Opinion: Hulk Hogan and the path to redemption
I have been a fan of sports entertainment/professional wrestling ever since I was a child. Now this love has lasted for over 36 years, and I have idolized many wrestlers in all that time, from Randy Savage to Ricky Steamboat to Ric Flair, the names are endless and I have a lot of great memories.
I have fond memories especially of the legendary Hulk Hogan. We all know that Hogan has been a huge part of pro wrestling and the growth it had in the 1980's and 1990's, he has become one of the biggest stars in the industry, and his status is cemented because he is respected for his accomplishments in the squared circle.
However, he made racial comments in a recording that had taken place years ago, he used a common racial slur not popular among some in the society. As an African American man, I like many people was disappointed with Hogan's use of a word so inflammatory that it's hard to let go.
The apology made by Hogan was not deemed genuine by superstars within the WWE, especially the stars who are of color. Although I am a believer in redemption and forgiveness, i still believe that Hogan and the WWE needed to take a better approach to the matter of the apology, and not use social media or anything as an excuse for poor behaviour and poor choice of words.
I believe that Hogan should have gone to each individual WWE Superstar of color and apologized, instead of doing it the way he has. But that is just my opinion, and I will leave it at that. But for the Hulkster, I believe he now has to be more careful, and he has to be a role model and better person by making better choices.
I get that we are human, and we say things that we either mean or do not mean. Does it give us the right to be rude and hurtful to others? No it does not. That has to be recognized and noted.
I hope the wrestling industry and especially Hulk Hogan will be more mindful of what is said and how it is said. Especially when it comes to words or terms that may be deemed racial.
Take a look at the statements made by The New Day and Titus O'Neil, and you will understand why they feel the way they do. Does Hogan deserve his place in the WWE Hall of Fame? Yes, that is without question. Does he deserve a free pass because of the recent apology given? He had apologized to the WWE Superstars at Extreme Rules before the show went on the air, but I believe that should not have been the case.
I hope that Hulk Hogan truly learned his lesson from this ordeal, and uses the lessons to become better. We as a society should take a lesson from this as well. If we want racism to stop, it is up to us as individuals to put a stop to it. Hogan has a great opportunity to take the lead and show that racism needs to end. Good luck brother.