5 Most Insane Things Happening In Wrestling Right Now (Jan 11)
4. A Strange And Cynical Tribute
We knew what they were doing, the toxic, cynical a*seholes - we knew what they were doing when, to commemorate Mean Gene Okerlund, in an era when the ten bell salute is oddly silent, and Golden Era peer Bobby Heenan was afforded no such special segment, WWE welcomed Hulk Hogan through the back door in a scenario in which it would be impossible to boo him.
And yet, the cynicism dissipated as Hogan, teary-eyed, paid heartfelt tribute to his departed colleague and long-time friend. The segment was an N-word we don't really associate with Hogan much these days; as his cracked voice struggled to find the words, and he declared his love for the man with whom he shared so many legendary moments, this all felt...Nice.
That was until Hogan envisioned a scenario up in the sky, brother. Confusing Gene for the still-alive Teddy Long, Hogan claimed that Gene had booked a tag team match pitting Randy Savage and the Ultimate Warrior against Roddy Piper and Mr. Perfect with André The Giant acting as guest referee. Odd, and slightly illuminative of WWE's dark drugs-heavy past, but OK. He then said Gene was going to break up an argument between old friends Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan. Utterly heartbreaking, but still: Nice.
Altogether less nice, and involuntarily problematic, was Hogan's reference to the not-exactly Fabulous Moolah, whom Hogan suggested was a target for Gene's posthumous advances.
Not nice, nor realistic: there's as much chance of Moolah being in heaven as that dead kid Hogan made up to sell records in 1992.