With his signature leg drop, horseshoe moustache and undeniable strength, 12-time world wrestling champion Hulk Hogan single-handedly transformed wrestling into a global phenomenon, but he's now he’s fighting to maintain his legacy after fallout over his admitted use of the n-word.
In an exclusive interview with ABC News’ Amy Robach that aired Monday on "Good Morning America," a contrite and emotional Hogan talked about the circumstances surrounding his use of the n-word. He steadfastly denied being a racist and begged his fans for forgiveness.
In addition to the scandal involving his use of the n-word in the past, the 62-year-old is embroiled in a legal battle with Gawker Media following the gossip website's publication of excerpts from a secretly recorded tape that showed Hogan having sex. The tape is believed to have been recorded between 2006 and 2007.
Hogan is suing Gawker Media for $100 million for releasing those excerpts from the sex tape. Heather Dietrick, Gawker's president and general counsel, has argued that that publication was an issue of newsworthiness.
Hogan's camp claims that the audio in which Hogan is heard making racist comments is from another part of the same tape. Gawker Media told ABC News that the racist recording is from a completely different tape that is not part of the lawsuit and that it had nothing to do with its leak or publication.
Born Terry Bollea, the man behind the once-indestructible “Hulkster” was wiped from the WWE's Hall of Fame last month after his use of the racial slur was revealed.
Hogan told Robach that he had been "upset over a situation that happened" between his daughter, Brooke Bollea, and her boyfriend. That's when he referred to his daughter's then boyfriend using the n-word.
Hogan said he had "no idea" that he was being taped, explaining: "I was to the point where I wanted to kill myself, you know?"
He described how he sat in his bathroom by himself, his estranged wife and children gone.
"I was completely broken and destroyed and said, ‘What's the easiest way out of this?' I mean, I was lost," he said.
Asked whether he was suicidal, Hogan replied, "Yes, I was."
Then Robach asked: "Are you a racist?"
"I'm not a racist but I never should have said what I said. It was wrong. I'm embarrassed by it," he said, but added: "People need to realize that you inherit things from your environment. And where I grew up was south Tampa, Port Tampa, and it was a really rough neighborhood, very low income. And all my friends, we greeted each other saying that word."
He added that the word was "just thrown around like it was nothing."
Asked whether it was fair to say that he inherited a racial bias, Hogan agreed that he did.
"I would say that is very fair. The ... the environment I grew up in in south Tampa and all my white friends, all my black friends, to hear the word on a daily basis when they'd greet me in the morning, that's what they'd say to me, 'Good morning,' so-and-so," he said. "I think that was part of the culture and the environment I grew up in and I think that's fair to say."
As for his fans who may feel let down by his actions, Hogan asked for forgiveness.
“Oh, my gosh. Please forgive me. Please forgive me," he said. "I think if you look at the whole picture of who Hulk Hogan is, you can see over all the years that there's not a racist bone in my body."
He said he has forgiven himself, telling Robach that it wasn't hard for him to do because he's not a racist.
"I'm a nice guy. It's not, you know, not the Hulk Hogan that rips a shirt off and bang, bang, bang, slams giants, you know? I'm Terry Bollea," he said.
But the WWE -– formerly the WWF –- took drastic action. It fired the wrestling legend and removed his image and name from its website's Hall of Fame.
Hogan was shocked.
"I've worked for the WWE for almost 30 years off and on ... and then all of a sudden, everything I've done my whole career and my whole life was like it never happened," he said.
He described the WWE's actions as "devastating."
August 31, 2015
Hulk Hogan on Racial Slur Scandal: 'Please Forgive Me ... People Get Better'
TNA Announces Wrestler Has Been Arrested
TNA issued the following on Bram, who was previously married to WWE Diva Charlotte:
Bram Arrested in Florida, Suspended Indefinitely
TNA has been advised by the Gulfport, Florida Police Department that Thomas Latimer, known as Bram, has been arrested and charged with two felony counts of domestic battery and false imprisonment. TNA is working to gather facts and obtain additional information related to the arrest.
"The charges against Thomas Latimer are serious, and he is immediately and indefinitely suspended from any future TNA-sanctioned events awaiting the outcome of the case," said TNA Executive Vice President of Television and Talent John Gaburick.
Apparently Charlotte and Bram split earlier this summer. Latimer married Ashley Fliehr, a.k.a. WWE Diva Charlotte, in 2013. The couple is reportedly no longer married, and the incident didn't involve her. Latimer had been dating Ashley Allen, who was pushing Bram merchandise up until last week on Twitter.
WWE Successfully Has Concussion Lawsuit Moved
According to PWInsider.com, WWE successfully petitioned to have the concussion lawsuit against them by Cassandra Nelson, the widow of late WWE star Nelson Frazier, Jr, aka Big Daddy V, moved.
The suit was moved from Tennessee to Connecticut on August 17th, and will be joined with the other pending lawsuits against WWE by former talents claiming the company ignored medical concerns where it pertained to concussions, CTE and other medical related issues.
Triple H Announces WWE NXT Nashville Debut
Just one night before WWE Network airs Brock Lesnar's return to Madison Square Garden on Saturday, October 3rd, WWE NXT will be in TNA's home base of Nashville, Tennessee.
Triple H announced today that NXT will run in Nashville on Friday, October 2nd at the War Memorial Auditorium. Tickets go on sale this Friday at 10am.
August 30, 2015
WWE Announces First Ever Divas Beat the Clock Challenge for Raw Monday Night
WWE has announced the first-ever Divas Beat The Clock Challenge will take place on WWE Raw Monday night in Tampa. The match will feature Paige, Charlotte and Becky Lynch, and their opponents have yet to be named.
The rules of the match stipulate that the Diva who wins her match in the shortest amount of time will earn a shot at WWE Divas Champion Nikki Bella at the Night of Champions PPV.
WWE NXT Diva Trends Worldwide Following New Gimmick Debut at Live Event and Swastika Photos Surfacing Online
WWE NXT Diva and real life girlfriend of Seth Rollins, Zahra Schreiber, was trending worldwide on Twitter last night, and it appears to be for two reasons.
One, she debuted a new gimmick as Solomon Crowe’s sister at a WWE NXT live event tonight in Ft. Pierce, FL.
Secondly, photos Schreiber posted back in 2012 on Instagram, which have since been deleted, resurfaced when some fans found them and posted them online.
The photos feature a swastika, which is a symbol most infamously used by the Nazi party during World War II, although the ones Schreiber posted seem to be unrelated to the Nazi party.
I'm not posting the photos, but you can view them here.
Below are some of the Schreiber’s responses to comments made by fans:
* I like history ha
* it’s really not anyone’s business anyway. I can post whatever photos I want, if you don’t like them my feelings won’t be hurt if you unfollow.
* thanks! I am in love with the photo of maria magdalena!
* there are lots of cool photos on eBay.
* haha it’s not a big deal! I can hang whatever photos I want in MY room or MY instagram. Just like she can post all over her networking sites how she thinks women who are prolife are idiots. We all have our own opinions and lifestyles. I don’t comment on hers so I expect the same.
* The swastika means prosperity and luck. It was around way before hitler turned it into an icon. Take it how you want I could careless. This is too funny.
* Believed what way? Lol one of my best friends back home is black and another is married to a black man. I dislike people for their actions not their race. If it happens to be a black, Asian or white person so be it. Mind your business. I’m not all on your s–t for things you say that I have no respect for.
* I don’t really give a s–t what it means to other people Brendan
* I said that referring to her saying the swastika symbol deserves to be spat on. It has other meanings also. f–k off. I’ll take interest anything I want. If you look next to it is a photo of an actress who refused nazism and was awarded right to America. I’ll put whatever i want on wall. Get the f–k over it.
* me too esp over something so stupid. People need to lighten up and get the sticks outta their ass.
It will be interesting to see if the WWE takes any action against her in light of the Hulk Hogan scandal.
August 29, 2015
Paul Heyman Praises Corey Graves and Compares Him To UFC Commentator, Talks ECW and NXT Comparisons, What Makes NXT Unique, More
Sam Roberts Live featured Paul Heyman , who gave his thoughts on Corey Graves and his duties within WWE.
“Corey gets the whole roster over and that’s the key,” Heyman said. “The job that he’s doing is so phenomenal that sooner than later, we’re going to say that Joe Rogan is the Corey Graves of UFC.”
According to Heyman, ECW was all about showcasing professional wrestling styles that were new and progressive and tomorrow”, which is what NXT is about”.
Paul Heyman stated that “it was always what we didn’t have.” He compares having too many of similar style wrestlers and says he was always looking to do something different.
NXT Announcer Being Promoted to the Main Roster
During last night’s WWE NXT live event in Tampa, announcer Greg Hamilton told the live crowd he is being called-up to the main WWE roster. Hamilton recently worked the live crowds at several set of WWE Tough Enough tapings.
Photo: The Levesque Girls Backstage at Raw
Watching #RAW from Pop's office! Thank you @barclayscenter for the super cool jerseys! pic.twitter.com/9G55dNAeQR
— Stephanie McMahon (@StephMcMahon) August 27, 2015
Hulk Hogan Appearing On TV Shows This Monday To Talk Gawker, Sex Tape And Racist Comments
WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan was in New York City this week participating in media interviews as he tries to repair his image after the racist comments scandal that was revealed by The National Enquirer this summer.
Hogan will be on ABC's Good Morning America this Monday morning and on ABC's Nightline Monday night, according to his Twitter. He also has a People Magazine interview coming out this week.
‘Kayfabe’ Has Been Added To The Oxford Dictionary
Kayfabe
Syllabification: kay·fabe
Pronunciation: /’ka?fab/
Noun
1. (In professional wrestling) the fact or convention of presenting staged performances as genuine or authentic:
“a masterful job of blending kayfabe and reality”
“he’s not someone who can break kayfabe and talk about the business”
[as modifier]: “I heard that AJ approached him to rehearse a kayfabe segment”
Origin
1980s: origin uncertain; often said to have arisen in American traveling carnivals. One explanation interprets the word as an alteration of ‘be fake’ written backwards, while the -ay- element is typical of the way in which words are formed in pig Latin.
August 28, 2015
WWE And Barclays Center Team Up For Connor's Cure, Photo Of WWE And Barclays Executives
The Barclays Center sent the following:
Sunday evening August 23, prior to a sold out WWE SummerSlam, gifts were exchanged by Barclays Center and WWE executives in the Brooklyn Nets locker room.
Barclays Center presented WWE executives with a framed custom art piece to be auctioned on CharityBuzz. Designed by Brooklyn artist One9, the piece features a one-of-a-kind WWE graffiti motif highlighting the three consecutive sold-out WWE nights in Brooklyn (listed below) and is signed by WWE icons Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, and Triple H.
*NXT TakeOver on Saturday, August 22
*SummerSlam on Sunday, August 23
*Monday Night Raw on Monday, August 24
Proceeds from the sale of the artwork will benefit Connor's Cure at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation, a cause central to the WWE organization. Connor's Cure was formed in honor of Connor Michalek, a WWE fan who passed away at age 8 from medulloblastoma, a rare tumor that affects the brain and spinal cord. Donations to Connor's Cure provide funds for pediatric brain and spinal cancer research, and medical care for children and their families. Inscription on the Championship Title belts seen below reads: NXT TakeOver, SummerSlam, and RAW – SOLD OUT. (Credit Kari Culver/Barclays Center).
From left to right, Keith Sheldon, Vice President of Booking, Barclays Center; Paul "Triple H" Levesque, Executive Vice President of Talent, Creative and Live Events, WWE; Brett Yormark, CEO Barclays Center; Stephanie McMahon, Chief Brand Officer, WWE; Fred Mangione, COO, Barclays Center; and Vince McMahon, Chairman and CEO, WWE.
August 27, 2015
Triple H Reveals Upcoming WWE NXT Takeover Will Air Live On The Network
Triple H confirmed today that WWE NXT will air a Takeover special from London, England on Wednesday, December 16th at the SSE Arena. The event will air live. Tickets went on sale for the tour today via pre-sale.
August 26, 2015
WWE Studios To Develop Basketball Documentary Into Feature Film
WWE sent us the following:
WWE® STUDIOS TO ADAPT KEVIN LAUE BASKETBALL DOCUMENTARY INTO FEATURE FILM
Long Shot To Spotlight The One-Armed NCAA Division 1 Player
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (AUGUST 26, 2015) – WWE Studios announced today that they have acquired the rights to adapt Franklin Martin's 2013 documentary Long Shot: The Kevin Laue Story to a feature film, following the young man who defied all odds to become the first player missing a limb to play NCAA Division 1 basketball. Kara Holden (Carrie Pilby, The Opposite of Love, Soul Surfer) is set to write the adaptationwith a director soon to be announced.
Inspired by Martin's documentary, Long Shot will detail the trials and tribulations Laue faced and surpassed during his journey from the sleepy town of Pleasanton, California to the basketball court of Manhattan College in New York City, where he became a member of the Division I team in 2009.
"Kevin's story is absolutely captivating and exemplifies true ambition, will and dedication," said Michael Luisi, President, WWE Studios. "It's a privilege for us to spotlight his inspiring achievements to audiences worldwide."
WWE Studios will be handling worldwide rights and will leverage WWE's extensive platforms – including weekly TV shows, digital and social media and the WWE Network – to market this title.
Kevin Laue and Franklin Martin's Dutchmen Films are represented by G. Pirozzi Consulting.
Natalya Talks Her Relationship With Triple H
"Triple H...actually, I felt like I never really had a relationship with Triple H before I started going down to NXT; it's not his fault, he's a busy guy. But Triple H is the one who gave me all the time for that match [with Charlotte] to start with. I mean, I probably shouldn't say this, but he gave me no time limit. He actually said 'There is no time.' Most people don't know that, but he said 'Paint whatever picture you want on this canvas.' We all knew how special it would be."
August 25, 2015
Former WWE And TNA Star Gets Show On CBS Radio
CBS Radio issued the following:
THE TAZ SHOW: BODYSLAMS & BEYOND TO DEBUT ON PLAY.IT® BEGINNING MONDAY, SEPT. 14
Live Weekday Program Featuring Former Pro-Wrestler Taz To Be Video and Audio Streamed
CBS RADIO today announced a new original program, THE TAZ SHOW: BODYSLAMS & BEYOND, a live two-hour daily show featuring pro-wrestling World Heavyweight Champion Taz. Available exclusively for audio and video streaming on the Play.it® podcast network, THE TAZ SHOW launches on Monday, Sept. 14 and will be broadcast live Monday through Friday from 7:00-9:00AM, ET, from CBS RADIO's New York headquarters.
The program can also be accessed on-demand daily beginning at 10:00AM, ET. Live video streaming of the show will launch at a later date.
THE TAZ SHOW will be highlighted by call-ins from listeners, high-profile interviews, and Taz's distinctive opinion on trending topics, newsmakers and the biggest names across the world of sports entertainment and wrestling. The live program comes as the result of the success of Taz's podcast and replaces the weekly show which launched earlier this year on Play.it and was honored with a Communicator Award of Excellence.
Seth Neiman serves as co-host and producer of THE TAZ SHOW.
"The world of sports entertainment is well-known for its colorful characters and no doubt Taz is one of the most opinionated and passionate of all time," said Chris Oliviero, Executive Vice President of Programming, CBS RADIO. "His unique personality along with his fanatical fan base make Taz the perfect personality to help build this new content platform."
"We are happy to continue to grow our relationship with Taz, offering the best live and on-demand content for consumers anywhere," said Ezra Kucharz, President, CBS Local Digital Media. "His distinctive voice is something all fans enjoy whether they are passionate about wrestling, sports or pop culture."
Best known by his ring name, Taz is a former professional wrestler, broadcaster and award-winning podcaster. During his 25 years in the ring, he dominated various championships within the realms of Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). His titles include two-time ECW World Heavyweight Champion, three-time ECW Tag Team Champion, three-time WWE Hardcore Champion, and WWE Tag Team Champion, among others. After his retirement from wrestling, Taz was a color commentator from 2002-15 for WWE Raw, Smackdown and TNA Impact.
WWE Tough Enough Finale Recap
The final four competitors – Josh, Sara, ZZ and Amanda – were overcome with disbelief that the final week of Tough Enough was underway, but also with trepidation as they had to compete in their first televised match. Amanda took the opportunity to try and get into Sara’s head by questioning her personal life. Shaking off Amanda’s assumptions and comments, Sara was poised to prove to everyone she belongs in WWE.
Before their live matches, each contestant sat down with Chris Jericho and discussed what they wanted their ring gear to look like. In addition to their ring gear, Jericho encouraged the final four to flesh out their in-ring personas.
After going over their characters, the contestants learned who they would be facing inside the squared circle. Amanda and Sara would be going toe-to-toe with former Divas Champion Alicia Fox while ZZ and Josh would face Cesaro.
Amanda, taking the ring name Mandy Rose, entered the ring first, showing off her new persona. Mandy Rose then had the opportunity to display everything she’s learned during her tenure at the WWE Performance Center. Facing Alicia is a daunting task, especially for a first live match. The battle went back and forth and Mandy showed strong endurance and ability to keep fighting.
However, Foxy proved that experience is crucial inside the ring and won the match with her patented Scissor Kick.
Miz was a fan of Mandy Rose’s new persona and Paige gave her high marks for her outfit. Although Daniel Bryan felt the match was sloppy, he admired Mandy’s intensity and ability to keep the flow of the math intact.
Next up was Sara Lee, competing as Hope. Taking the microphone, Hope talked a big game – determined to make Alicia a “footnote in Hope’s career.” Hope came out strong against the former Divas Champion, however Fox retaliated aggressively, putting Hope on the defensive. Remaining in the fight, Hope looked like she could pull off an upset, but Alicia took control with an eye poke and executed her Scissor Kick for the win.
Miz loved Hope’s promo and was genuinely impressed with her performance. Paige wasn’t a fan of her entrance but was also impressed with the performance. Bryan reiterated Paige’s point about Hope’s entrance, but he was surprised by the match.
Before the reveal of the female winner, ZZ and Josh competed. First up was ZZ, who entered the ring as The King of the Bayou, donning an alligator head attached to a cape. Before The King could finish his promo, Cesaro made his way to the ring. Cesaro dominated much of the contest, showing off his infamous strength and tossing The King around with ease. The Swiss Superman dominated the bout, and reversed The King’s Gator Grip into a Crossface for the win.
Bryan felt The King of the Bayou did a decent job in his match. However, Paige felt his personality was lacking and Miz didn’t think The King could handle competing in a longer match.
Josh was the final contestant to get in the ring and he, of course, competed as The Yeti. Clearly excited for his match, The Yeti did his best to rile up the audience and get them on his side. As the match got underway, The Yeti tried to match strength with Cesaro, but the King of Swing once again showed why he is pound-for-pound one of the strongest WWE Superstars in history. After an exchange, Cesaro executed The Neutralizer for the win.
Jericho thought The Yeti looked like a star, and Miz agreed, but hated his outfit. Paige and Bryan both felt the match was a bit choppy but strong overall. The general marks on his promo were that it started strong but lost some momentum toward the end.
With the voting closed, Triple H emerged with two WWE contracts each worth $250,000. First the newest WWE Diva was announced and the winner was Sara Lee. Joining Sara was the newest WWE Superstar – Josh.
And with that, history was made and two hard-working competitors have been granted the opportunity of a lifetime.
Update On WWE Network MSG Special
WWE Network will be airing the October 3rd WWE live event from Madison Square Garden, featuring Brock Lesnar's return. This card will certainly be changed soon but here's the current line-up:
* John Cena vs. Seth Rollins
* Sheamus vs. Randy Orton
* Dolph Ziggler vs. Rusev
* Cesaro vs. Kevin Owens
* Appearances by Lesnar, Paul Heyman, Chris Jericho and others
Dudley Boyz Return to WWE
During last night’s episode of WWE RAW saw The Dudley Boyz returned to WWE television after ten years. The Dudleys returned as a huge surprise, and got a huge pop from the Brooklyn crowd as they took out WWE Tag Team Champions The New Day.
The Dudleys are back full-time with WWE and will be travelling with them on the road for live events, including their advertised Smackdown return this Thursday. It’s speculated, but still unconfirmed that the team has signed a multi-year contract with WWE.
According to reports, Bubba and Devon were hidden from everyone at RAW last night, and almost no one knew about the return until they were near the curtain to make their entrance. Several top WWE officials were some of the few to know beforehand, and then the production team knew as they cued up the video, music and pyro, as well as having merchandise already produced.
August 24, 2015
August 23, 2015
WWE Officially Announces Next NXT Takeover
Get ready, NXT Universe: The next NXT TakeOver live special will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 7!
During the live NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn broadcast, NXT General Manager William Regal announced that the Oct. 7 event will feature the finals of the first Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament.
WWE NXT Will Tour The UK In December
The evolution of @WWENXT continues as we cross the Atlantic for a tour of the UK Dec.10-16th. #StayTuned #WeAreNXT pic.twitter.com/uSCmlstkdf
— Triple H (@TripleH) August 23, 2015
William Regal announces NXT’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament
During the historic NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn broadcast on WWE Network, NXT General Manager William Regal announced that NXT will be paying tribute to the late WWE Hall of Famer “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes with a tag team tournament to be held in his honor.
The Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic will feature the best of NXT’s past, present and future, duking it out for tag team supremacy, with the finals taking place at the next NXT TakeOver, live on WWE Network on Wednesday, Oct. 7.
Rhodes himself was no stranger to tag team competition during his illustrious career. The American Dream was a multiple-time tag team champion, holding titles with the likes of Dick Murdoch, Dick Slater and “Raging Bull” Manny Fernandez. Rhodes and Nikita Koloff also survived through a field of 24 teams to win the 1987 Jim Crockett, Sr. Memorial Cup.
Though he made an incredible impact inside the squared circle, The American Dream made, perhaps, an even greater impact during his time with NXT. Rhodes served as a mentor to the entire NXT roster, helping them to find the Superstar or Diva within. It is because of his profound contributions to the future of WWE that NXT is honoring his legacy with this tournament, ensuring that The American Dream will live on.
Attendance For WWE NXT Takeover: Brooklyn
In an update on attendance for last night's NXT "Takeover: Brooklyn" event from the Barclays Center, Stephanie McMahon announced that there were 15,589 fans in attendance.
