Hulk Hogan returning to Monday Night Raw this coming week, planning to pay tribute to “Mean” Gene Okerlund

WWE has announced that Hulk Hogan will return to Monday Night Raw this coming Monday to pay tribute to “Mean” Gene Okerlund, with whom he had special chemistry dating back to the birth and explosion of Hulkamania when both were in the AWA in the early 1980s before their both were lured to the WWF.

Hogan was written out of WWE for the most part, retroactively called a “suspension,” after tape came out of him expressing vile racist viewpoints on two occasions when he was in his 50s. He made a brief appearance at Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia last October, but WWE didn’t draw attention to it on U.S. television. Hogan attempted to mend his reputation among WWE wrestlers, especially African-America wrestlers, last year, but it didn’t go so well; New Day and Titus O’Neal expressed public displeasure with the content of the apology.

Hogan is arguably the biggest name in WWF history, on a short list with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, The Rock, Undertaker, and John Cena. Being essentially ostracized has been tough on Hogan, who has not been shy about how important it is for him to get back in the public eye with the implied if not overt endorsement of WWE managements and his colleagues young and old.

Check out this week’s Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast “Interview Friday” featuring an interview with Ken Resnick, who worked with Gene Okerlund in the AWA and learned the craft of wrestling interviewing from him, and replaced Okerlund when Okerlund left for the WWF.

To listen, CLICK HERE or search “Wade Keller” in Apple Podcasts or any other podcast app.

DETAILS: PWTorch editor Wade Keller presents “Interview Friday” with Ken Resnick. Ken was Gene’s understudy in the AWA who eventually would replace him as the main interviewer when Gene left for the WWF. Resnick would later follow Okerlund to the WWF. Resnick talks about learning from Gene by observing him and receiving advice. He also talks about what it was like in the AWA when Okerlund left, and how Okerlund received Ken when he arrived in the WWF a few years later. Ken also tells what is known as The Vince McMahon Mustache Story.