Booker T Shares Emotional Tribute to Hulk Hogan, Reveals Key Role in Harlem Heat’s Rise – WWE Hall of Famer Booker T paid heartfelt tribute to the late Hulk Hogan on the latest episode of his Hall of Fame podcast, sharing his emotional reaction to Hogan’s passing and shedding light on the Hulkster’s behind-the-scenes impact on his career.
Booker began by acknowledging the gravity of the loss. “We definitely gotta mention the passing of Hulk Hogan. This is always one of those bitter moments for me, man, just because we’re in that fraternity,” he said. “Hulk Hogan passed away on Thursday, July 24, 2025. I’m sure a lot of people are going to remember that day for many, many years to come. Hulk Hogan, an icon, you know, it’s no other way to say it.”
He recounted learning about Hogan’s death from his co-host Brad Gilmore. “It was one of those things to where I was just kicking around the house, doing nothing… and then you called me, and you had that sound in your voice, you know, and it was a sound like, you could feel it… but that’s the last thing I thought you was going to say. The last thing I thought was going to come out of your mouth was ‘Hulk Hogan died.’ And I go, ‘Wow.’”
Booker reflected on Hogan’s role in his life as both a wrestling fan and a fellow performer. “He’s been a part of the fabric of professional wrestling ever since my childhood coming up,” he said. “If you didn’t grow up wanting to be a Hulkamaniac, brother… all the Saturday Night’s Main Events coming up as a youngster, Hulk was a staple.”
In a significant revelation, Booker credited Hogan with pushing Harlem Heat to the top of WCW’s tag team division. “My brother and I in WCW, at one point, they were wondering, ‘Man, what tag team, you know, they should go with?’” Booker said. “They had these guys in mind… but Harlem Heat’s name was not mentioned… And we got with Sherri Martel, and Hulk Hogan went to the company, and he said, ‘Look, guys, I don’t know why you’re looking for your tag team, when they’re right here in front of you, the Harlem Heat. These are your guys.’ And boom… we became the 10-time WCW Tag Team Champions.”
He made it clear this wasn’t just a story he’d kept to himself. “This is not something that I’m just telling to the world now. This is something that a conversation that I’ve had with him. I thanked him for that.”
Booker also expressed appreciation for how Hogan handled an infamous incident during their WCW days. “I thank him for what he did for the business as well as sparking the flame for Harlem Heat to go on a run that will never be duplicated in all professional wrestling.”
Booker T Shares Emotional Tribute to Hulk Hogan, Reveals Key Role in Harlem Heat’s Rise
