Hulk Hogan to host WWE's Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia

Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Hulk Hogan is set to make his on-camera return to WWE on Friday as host of the company's Crown Jewel pay-per-view event which takes place in Saudi Arabia.

WWE confirmed Hogan's involvement with Crown Jewel to CBS Sports on Wednesday.

Hogan has been absent from WWE programming since 2015 as the professional wrestling icon was fired in July of that year after he was heard using racial slurs to describe his daughter Brooke's then beau in a 2012 sex tape. Hogan's name was taken away from the WWE website and he was no longer listed as a member of its Hall of Fame.

Hogan was reinstated into the Hall of Fame in July with WWE stating that they were giving the living legend a second chance. He also met with the WWE roster backstage at Extreme Rules where he apologized for his actions.

WWE tag team The New Day, consisting of African-American superstars Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods and Big E, made headlines when they commented on Hogan's reinstatement on social media.

"On a personal level, when someone makes racist and hateful comments about any race or group of people, especially to the degree that Hogan made about our people, we find it difficult to simply forget, regardless of how long ago it was, or the situation in which those comments were made," they said.

Hogan joins an already controversial event in Crown Jewel as WWE has come under fire for planning to perform in Saudi Arabia after American resident and journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

WWE previously traveled to Saudi Arabia in April for its Greatest Royal Rumble event. Crown Jewel takes place Friday at 12 p.m. ET.

Brock Lesnar will be battling Braun Strowman for the vacant Universal Championship along with AJ Styles defending his WWE Championship against Samoa Joe. WWE legend Shawn Michaels will also be present as he will come out of retirement to team up with Triple H in order to take on The Undertaker and Kane.