Hulk Hogan will return to WWE television this Monday on Raw to honor the late "Mean" Gene Okerlund.
WWE put out the following preview on their website:
“Let me tell you something, ‘Mean’ Gene …”
So began many of Hulk Hogan’s most memorable proclamations, making interviewer and backstage personality “Mean” Gene Okerlund a cornerstone of Hulkamania in the 1980s. Now, in the wake of Okerlund’s recent passing, Hogan returns to WWE programming this Monday night on Raw to honor his longtime friend.
In a Twitter post Tuesday night, Hogan called “Mean” Gene “the best partner I ever had” while describing their incredible off-the-cuff chemistry during their backstage interviews. That synchronicity even led to an unusual tag team partnership when Hogan and Okerlund battled George “The Animal” Steele and Mr. Fuji in 1984. Their training sessions before that match, which can be seen below, were perhaps even more entertaining than the bout itself.
Hogan and Okerlund’s friendship spanned the decades, from WWE to WCW and back to WWE. On Monday night, Hogan honors his brother.
Don’t miss this milestone moment on Monday Night Raw, beginning at 8/7 C on USA Network.
Okerlund passed away on Jan. 2 at the age of 76. He reportedly suffered multiple broken ribs after suffering a fall in December. His health quickly declined and he was admitted to a nursing home four days prior to his passing. He was taken to the hospital on Wednesday after having trouble breathing.
His last WWE television appearance was at Raw 25 in January 2018.
Hogan returned to WWE television last November at Crown Jewel. Monday will mark his first appearance on Raw since March 2015.
Raw is shaping up to be a big show as not only will Hogan appear, but John Cena and Brock Lesnar are also set for appearances. Monday is the first live episode of Raw since Dec. 17. WWE aired taped shows on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.
Fightful will provide live coverage of Raw beginning at 8 p.m. ET on Monday.
