Former WWE Employee Unearths Major Backstage Details During the Time When Hulk Hogan Lied on National Television About Using Steroids

In the ’80s and ’90s, Hulk Hogan was the poster child for everything pro wrestling. Being a kid at the time, there was no way you could escape Hulkamania. But there was a time when everything came crumbling down. While the public still loved their American hero, Hogan, WWE lost its star after one major event.

The Arsenio Hall Show interview in 1991 was a major event for the pro wrestling industry. It changed the way people saw wrestling from there on out and also derailed the popularity of the pop culture icon, Hulk Hogan to an extent. But this former WWE executive has some insights about the backstage feeling about the event

Vince McMahon and the wrestlers’ backstage situation after Hulk Hogan’s interview

On the recent episode of Something to Wrestle, Bruce Prichard talked about the historic Arsenio Hall Show interview with Hulk Hogan. While there are a lot of details about that interview’s impact on WWE’s drug policy, the former WWE executive revealed the perception of the backstage at the time.

He said, “There were a lot of people that were upset over that, particularly Randy Savage. I wasn’t in the company at the time when that happened. So I don’t know firsthand what that general feeling was at the time. However, I remember the after-effects and Vince talking about we’re still reeling from those comments.”

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While many fans already know about the interview, a little refresher would showcase why this was so impactful. Also, it also connected to the reason why Hogan was not the most suitable poster boy for WWE after this interview.

The history of the Arsenio Hall Show and the downfall of Hulk Hogan

In 1991, George Zahorian was indicted on the charge of illegally supplying wrestlers with steroids. But his case was under wraps until he told the officials that he also had given steroids to Hogan. To clear his name, Hogan appeared on the Arsenio Hall Show and in an uncomfortable interview, stated that he had never used steroids.

This did not pass easily through many wrestlers who had opened up about their struggles with steroids, Randy Savage being one of them. Then in a 1994 court trial, Hogan contradicted his statement and agreed about his use of the drug. Later, he would also reveal his struggles with steroid use.

This derailed the Hulkster’s career by a long mile. While he was in every WrestleMania for eight years, he was kept out of the next one. But his popularity spoke for itself, and it wasn’t long before he was on the top of the card.

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With this new information, Prichard has just given the public another perspective on the situation.