"Never saw it coming" – Hulk Hogan addresses major WWE exit (Exclusive)

Hulk Hogan worked for several wrestling promoters during his four decades as an in-ring competitor, most notably Vince McMahon. In an exclusive interview, The Hulkster gave his thoughts on his former boss leaving WWE amid misconduct allegations.

In January, former WWE employee Janel Grant accused McMahon of sexual assault and trafficking. The 78-year-old denied Grant's claims before resigning from WWE's parent company TKO "out of respect." As a result, he no longer has any association with the organization he developed into a global phenomenon.

Hogan, McMahon's top star for many years, told Sportskeeda Wrestling Senior Editor Bill Apter that he did not expect McMahon to depart this way:

"Never saw it coming. I don't know if it's good or bad or indifferent, but it's a lot different than I thought it would be." [0:42 – 0:50]

In the video above, Hogan also addressed which WWE star could become the next Steve Austin or The Rock.

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Hulk Hogan's rise to superstardom under Vince McMahon

Between 1982 and 2022, McMahon was in charge of WWE's creative direction. During his early days as the company's top decision-maker, the former WWE Chairman marketed many of his shows around Hogan's babyface character.

Hogan main-evented eight of the first nine WrestleManias and held the WWE Championship for four years between 1984 and 1988. He also became a well-known name in popular culture thanks to his movie and television appearances.

In 2003, Hogan defeated McMahon in a Street Fight at WrestleMania 19. The storyline largely revolved around the wrestling legend claiming his on-screen rival had nothing to do with creating his iconic good-guy persona in the 1980s.

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Fans can purchase Hulk Hogan merchandise at his beach shops in Clearwater and Orlando, Florida. Visit Hulk Hogan's Wrestling Shop to check out the latest available items.

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