Dana White has given his reaction to the passing of Hulk Hogan.
TMZ reported that Hogan passed away on Thursday after suffering cardiac arrest. There had been conflicting reports about the health status of Hogan prior to his death. While Eric Bischoff and Jimmy Hart both denied Bubba the Love Sponge’s claim that Hogan was in a dire situation, the WWE Hall of Famer ultimately died in Clearwater.
White got a chance to speak to Hogan privately during the Republican National Convention, and he reflected on that night during an interview with FOX News (via MMAJunkie).
“When I got there, they walked me literally right into a holding room where they had me and Kid Rock,” White said. “On the way to my room, Hulk Hogan grabbed me and asked me if he could talk to me privately for a second. He pulled me aside, and you know, I’ll never forget that conversation that we had that night. He was a good man, he was special. He loved the president and obviously, he loved America.”
White was well aware of Hogan’s run in WWE during the 1980s, and he admits he was a “Hulkamaniac.”
“I’m 55 years old, so I grew up right in that (time) when the WWF was massive and Hulk was becoming a really big star,” White said. “I watched the WWF back then, and I was a Hulk Hogan fan.”
Hogan’s place in wrestling history isn’t disputed, given he paved the way for future generations in the industry. Still, a leaked phone call revealing racist remarks from Hogan haunted him right up until his passing. Hogan apologized publicly, but a 2018 meeting with the WWE locker room reportedly did “The Hulkster” little favors. Many WWE stars felt Hogan’s message was more about being wary of being caught saying something that could have consequences rather than taking responsibility for his comments.