Hulk Hogan’s daughter Brooke has suggested her father’s friendship with Vince McMahon could see him return to WWE.
The wrestling legend saw his contract with the sports entertainment company terminated in 2015 after a transcript from a sex tape recording – which was secretly made in 2007 without his consent when the ‘Rocky III’ star was suffering from depression – was leaked ahead of his trial against Gawker which revealed him using the ‘N-word’ during a conversation about his daughter Brooke’s then-boyfriend.
In the wake of the scandal Hulk was removed from the WWE Hall of Fame and saw all his merchandise pulled, however, in recent months his career and feats have been mentioned on WWE TV shows.
His daughter Brooke believes the time will come in the near-future when he is welcomed back to WWE because he and owner Vince, 72, share a special bond that comes from them making wrestling a worldwide success together in the 1980s.
She told TV Insider: "I know that dad will always have a relationship with Vince no matter what has happened publicly. They have had a friendship and business relationship for so long – I think that time heals all."
Brooke, 29, also insisted her dad – whose real name is Terry Bollea – shouldn’t be judged and have his legacy disregarded as the result of the scandal.
She added: "I told my dad that times heals all and slowly all those things will go down to the bottom and the cream will rise to the top – hopefully, WWE will recognise he was the name the company was mostly built around.
"He had that company on his back and the reputation and he really did a lot of good for WWE – I hope they don’t discount that."
The 64-year-old star – who recently appeared at the premiere of WWE and HBO’s Andre The Giant documentary in Hollywood – has previously admitted he was devastated to be blacklisted from WWE after the transcript was leaked.
Hogan is considered by most wrestling experts for being responsible to the global success of WWE in the 1980s and the reason the company’s annual showpiece ‘WrestleMania’ became a pop culture phenomenon and he has conceded it has been "tough" to see his 40-year career erased.
However, he understands the decision, saying: "I think they did what was best for business … They were worried about losing sponsors and network support."
Hulk Hogan ‘will always have a relationship’ with Vince McMahon
