Gawker claims Hulkster’s reputation was already in the mud:
Nobody can deny what Hulk Hogan did for the wrestling business in the 80s with the WWF and mid 90s with WCW, but what most informed fans are asking of recent years, is what have you done for us lately? Take his latest stomping grounds in TNA for example. Instead of doing what’s right for business and playing a fame-frenzied egomaniac that uses his power to stifle, but ultimately put over the next generation of talent, he feeds his real life ego by playing the stale old Hulk Hogan Hero character; unrealistically inserting himself in to outnumbered brawls with motorcycle gangs (like he wouldn’t be beaten to a pulp in real life) and places his daughter on the show as a face because he believes (or wants to believe) that fans actually care about her.

Whether its cheesy reality shows, divorce proceedings, a strange touchy-feely relationship with Brooke or crappy supplement and fitness endorsements, Hulk Hogan’s reputation has well and truly hit rock bottom. It should come as no surprise then that Gawker the website that published his suspicious sex-tape would tell TMZ that they don’t think the clip of the naked old wrestling legend could really do any more damage to his public image.

They’re arguing in the ongoing lawsuit that the tape doesn’t harm his reputation because Hogan admitted that he was an adulterer in his 2009 book. They also claim to have not personally invaded Hogan’s privacy since it wasn’t them who actually filmed the tape. The lawsuit should be against whoever initially leaked it.

And here’s where a cynical wrestling fan’s mind comes in to play. Since Bubba The Love Sponge and the Hulkster settled their matter “privately”, we’re obviously not privy to what happened, if anything. I wouldn’t put it past Hogan and Bubba to be part of a massive publicity stunt. In other words, Hogan knew the tape was being made and allowed it to be leaked in order to keep his name in the headlines and to rake back some money in compensation, which he lost in his divorce. Rather than being embarrassing, I’d argue Hogan has been given an ego boost and in his warped celebrity driven mind, he thinks he’s now up there with the likes of Kim Kardashian.

Regardless of this theory it would be epic if Hogan turned heel on TNA programming and started bragging about his fame and the fact that he has a sex-tape. The old wrestling adage has always been “any publicity is good publicity”. Tara and her Big Brother squeeze could suck up to him in a big deluded Hollywood faction, and later Robbie E could join the group and start dating Brooke.

There’s still life in the old codger yet!