Jim Ross Says Hulk Hogan Was Paranoid and Hard to Work With in WWE

Jim Ross didn’t hold back when discussing his difficult working relationship with Hulk Hogan.

On a recent episode of Grilling JR, the legendary announcer opened up about how tough it was to deal with Hogan during his time handling talent and negotiations in WWE. JR admitted Hogan had major trust issues that made even basic conversations difficult. According to him, Hogan believed everyone had an agenda.

“He was not fun to work with in my opinion, and I hate to speak ill of the dead — if that even counts as speaking ill of the dead. He didn’t trust anybody. He thought everyone had an ulterior motive and was out to get him.”

Ross even questioned why he bothered trying to negotiate with Hogan, because money and teamwork weren’t the Hulkster’s priorities — it was all about power.

“I don’t know why I even went through the trouble of negotiating with him. He was more concerned about creative and how he was going to be used than the money being offered or being part of the team. Something just wasn’t working there, and part of that, I believe, was that he simply didn’t trust anyone.”

JR did give Hogan credit for being a top-tier performer, but said his paranoid mindset turned every day into a headache for WWE’s team.

“Like I said, he was the greatest babyface in history, but he had nothing to be paranoid about. He was always second-guessing, and that kind of behavior can be a pain in the ass to deal with on a daily basis. You had to run everything by him or his people constantly. It was tough. High maintenance, to say the least.”

Hogan’s legacy as a wrestling icon is secure, but behind the scenes, Ross made it clear that working with him came with constant stress and frustration.

Do you think Hulk Hogan’s paranoia hurt his reputation backstage, or was it just part of protecting his legacy? Let us know in the comments below.

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