Long night last night, but we had another fun stream. I’m starting to do these a little more often, but I should promote them a little better and not make things so spur of the moment. That being said, Wednesday night at 7PM we will be doing another one. There may be one or two before then, but pencil that time in for sure. What do I have for you today? Well, a lot. Starting with the Hulk Hogan drama. He made some comments about all this himself last night and today on Twitter. Here’s those, in case you missed them:
Thank you my brother Mick only love. H pic.twitter.com/z4nJ70Q6Au
— Hulk Hogan (@HulkHogan) July 24, 2015
Thank you my brother Virgil. Only love HH pic.twitter.com/kX6oZePNhb
— Hulk Hogan (@HulkHogan) July 24, 2015
Thank you to all my friends,family and business partners for all your love and support,you guys know who I really am and I love u 4 that. HH
— Hulk Hogan (@HulkHogan) July 25, 2015
Thank u Maniacs 4 the love and support,it's amazing how many people know who I really am and stuck by my side,I will always keep my head up
— Hulk Hogan (@HulkHogan) July 26, 2015
Because of the love and support u have shown me ,thank u from the bottom of my heart oh love HH
— Hulk Hogan (@HulkHogan) July 26, 2015
His daughter also spoke out on Facebook with a pretty awesome poem, so that’s worth checking out as well. Former WWE Superstar Kamala (real name James Harris) talked to The Bleacher Report, and had this to say:
“That’s not the Hogan I know. Hogan always treated me like a gentleman.”
Matches featuring Hogan and Harris drew sellout crowds at arenas across the country, including New York’s Madison Square Garden in 1986. Hogan often expressed concern that Harris wasn’t being compensated fairly during their main event run.
“He genuinely cared about me,” Harris said. “He was my friend. He’d tell me, ‘Brother, I’m getting my money. I hope you’re getting yours, because you’re putting asses in the seats.’
“When it came to our matches, he valued my input. He’d always say, ‘What do you want to do out there, brother?’ I’d tell him, and then we’d go out there and do it. He’s a sweetheart of a guy.”
He said Hogan simply “got caught with a hidden recorder and said something he probably didn’t mean.”
“I’m not mad at him at all,” said Harris. “Deep down, he’s really not like that. He’s a super-nice guy. I don’t believe he’s a racist at all, no matter what he said.”
Asked what he’d say to Hogan if he saw him now, Harris said, “The first thing I’d do is shake his hand and hug him, just like we always do. That wouldn’t change. Then I might say, ‘Hey man, what happened?’ But it’d be with a smiling face.”
George Foreman, grillmaster and former heavyweight boxing champion, also defended The Hulkster:
“I have known Hulk Hogan for well over 20 years. I do not condone the language he used, but he is no racist, he is a good guy.”
And instead of distancing himself from Hogan — on the heels of the n-word scandal — the ex champ went out of his way to verbally embrace him.
Foreman added, “He is a friend of mine. We have hung out together and we have even been in the ring together. I consider him a friend.”
Ex-NBA’er Dennis Rodman, former UFC champion Tito Ortiz, and Disco Inferno, a colleague from Hogan’s time in WCW, also weighed in with messages of support:
I've known @HulkHogan for 25 years. Here he is hanging with Kylin in NJ. There isn't a racist bone in that mans body. http://t.co/QnT9rmrpVe
— Dennis Rodman (@dennisrodman) July 24, 2015
@HulkHogan is a real America & far from a racist.Trying 2smear his name is embarrassing.We stand behind U #HulkHogan pic.twitter.com/27ffUtDSDy
— Tito Ortiz (@titoortiz) July 24, 2015
Worked with the guy for 7 years. Never saw anything remotely close to racism from @HulkHogan.
— Glenn Gilbertti (@TheRealDisco) July 24, 2015
So, Hogan is taking a beating in the press, but he still has some real support among some notable celebs and of course the public at large. I think he’ll be alright. I’m obviously a fan of his myself, so I hope he gets through this. I know one thing that would make him feel better though: Nick Denton’s millions. Time to sink Gawker. What’s the latest on that front? Here’s what his lawyer had to say a day or so ago:
“If I find out it is Gawker who leaked the transcripts, we will bury them.”
I know it was them, you know it was them, Hogan and his lawyers know it was them. Now, it just needs to be proven somehow. I’m not sure how that can happen, but I hope it does, and soon. I know that Gawker has ties to Radar, who helped The National Enquirer with the story. It’s not enough to prove anything definitvely, of course. But I would start there if I was running his shop. Of course, who knows? Hogan’s team may already know some things that we don’t.
Whatever the deal is, the trial has just taken on even more meaning. Hogan’s earning power has been dramatically affected. He needs to win now more than ever. If not, he’ll likely be paying off lawyers for the rest of his life. Hogan has money, but lost a lot of his fortune in a nasty divorce. Some people assume he’s richer than he actually is. So this is now a fight to the death with Dirty Denton. I’m still putting my faith in Hogan’s case. I think he can still win, although things are altered now with the leak. Only time will tell.