In his first major public remarks since stepping down from TKO, Vince McMahon spoke about his disappointment over not being invited to WWE’s tribute programming for Hulk Hogan. After Hogan’s passing, WWE devoted a week of shows to honor him, including 10-bell salutes from the roster.
The comments came during TMZ Presents: The Real Hulk Hogan, which aired on August 12. The host noted the long-standing friendship between McMahon and Hogan and suggested the absence may have been hard for him. McMahon, visibly emotional, agreed, saying, “Struck me that way as well.”
His criticism didn’t stop there. McMahon also took issue with how Hogan’s final WWE appearance was handled. On January 6, 2025, during the first WWE RAW on Netflix, Hogan was met with boos from the live crowd.
“I’ve known him for a lifetime… Setting up this larger-than-life superhero, you don’t just let him walk out there. He deserved something very, very special. More than anyone, they owe him. I got angry because that’s not the way I would have done it, and he deserved much more.”
McMahon and Hogan’s partnership in the 1980s helped define WWE’s “Golden Era,” turning the company into a global name. Hogan’s death on July 24, 2025, was a deep personal loss for McMahon, who called it “a tremendous shot… a blow to my heart.”
While WWE excluded him from the on-air tributes, McMahon did give a eulogy at Hogan’s private memorial on August 5. His absence from the televised events is linked to his resignation as TKO Executive Chairman earlier this year, following a federal investigation and a lawsuit alleging sexual assault and trafficking.
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