Michael Cole Says WWE Did An “Unreal Job” Honoring Hulk Hogan

Michael Cole is speaking out about WWE’s tributes to Hulk Hogan following his death on July 24, and he’s not holding back on how much the wrestling icon meant to the business.

Appearing on WFAN, the veteran WWE broadcaster praised the company’s handling of Hogan’s on-air memorials, saying they were done exactly the way they should have been.

“I thought the company did an unreal job with the way that they handled Hulk (Hogan). Listen, no matter what you think about the man and obviously, he’s a human being. Nobody’s perfect. He had a lot of detractors, especially late in his career. But no matter what you think of the human being, there is no doubt what Hulk Hogan, the character and the icon, did for the professional wrestling industry.”

Cole credited Hogan’s partnership with Vince McMahon as the key factor in turning wrestling from a small-scale operation into a global juggernaut.

“Hulk Hogan and Vince McMahon turned professional wrestling from a small regional promotion into a global sports entertainment juggernaut. I would not be sitting at ringside today if it wasn’t for Hulk Hogan, and so this man completely changed everything around. I got a lot of flak because I said on ESPN last week that I believed Hulk Hogan was the greatest professional wrestler of all time. I firmly believe that, and I’m not talking about in-ring work, because he wasn’t a great in-ring worker. He was an incredible performer and none of us in any company in professional wrestling would be in this position today without Hulk Hogan.”

While many have praised WWE’s tribute, there’s also been backlash. WWE talent Jamar Hampton questioned whether Hogan should be celebrated, posting a transcript of Hogan’s past racist remarks. Hampton later deleted the post.

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