Booker T Talks Hulk Hogan’s Racial Tirade

Booker T is no stranger to dealing with racial tension, but he offered to lend a helping hand to Hulk Hogan. 

Towards the end of the second part of JBL’s interview with former WCW World Heavyweight Champion Booker T, JBL brought up Hulk Hogan and his infamous racial rant that was unearthed as part of his lawsuit against Gawker Media. The interview, which was a part of the “Legends with JBL” series on the WWE Network, talked through a lot of topics, including Buff Bagwell, being the last WCW World Heavyweight Champion and his backstage fight with Batista.

On the issue with Hogan, Booker T did express disappointment over what Hogan said, but he also was quick to defend Hogan’s character after knowing him for several decades.

“I was disappointed, first of all,” Booker T said. “On the other hand people say a lot of things behind closed doors. I had never known Hogan to be a racist or anything. Hulk Hogan is the reason why Booker T and Stevie Ray are Harlem Heat and why it became a mega power and multi-time champions in WCW. It was because of Hulk.”

Booker T said that when the rant was released, Hogan personally called Booker T and asked for forgiveness.

“I talked to Hulk on the phone after it happened. He called me. He apologized to me. It was like ‘Hulk you don’t need to apologize to me. You didn’t say that stuff to me. But what I want to do is help you,” Booker said. 

Booker T’s solution to helping out Hogan was an invitation to come on his radio show, apologize and then go on a tour and teach children the importance of language and the damages it can do. 

“We can take the Confederate flag down, but we can’t take that word out of the dictionary,” Booker T said. “I said ‘let’s go out in the country and teach young kids about this word.’ He turned it down and I think he made a really, really big mistake.”

His reaction can be heard at around 29:10 of the second part of the “Legends with JBL” interview.