WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins didn’t hold back while offering a candid assessment of Hulk Hogan during his recent appearance on the “Outta Pocket with RGIII” podcast. Rollins, while respectful of Hogan’s wrestling legacy, made it clear he doesn’t align with “The Hulkster” on a personal level.
“Hogan’s always been great to me. He was a guy who I was a fan of when I was growing up,” Rollins acknowledged. “He’s always been personally good to me.”
However, Rollins quickly clarified that respect for Hogan’s in-ring contributions doesn’t equate to admiration for his character outside of wrestling.
“I’m not stupid. I see everything that’s out there.”
Rollins went on to critique Hogan’s self-awareness and impact on others:
“He’s someone who is, I think, a victim of his own ego a little bit, and he just doesn’t understand how what he does affects people around him. I think he just lives in this space that he’s created for himself… this is how he’s going to see things.”
Rollins drew a hard line when it comes to personal values:
“If you’re not a good person, and it’s in your moral ethic to not treat everyone with the same respect, regardless of what they do or where they come from or the color of their skin, I got no time for you.”
Though he praised Hogan’s influence on the wrestling industry:
“I have respect for everything you’ve done for my business. I really appreciate that.”
Rollins made it clear that any admiration stops there:
“As a person, we’re probably not gonna hang out.”
He concluded by questioning Hogan’s growth since past controversies:
“Whether he hasn’t changed his personal beliefs or he hasn’t taken the time to honestly make amends for some of the things he said and done, I don’t know which one it is… Maybe it’s both.”
“You kind of have dug your own grave, man, and if you don’t feel like you want to make that progress in your life with the people around you, then that’s just not the kind of person I want to associate with.”
Rollins’ words echo a sentiment shared by many modern wrestlers who separate reverence for Hogan’s legendary status from the accountability they feel is overdue.
