Former ESPN sports analyst Bomani Jones stomped all over Hulk Hogan’s legacy in totality, but not for the reasons you’d expect.
The wrestling legend died from cardiac arrest at his home in Clearwater, Fla,. at age 71. Despite first responders rushing Hogan to a local hospital, he was pronounced dead at the emergency room.
On his “The Right Time with Bomani Jones,” the sports journalist said he tried to figure out how Hogan became a larger-than-life character over the years, but failed to understand.
“Why was Hulk Hogan such a big deal? Why did people love Hulk Hogan so much? I have spent the last 96 hours and change trying to come up with an answer to that question and I do not have it,” Jones said.
Jones lists the reasons why Hogan was not great
“I did not see anything that I thought gave a real explanation as to why it was that this guy was so popular and that famous,” Jones said. “He had to win over wrestling to move over into this bigger world of pop culture fame.”
Jones argued that Hogan was not even as good a wrestling entertainer as his other counterparts like Ric Flair, Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock.
“We all acknowledge that he was a bad wrestler and the majority of the really popular wrestlers are good wrestlers. He wasn’t exactly the coolest wrestler. I mean, he ain’t no Ric Flair. Low key, his character was a little bit corny,” Jones.
Jones said Hogan’s legacy and national image took a hard hit when he lied about not using chemical enhancements to procure his massive frame.
“The training, the prayers and the vitamins… even though we found out that the vitamins, you couldn’t buy them in stores,” Jone continued. “He out here telling you, ‘take vitamins to get as big as me,’ meanwhile he putting his pants down and and putting his booty out” to get steroid shots.
Jones said Hogan wanted the racial slurs to be a part of his legacy because he never really apologized for that atrociously racist phone call that his daughter leaked to the media in 2015. Furthermore, Hogan stomped hard for Donald Trump — even offering to be his vice president before Trump selected J.D. Vance
Many fans agree with Bomani Jones
Some fans believe that Hogan made it easy to dislike him after he using racial slurs to denounce his daughter’s boyfriend because he never tried to atone for his words.
“We wanted to love and forgive him, but Hogan was never sympathetic about any of his worst actions and actually relished it. If you don’t want me to dance on your grave, stop giving me the perfect tone and music to enjoy it,” said one fan in the comment section of the podcast.
Another fan pinpointed when Hogan transcended the sport and became a pop culture icon. “Hulk Hogan crossed into pop culture when he had a cameo in Rocky III. Vince saw the opportunity to elevate him and reach a broader audience after initially suggesting he turn it down. It was a marketing job, plain and simple. Right person, right place, right time,” the fan wrote.
A third surmised that “Every time a racist passes the world becomes a tiny bit better. That’s the closest I can come to saying nice words about Hulk, the guy was a POS.”
A fourth person sardonically noted that “Wait til Mel Gibson dies…,” while a fifth user said plainly, “As a rasslin fan, rest in p–s Hogan.”