Although what’s said in the wrestling ring should be taken tongue-in-cheek, that doesn’t appear to be the case for wrestling legend Hulk Hogan, who is apparently upset with an unscripted verbal jab made recently by new WWE World Heavyweight Champion and former UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar.
“All I’ve got to say is, Brock, I haven’t done anything to get in your way, but you keep throwing my name around, and I’m going to get in your way,” said Hogan yesterday, calling out Lesnar in an interview with TMZ. “You can’t say that stuff like you said… in front of my wife and kids. It’s not cool, brother.” The supposedly “shoot”, or unscripted remarks were made six days before Lesnar defeated John Cena to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at the SummerSlam pay-per-view in Los Angeles.
The incident took place toward the end of Hogan’s 61st birthday celebration on the August 11 episode of Monday Night Raw. Lesnar and onscreen manager Paul Heyman had entered the ring to interrupt the celebration, and after a brief stare-down between Lesnar and Hogan, Lesnar uttered the words “party’s over, grandpa,” something that didn’t seem like anything more than a storyline jab at the WWE Hall of Famer. However, behind-the-scenes reports claim that the comment was unscripted, and hadn’t gone down well in the locker room.
The debate is currently raging as to whether Hogan’s reaction is part of an elaborate WWE storyline, or an honest-to-goodness case of pro wrestling skits going too far. “I know this is all entertainment… …we’re supposed to have fun with it, but when (Lesnar) starts throwing my name around with my wife and my kids (hearing the insults), it’s crossing the line,” concluded Hogan to TMZ.