The omission of Hulk Hogan from Saturday Night’s Main Event had a mixed reaction among WWE fans.
In its 1980s heyday, Hogan was the face of Saturday Night’s Main Event, with the show regularly featuring The Hulkster defending the then-WWF Championship against the likes of Nikolai Volkoff, Terry Funk, and Mr. Perfect.
With his storied association with the show, many were surprised that Hogan was not at the debut of its revival on December 14th. Multiple veterans announced they would attend Saturday Night’s Main Event ahead of the show, but Hogan was not among them. Not only was he not in attendance, but the star was missing from the retro opening package which showed numerous clips from classic episodes.
Some fans took to social media to express their disappointment at Hogan not being part of SNME, with some thinking it was disrespectful not to feature him on the night, and others blasting the decision as “ridiculous.”
Say what you will about Hulk Hogan—his words or what people think of him—but he was there from the beginning and helped build SNME.
Excluding him from this intro is wrong, especially when he’s under a Legends contract. It’s not like they’re distancing themselves from him.
— Mike Wagner (@MikeAxeWagner) December 15, 2024
However, with his controversial history of public statements, not least making racist comments that led to him being temporarily removed from the WWE Hall of Fame, many more fans were pleased that Hogan was not on the show.
A plus with this show,NO HULK HOGAN 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 #SNME
— Kal1L1fe805805 (@Ptree_1976) December 15, 2024
Some even joked that the no-show was due to his fear of Jesse Ventura, who was providing commentary for the night.
Hogan didn't show up cause, Hulk Hogan fears Jessie The Body Ventura. #SNME#WWE
— Keith Blanchette (@KeithStephenB22) December 15, 2024
Jesse Ventura Believes Hulk Hogan Got Him Fired From WCW
During a recent interview, Jesse Ventura claimed Hulk Hogan had him fired from WCW soon after joining the company. According to The Body, Hogan wanted him gone because he had “taken over his look.” At the time, Hogan was using a very similar outfit to Ventura including shades and a do-rag.
In a new interview, the WWE Hall of Famer cleared the air on rumoured Hulk Hogan animosity.