Technically, this wasn't the old WWF Hulk Hogan. It was the nWo's Hollywood version that The Rock wrestled at 'Mania X8. Not for long, admittedly. According to both, they called some on the fly ...

How we got from WWF to WWE in 2002 is a long history featuring ... Getting the 'F' out was a way to keep some of the old attitude and an opportunity to begin the process of moving in a new direction.