"Brother, I thought I was going into space" - Former WWE official reveals Hulk Hogan injured him during botched spot

A former WWE official claims Hulk Hogan changed a planned spot during a match and injured him.

Earl Hebner was the referee who infamously called for the bell during the Montreal Screwjob and has had a terrific career in the wrestling industry. The 74-year-old exited WWE in 2005 and spent over a decade in IMPACT Wrestling. He made sporadic appearances in AEW from 2019 - 2021 as well before making his return to the company.

Speaking on Road Trip After Hours with WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long and Mac Davis, Earl Hebner discussed a spot where Hulk Hogan injured him during a match against Andre the Giant for the World Heavyweight Championship in February 1988.

Earl tried to impersonate his twin brother, the late Dave Hebner, and Hulk Hogan sent him flying out of the ring. Earl noted that Hogan didn't stick to the plan and injured him during the spot.

"Listen, we were at the warehouse and we practiced that damn thing over and over. Hogan picked me up and he was like going to hand me to them, right? When he picked me up and started running, in my mind I'm going 'This ain't the program, this ain't what the hell we've been over'. And brother, he launched me and the only people that could have caught me would have been the people in the tenth row," said Earl Hebner. [From 08:10 - 08:37]

Hebner noted that Ted DiBiase, Virgil, and Andre the Giant were supposed to catch him, but Hogan threw him too hard.

"DiBiase, Virgil, and Andre were supposed to catch me but he was supposed to throw me to them. Brother, I thought I was going into space and then when I hit the floor I crushed my rotator cuff in my shoulder. But I was so excited I didn't realize how bad I was hurt right then," he added. [From 08:44 - 09:06]

Hulk Hogan appears at WWE RAW XXX

Hulk Hogan appeared on WWE RAW earlier this year as the program celebrated its 30th anniversary.

The 69-year-old is a wrestling icon but has had his share of controversies in the past. He returned on RAW's 30th-anniversary episode in Philadelphia to kick off the show.

Hogan got a lukewarm reaction at the start of his promo, but the crowd went crazy once he mentioned the Philadelphia Eagles, who went on to lose to the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL Super Bowl a couple of weeks later.

Hulk Hogan still has plenty of Hulkamaniacs in the WWE Universe, and it will be interesting to see if the company decides to bring the legend back again any time soon.

Would you like to see Hulk Hogan appear more in WWE? Let us know in the comments section below.

If you any quotes from this article, please credit Road Trip After Hours with a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.