Hulk Hogan’s return to WWE is close to being a “done deal” – according to a report at TMZ.

Hogan has been persona non grata since his release from the company nearly three years ago due to the fallout from his sex tape & racism scandal. Rumors of his return have been picking up steam in recent months. Hogan has made it clear that he wants to return, telling the Associated Press back in January that he knows Triple H wants him back in the fold.

- Advertisement -

In recent weeks, Jonathan Coachman, Goldberg, Paul Heyman, Mark Henry and more have commented on the prospect of Hulk Hogan’s inevitable return.

Hogan and “high-ranking WWE officials” have been making progress in their talks. TMZ notes that members of Saudi Arabia’s royal family specifically asked for Hulk Hogan to participate in last week’s Greatest Royal Rumble event. That didn’t pan out, but WWE wants him back – as long as it’s done in a tasteful way that’s sensitive to the circumstances that led to his departure in the first place.

Earlier this week, Hulk Hogan was inducted into the Boys & Girls Clubs of America Alumni Hall of Fame (Video). During his speech, Hogan acknowledged his hurtful racial remarks and told the audience he wants to educate kids not to use the same language that he did.

WWE officials were closely watching how Hogan was received at the Boys & Girls Clubs event and issued this statement to TMZ:

“WWE applauds the work Hulk Hogan is doing with Boys & Girls Clubs of America to turn what was a negative into a positive by helping young people learn from his mistake. While he has taken many steps in the right direction since we parted ways, Hogan is not currently under contract to WWE.”

Do you think we will see Hulk Hogan back on WWE television this year?