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WWE Hall Of Famer Explains Why Hulk Hogan's 2005 WWE Return Failed

Originally posted on Wrestling on SI | By Jon Alba | Last updated Mar 31, 2025 1:24 PM ET

Hulk Hogan's WWE return in 2005 was full of pomp and circumstance, but it ultimately didn't last very long.

Hogan made his way back to the company that spring, and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame ahead of WrestleMania 21. He then appeared at WrestleMania, helping save Eugene from a beatdown at the hands of Muhammad Hassan and Daivari.

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross covered the show on his podcast Grilling JR this past week, and commented on why Hogan's return ultimately did not work out in the long-term at the time.

“It’s backstage politics," Ros said. "He got old, and enough was enough in that respect. Communication was not good. A lot of the talents felt like they were being sacrificed at Hogan’s expense. So I don’t know, it was just an uneasy arrangement. But the way he was being booked and helping some of the talents was a good thing.”

Hogan's return to WWE would set up for a summer program with Shawn Michaels, culminating in a match at SummerSlam that he would ultimately win. He would face Randy Orton the following year in what would be the last match he would ever wrestle for the company.