Devon Dudley Explains Why He Forgave Hulk Hogan Despite Racist Controversy

Devon Dudley is standing firm on why he chose to forgive Hulk Hogan, and he made it clear that fans criticizing him for it are not going to change his mind.

Speaking on the Duke LovesRasslin podcast, Devon addressed the backlash he’s received ever since publicly forgiving Hogan over the racist controversy that damaged Hogan’s reputation years ago. While Devon acknowledged that many people still harbor anger toward Hogan, he explained that he can only judge the WWE Hall of Famer based on how Hogan personally treated him throughout the years. Devon first made it clear that he’s not trying to act morally superior or pretend he’s perfect himself.

“I refuse to hide it because again, I don't want nobody putting me in the light where Devon thinks he's holier than thou because I've read some things even on my Instagram or or you know in in other YouTube videos and things like that like people you know are upset with me because I have decided to forgive Hogan for the things that he had said and the things they did.”

Devon then explained that he cannot speak on Hogan’s relationships with other wrestlers or people who feel Hogan wronged them in the past. Instead, he focused entirely on his own experiences with Hogan behind the scenes.

“I can't speak on the relationships that he has had with other people in the business, whether it be Bret Hart, Randy Orton, you know, the nWo, you know, people like that, and other people that have said that he's done what he's done to them. That's their story. That's not my story.”

The former Dudley Boyz star then recalled how Hogan helped him during his time in TNA and also praised Hogan for donating his time during a charity event without charging anyone money for autographs.

“I can only tell the story of how he helped me when he didn't have to in TNA to get myself back and the things that he did when I did the charity event for Hope for a Single Mom for women with cancer and how he sat there had to be over a thousand people that was in line for an autograph and he sat there and signed every single autograph that they brought to him. He did it for free.”

Devon also revealed that Hogan personally apologized to him, which played a major role in why he chose forgiveness instead of holding onto anger.

“I'm telling you from my perspective on the man, which is why I forgave him, especially when he comes to me personally and tells me that he's sorry.”

The conversation then turned spiritual, as Devon explained that his Christian faith ultimately guided his decision.

“If the Bible says you have to forgive, then I'm going to forgive because when it comes time for you to be judged on judgment day, he is not going to forgive you.”

Devon also stressed that forgiving Hogan does not mean he’s dismissing the pain others still feel over Hogan’s past comments.

“I'm not saying that if you don't want to forgive him, that's on you. That's you. That's your cross. That's something that you have to bear. But I have.”

Later in the discussion, Devon became emotional while reflecting on how much Hogan meant to him as a kid growing up in Brooklyn during wrestling’s boom period in the 1980s.

“When I look from 84 to 1990, I remember the joy that the character Hulk Hogan, not Terry Bollea, but the character Hulk Hogan had given me. The joy of enjoying pro wrestling.”

Devon also pointed out that Hogan is far from the only wrestling personality to have said offensive things over the years, but believes Hogan continues to receive the bulk of public outrage because of how famous he became.

“There are other wrestlers that we look up to today that have done the same thing and said the same thing that that man has said and probably worse and still to this day continue to say it. But you look at them in a high regard, but you denounce Hogan.”

While Hogan remains one of the most polarizing names in wrestling history, Devon made it clear that forgiveness is something he personally believes in, regardless of how fans react online.

Do you agree with Devon Dudley forgiving Hulk Hogan, or do you think some controversies should never be forgiven? Let us know your thoughts and feedback in the comments below.

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