Hulk Hogan 'racist' video: WWE profile reportedly removed from website amid claims of controversial audio emerging

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) has reportedly removed Hulk Hogan’s profile from their website amid claims an audio interview has surfaced of him explaining his use of the word n****r.

The actor and wrester was a popular figure in WWE during the 1980s and 1990s and went on to star in his own reality TV show, Hogan Knows Best. He was inducted in to the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005 and returned to WWE in 2014 after a six-year break. However, Hogan’s profile is no longer visible when searched for on the WWE superstars section, but a search of his name on the website brings up a number of archived articles about him.

The 61-year-old’s absence comes after an audio clip emerged online purportedly showing Hogan discussing why he used the n-word in Miami.

The audio clip, which has not been verified, is reportedly taken from an interview Hogan did in 2012 with DJ Whoo Kid. In it, Hogan is questioned about his famous use of the word “brother” and whether he has ever used the word n****r to greet people.

Hulk reportedly responded with a reference to a notorious video of Booker T calling Hogan a n****r during a promotional segment for their fight, saying: “Every time I pull up YouTube there’s that famous thing with Booker T and his brother is there and they’re all talking trash, and Booker T says, ‘I’m coming for ya Hogan, you n****r’—and not ‘n***a,’ he goes ‘n****r.

“And it’s still so cool, because the whole time I was down in Miami when I lived there, you know, everybody—I’d walk into the [DJ] booth and all of a sudden I’d bump into this guy and The Game’s in the booth, it’s all black and he’s got his BlackBerry, and I bump into him and he goes, ‘What’s up, n***a?’ and I said, ‘Oh, excuse me, bro!’ And he says, ‘No, it’s all cool,’” said Hogan.

He continued: “And everybody down there—Lil Wayne, Birdman—they’re all calling me ‘n***a,’ and then I started sayin’ it. And I always said it, but now all of a sudden I get heat when I say it, and they say, ‘Hogan, you can’t say that,’ so I say, ‘Why can they say it to me then?’”

However, CNN commentator Marc Lamont Hill said WWE took action against Hogan not because of that clip, but because of a second audio that was about to emerge of him using racial slurs.

Hogan has not responded directly to the reports, but did post the following tweet overnight:

The Independent has contacted representatives for Hogan and WWE for comment.