WWE’s ‘Tough Enough’ to Replace Hulk Hogan After Racist Remarks
We’ve barely begun to witness the fallout of Terry “Hulk Hogan” Bollea’s racist remarks making their way public, the WWE already having severed all ties to the iconic wrestler. So while said severance understandably pulls Hogan off as a judge for WWE reality competition Tough Enough, the series will endure by replacing him.
According to Vulture, inside sources at WWE’s Tough Enough confirm that Hogan will no longer appear on the USA series, which sees aspiring wrestlers competing for a chance at an official contract. Instead of shutting down altogether though, the show will seek to replace Hogan, adding a new voice to join the likes of fellow panelists Daniel Bryan and Paige.
The controversy arose (or rather, mutated) after RadarOnline and the National Enquirer obtained unreleased audio from the wrestler’s sex tape, of Hogan utilizing multiple racial slurs in discussion of his daughter, Brooke. Hogan has since apologized for his hate speech in the tapes, though the WWE remained firm in its stance of cutting all ties with the legendary wrestler, including scrubbing his presence from their website.
In the meantime, Tough Enough will continue airing its sixth season on USA, while Hogan’s replacement will join the other judges in the live segments.