WWE News: Hulk Hogan to return to Monday Night Raw to honor "Mean" Gene Okerlund
What's the story?
The passing of “Mean” Gene Okerlund has opened the door for a controversial WWE Hall of Famer to return to TV.
Hulk Hogan was announced to make his return to Monday Night Raw next week to honor the life of his friend.
In case you didn't know...
Okerlund passed away on Wednesday, January 2, 2019, at the age of 76.
The cause of his death was reported by TMZ as the result of a bad fall in December that deteriorated his health and kept him in the hospital until his passing earlier this week.
The heart of the matter
Hogan and Okerlund’s relationship dates back to the earliest points of both men's career in the AWA, before leaving the company for WWE in the 80s.
They would leave WWE at different points during the 90s and reunite in WWE’s biggest competitor, WCW. The long-standing friendship between both men was the reason WWE gave for Hogan’s return to Raw.
The following is an excerpt from the statement WWE released regarding Hogan's return to TV next week:
“Let me tell you something, ‘Mean’ Gene …”
So began many of Hulk Hogan’s most memorable proclamations, making interviewer and backstage personality “Mean” Gene Okerlund a cornerstone of Hulkamania in the 1980s. Now, in the wake of Okerlund’s recent passing, Hogan returns to WWE programming this Monday night on Raw to honor his longtime friend.
Hogan has not been featured on Raw since 2015 when controversial content was where he was heard using racist languages.
He was removed from the WWE Hall of Fame and television as soon as the news came out, but was reinstated to the Hall of Fame in 2018.
What's next?
Since his return to WWE programming overseas in Saudi Arabia, wrestling fans knew WWE would eventually bring Hogan back to Raw and SmackDown at some point.
The company usually honors the death of WWE legends and past superstars with a video tribute, so the decision to bring back Hogan has many fans wondering if its necessary to celebrate Okerlund's life.