Vince McMahon presented Hulk Hogan as WWE's marquee attraction in the 1980s and early 1990s. In a recent interview, the 79-year-old addressed his decision to reinstate the wrestling legend into the WWE Hall of Fame.Hogan, real name Terry Bollea, passed away on July 24 at the age of 71 after suffering a heart attack. In 2015, the eight-time WrestleMania main-eventer was temporarily removed from the Hall of Fame after audio emerged of him using racist language. Three years later, McMahon allowed him to return to WWE.During an appearance on TMZ Presents: The Real Hulk Hogan, McMahon spoke about his close friendship with the six-time WWE Champion. He also dismissed talk that Hogan was a racist."I knew he wasn't a racist," McMahon said. "I'd been with him for so many years. He wasn't a racist. He said some racist things, and he should pay for that, and he did. But in the end, I think everyone saw the real Hulk Hogan, Terry Bollea, and they felt, 'Wait a minute! This guy doesn't act like a racist; he's not a racist.' We all make mistakes. That was a big one. But he wasn't a racist." [0:06 onward]In the same documentary, McMahon said he was "angry" when WWE fans booed Hogan on the Netflix premiere episode of RAW.Vince McMahon sums up Hulk Hogan's legacyIn the 1980s, McMahon booked Hogan in compelling stories with the likes of Andre the Giant and Randy Savage. By the end of the decade, the real-life friends had transformed WWE into a global entertainment brand.According to McMahon, fans should remember The Hulkster's contributions to wrestling rather than his controversies outside of the ring."His legacy is simple, really. Any entertainer, anyone in the sports world—he transcended on a global basis. People understanding that character, what that character did for them, generation after generation, [and] how you felt about him. No one has ever been able to do that," he said.McMahon also discussed his absence from WWE's tribute to Hogan on the July 25 episode of SmackDown.Please credit TMZ Presents: The Real Hulk Hogan and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.