensure his legacy is fiercely debated.

Always about the Hulk

And he would be the first to tell you this. In fact, that's one of the biggest issues with Hulk Hogan – his ability to make himself the lead in any scenario.

Not a team player

Hogan was, by many accounts, only out to serve himself. A master of backstage politics, Hogan HATED making other wrestlers look good, and any suggestion to help put an up-and-coming champion over was, at best, heavily scrutinised by 'The Hulkster'.

Plenty of enemies in the business

The likes of CM Punk, Jesse Ventura, Shawn Michaels, and even The Undertaker have all aired various grievances about backstage issues with Hogan from their time working with him, as reported by The Sportster in March 2025.

Star of the show

Hogan loved being the star of the show and the deals that came with being the face of professional wrestling, and he was incredibly reluctant to relinquish his title. In fact, he would often point-blank refuse to do so at times if the circumstances did not look favorably upon him.

In a position of power

This often led to awkward confrontations between writers, wrestlers and general manager Vince McMahon, who would often end up siding with Hogan for fear of losing his golden boy.

The hand that feeds

It went even further than that, as Hogan had his preferred wrestling talents to work with. He knew acts such as the Nasty Boys, Hacksaw Duggan, Honky Tonk Man, and Brutus 'The Barber' Beefcake would do their best to make Hogan look good, so he ensured those talents were prioritized in the running sheet.

Don’t get on his bad side

If you weren’t on his good side, well, you can imagine. The accounts are too detailed and varied to mention, but wrestlers who have been vocal about their issues with Hogan over the years include Bret Hart, Jesse Ventura, Scott Steiner, Shawn Michaels, Sid and promoter Jim Cornette, according to the Sportster.

Huge blow for Mania

It was a huge blow to the image and credibility of Hogan, who had always maintained he was a 100% natural trainer (you know, vitamins, prayers, believing in yourself etc). Many of his fans never thought of him the same way again.

Presidential 'campaign'

In 1998, Hogan dropped a bombshell on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Hogan announced his retirement from pro wrestling with the intention of becoming the next US President.

Out of his depth

The announcement drew widespread interest, and soon Hogan was doing media rounds discussing his plan. The problem was that it became immediately clear he was out of his depth and had only a vague understanding of the political process, according to Wrestling Inc. Wrestling fans recoiled, but fast-forward 20 years, and he might have actually pulled it off... 

His messy divorce

In 2007, news emerged that Hogan and his wife of 24 years, Linda, were divorcing. This was eyebrow-raising firstly because the Hogan family were, at that time, reality TV show stars on 'Hogan Knows Best' and, secondly, because the person he was having an affair with was his daughter’s best friend, Christine Plante.

Denial

This played out in sensational style as Plante confirmed the relationship to The National Enquirer, while his daughter Brooke posted a lengthy MySpace post about how it affected her. Hulk, however, denied it in his book 'My Life Outside The Ring'.

Leaked tape and racism

This one is a doozy. In 2015, a raunchy tape featuring Hulk Hogan leaked online. To make matters WAY worse, Hogan goes on a racist tirade in the video, criticising his daughter’s romantic choices. He uses the N-word multiple times throughout the rant and even says he is a racist himself, according to Wrestling Inc. 

Massive scandal

That was easily the most damaging event for Hogan; this scandal resulted in an instant dismissal from the WWE, and he was also removed from the WWE Hall of Fame. Hogan apologized for the outburst, though the damage was done. 

Covid vaccine conspiracy theorist

Unfortunately, it doesn’t end there. Despite a shrinking public platform, Hogan still managed to put his foot in it. In January 2022, Hogan commented on Facebook in reply to a fan about recent celebrity deaths, including 99-year-old Betty White, by stating they were "100% [linked to the vaccine]. They're dropping like flies, but they'll never say that," Newsweek reported.

Backing Trump

Later, in 2024, Hogan then gave a glowing endorsement to Donald Trump during his election campaign, speaking at a rally in Madison Square Garden, proclaiming he wanted "Trumpomania to run wild on America".