WWE Hall Of Famer Booker T Details Why Hulk Hogan's Death Is A 'Bitter Moment' For Him

WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan died last week, with reactions pouring out from wrestlers and fans in the days since. Speaking on "The Hall of Fame," Booker T bid farewell to his former WWE and WCW coworker, acknowledging that Hogan was "polarizing" but sharing some of his favorite memories of the wrestler as well.

"It's always one of those bitter moments for me, man, just because we're in that fraternity," Booker said. "He's been a part of the fabric of wrestling ever since my childhood."

The "WWE NXT" commentator recalled watching Hogan's performances on WWE Saturday Night's Main Event and wanting to follow in his footsteps. They'd later become peers, though the only time they ever shared a ring was in a chaotic WCW battle royale in 1995. Looking back on the different eras of Hogan's career, Booker felt that his early days were about his in-ring work and building a relationship with the audience, while during his WCW run, he capitalized on that connection to become an incredible heel.

Booker also told a story about his time with Hogan in WCW. At one point, company officials were brainstorming to come up with a new direction for the tag titles, with a number of different teams brought up as prospective champions. According to Booker, Hogan was the one who suggested Harlem Heat, leading to the duo being pushed as one of the most prominent tag teams in the company through the rest of its existence. He never got to know Hogan well, but Booker has always appreciated that gesture from the controversial performer.

"I thanked him for doing that for Harlem Heat," Booker continued. "I also thanked him for also, perhaps, not getting me fired with my most infamous moment in all of professional wrestling, that people are still talking about, still, to this day."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "The Hall of Fame" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.