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Former ESPN analyst Bomani Jones has taken aim at Hulk Hogan's legacy following the late wrestler's death last week.
Hogan, a wrestling legend, died at the age of 71 on Thursday after suffering cardiac arrest at his home in Clearwater, Florida. Emergency services rushed him to a local hospital but the WWE icon was ultimately declared dead at the medical facility.
Tributes to the WWE icon have flooded in from the sporting world and beyond in the days since his death, including even a personal message from President Donald Trump.
However, Jones, who worked as a regular analyst for ESPN for eight years until 2018, claimed that he cannot understand the praise for Hogan or his legacy in the ring.
'Why was Hulk Hogan such a big deal? Why did people love Hulk Hogan so much? I have spent the last 96 hours and change trying to come up with an answer to that question and I do not have it,' Jones said on the The Right Time with Bomani Jones show.
'I did not see anything that I thought gave a real explanation as to why it was that this guy was so popular and that famous. He had to win over wrestling to move over into this bigger world of pop culture fame.
Former ESPN analyst Bomani Jones (right) has taken aim at Hulk Hogan's (left) legacy
The WWE icon, pictured with his daughter Brooke in 2004, died at the age of 71 this week
'We all acknowledge that he was a bad wrestler and the majority of the really popular wrestlers are good wrestlers. He wasn't exactly the coolest wrestler. I mean, he ain't no Ric Flair. Low key, his character was a little bit corny.
'The training, the prayers and the vitamins... even though we found out that the vitamins, you couldn't buy them in stores. He out here telling you, "take vitamins to get as big as me," meanwhile he putting his pants down and and putting his booty out.'
Throughout his life, which is set to be covered by a new Netflix documentary, Hogan endured his fair share of controversies in and out of the ring, including the exposure of his steroid use.
Hogan would tell his young fanbase, dubbed the Hulkamaniacs, to take their vitamins, say their prayers, respect their parents, and always do their best, but by the early 1990s his public image had taken a downwards turn.
In 1991, he was forced to deny that his gargantuan build was the result of long-term steroid abuse, only to U-turn while under oath in a 1994 trial against his former employer where he admitted to taking them for over 13 years.
Anabolic steroids are powerful, manufactured, drugs that mimic the effects of the testosterone.
Away from his wrestling career, Hogan battled through the emotional toll of a bitter family feud with ex-wife Linda and his daughter Brooke during the final months of his life.
In an astonishing video on social media shared back in March, Linda first accused her former husband of being a 'complete liar' and 'sex addict' .
In 1994, while under oath, Hogan admitted to have taken steroids for over 13 years
He was involved in a bitter family spat with ex-wife Linda and daughter Brooke back in March
She also claimed their family is 'in the worst mess' after Brooke cut both parents out of her life, before hitting back at her mom by alleging that her dad was not the only reason behind the shocking family divide, claiming she was 'verbally and mentally abused' during her childhood.
'Sadly, it would frequently turn physical. And sometimes it's not by the person you would assume, abuse comes in all shapes and sizes,' Brooke alleged.
After Brooke's stunning response, Linda then took a dramatic U-turn by defending Hogan and branding her daughter a 'narcissist .'
Before his death, Hogan became known as an ardent Trump supporter, even pitching himself to become the president's Vice President before JD Vance was chosen.
He endorsed Trump's presidential candidacy at the 2024 GOP convention and later spoke in favor of his fellow reality TV star at a Madison Square Garden rally in October.
But in some corners, his act was growing tired, especially after Hogan was recorded using racist slurs in 2015.
In a video made public by The National Enquirer, Hogan said 'I guess we're all a little racist' and used the n-word while referring to his daughter's love life, repeating the phrase 'f***ing n******' several times.
Anger over the incident continued into this year as Hogan was booed during a rare WWE appearance in Los Angeles.
