"He used alcohol as an excuse" - Wrestling veteran points out the reason Hulk Hogan was buried in WWE (Exclusive)

Former WWE Champion Hulk Hogan was one of the biggest names in professional wrestling during his entire in-ring career. His passing last month came as a big blow to the entire industry, given his contributions to the field. However, ever since his N-word comment was revealed, he has proved to be a divisive figure.

Following his controversial statement, Hogan was released from WWE in 2015. But he returned when the promotion struck a deal with Saudi Arabia. Officials reportedly wanted The Hulkster to be involved in the first major show the promotion organized in the Middle East, and Vince McMahon agreed to hire him, contingent on an apology from Hogan.

Wrestling veteran Vince Russo recently said that Hogan's comments buried him within WWE. On Sportskeeda WrestleBinge, the veteran claimed that Hogan used alcohol as an excuse for his remarks, rather than owning up to his mistake, which damaged his reputation.

"Quite honestly, he [Stevie Ray] said, and this is a black guy saying this, he said, 'Hogan probably didn't know what to say. So, he used alcohol as an excuse,' but bro, that buried him in that company... I think that's what they're going to remember more than the actual use of the word. All they wanted him to say was, 'You know what, man... I'm human. I made a mistake,'" Russo said. [From 3:10 onwards]

Hulk Hogan continued to make sporadic appearances for the promotion until January 2025, much to the dislike of the majority of the WWE Universe. His last appearance for the promotion came earlier this year, when he appeared on RAW's Netflix premiere in January.

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About the author

Faiz is a WWE writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling. He is a BBA graduate who is passionate about sports and wants to make a career in that field. This passion led to a postgraduate degree in Journalism, which helped him pivot into becoming a sports writer. When writing, he puts the utmost importance on accuracy and thorough research.

Faiz has six years of work experience across four companies. He started his career with Zomato and then moved to Amazon. He shifted to becoming a football writer at TV9 Digital and is now with Sportskeeda. He covered the Wrestling Xtreme Mania event in Gurgaon in 2025, where he had the opportunity to interview Raj The Maharaja, fka Jinder Mahal. At the same event, he also got quick interviews with former WWE Superstar Dijak and Japanese Joshi legend Emi Sakura.

When it comes to his favourite wrestlers, Faiz has two names in mind. He loved to watch Triple H before the current WWE CCO retired, and he is a huge fan of Roman Reigns. Being a loyal fan since the Tribal Chief's SHIELD days, Faiz credits Roman's mic skills and unmatched in-ring storytelling for his mega success. When he was young, one in-ring story left a lasting impression on his mind and eventually got him hooked on WWE. That match was Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair at WrestleMania 24. Apart from that, he is also a fan of RAW.

When Faiz is not writing for Sportskeeda, he loves to keep up with other sports. He is an avid cricket and football fan, a huge gamer, and loves playing some RPGs on the PlayStation.

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Edited by Pratik Singh