Hulk Hogan’s legacy has been a topic of debate in recent years, as while no one can deny his influence on wrestling, many are opposed to the Hulkster and his many controversies. In recent years, Hogan has received mixed-at-best responses at WWE events, and now the Hulkster has evoked the name of Chris Benoit to address fan hostility.
On the ImPaulsive podcast, Hogan brought up Benoit, arguing that there are fans who still love the disgraced Canadian despite the tragedy of June 2007. Hogan then argued that fans can be very forgiving when they want to be, and hopes he is shown the same treatment given his “major mistakes.”
“If Chris Benoit can do the crap he did and the fans still love him [why not me?] they are forgiving… I have made some major mistakes… they are very, very forgiving.”
While some fans may be willing to ‘love’ Benoit (at least in Hogan’s eyes) WWE has done what it can to distance itself from the former World Champion. The promotion has made no reference to Benoit on TV since June 2007. While Benoit’s matches remain available in WWE’s extensive archives, the company goes to lengths not to reference him by name, often labeling his matches in ways that omit his involvement entirely.
Hogan referencing Chris Benoit has not gone down well with fans, many of whom took to social media to critique the Hulkster’s argument that fans have forgiven Benoit.
Hulk Hogan’s Controversies
Hogan was fired from WWE in 2015 after racist remarks came to light. His exit saw him removed from WWE’s Hall of Fame, though this would only be known in 2018 when he was readmitted into the Hall of Fame. More recently, Hogan spoke of bodyslamming Kamala Harris and made a ‘joke’ about Native Americans that he quickly blamed on his drinking.
Despite this, WWE has signed a new five-year deal with Hogan that will see the wrestling icon serve as an ambassador and have his license used for merchandise. While Hogan’s comments continue to rub many the wrong way, the Donald Trump endorser is sticking to what he believes about the fans and their willingness to forgive.
