Hulk Hogan Reportedly to Be a Part of WrestleMania 35 Weekend

WWE has been very careful how they reintroduce Hulk Hogan to the wrestling world. But there's nothing subtle about WrestleMania, and it looks like the Hulkster will be a part of the weekend's festivities.

According to PWInsider, Hogan is being brought in to New York, but his role has yet to be determined. Hogan last appeared on WWE television to eulogize "Mean" Gene Okerlund January and what proved to be a genuinely good moment for all things wrestling. However, without the inherent goodwill behind saying goodbye to a friend, Hogan's presence at WrestleMania may be subjected to scrutiny.

Hogan's last WrestleMania appearance came in 2015 when he and the NWO backed Sting in his match with Triple H. However later that summer, a tape from a 2006 encounter caught Hogan using racially incendiary language, and WWE had no choice but to fire one of their biggest icons.

However, WWE reinstated Hogan in the summer of 2018 in what proved to be a polarizing decision. Despite being back in the company, WWE kept Hogan off camera until November where he showed up at the Saudi Arabian Crown Jewel show. Given awkward hours of that show, much fo the WWE Univer missed Hogan's big return, but it allowed WWE to use Crown Jewel as a trial run for Hogan's comeback. So when Gene Okerlund passed in January, WWE had already reintroduced Hogan, so including him in Okerlund's send-off wasn't so controversial.

But even though Hogan has been back a few times, WrestleMania is a much different scenario. There's a great chance WWE lets Hogan run around backstage but never allows him to partake in the actual show. With so many eyes on the product, WWE will most certainly garner a wave of backlash for putting Hogan on camera. However, if WWE has an idea for Hogan's return, then we could very well see him do something other than sign autographs on April 7.

There were rumors of Hogan becoming the SmackDown General Manager last fall, while that never happened, it hinted that WWE may be considered Hogan for a role within the company. That may prove to be fan fiction, but don't be surprised if Hogan is involved in a WrestleMania segment.