It's been nearly two-and-a-half years since the WWE fired wrestling icon Hulk Hogan following a leaked audio tape of him using racial slurs, but he may actually return. WWE terminated his legends contract and removed all Hogan mentions and merchandise from its website, trying to distance themselves as far away from Hulkamania as possible.
In the past year, rumors have been hot about Hogan possibly returning to the company. Triple H admitted that he could see a reunion with Hogan in the WWE.
Well, the latest report from Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (subscription required), suggests that the WWE is once again looking at the possibility of bringing back Hogan. Back in February, Meltzer tweeted that he "expected" Hogan to return at WrestleMania 33, though that obviously never took place.
There's no denying how much Hogan meant to the WWE history. He became the ultimate face of professional wrestling in the '80s, helping Vince McMahon turn the WWF into a worldwide phenomenon. Of course, the hot and cold relationship between Hogan and Vince has been well-documented.
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Hogan has had four bitter departures from the WWE now. He left in 1993 and would wind up in WCW, nearly putting McMahon and the WWF out of business. So another return to the WWE would depend strongly on if McMahon is willing to make amends once again.
The Hulkster has been apologetic since the tapes came out. He appeared on Good Morning America and tearfully pleaded for fans to forgive him, and has repeatedly stated he isn't that kind of person.
In November last year, Hogan received $31 million from Gawker after they published a sex tape of him and a close friend's wife. He has remained active outside the ring, running Hogan's Beach Shop in Orlando.
We've heard the rumors many times, but indications are we can expect Hogan to come back to the WWE once again in the future.