Hulk Hogan heaped a ton of praise on Roman Reigns ... saying the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, whose title reign rivals some of WWE's all-time greats, has not only revitalized professional wrestling but has reminded him of his glory days.
"He's kept the art form alive," Hogan told Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs weekdays on FS1). "He has stepped up and got away from this choreographed looking, jumping, two guys doing the same thing and diving through the hoops."
Hogan credits Roman, who became the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion after defeating Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 38 last year, for taking the profession "back to where it should be."
"Big man. Big moves. Main event moves," Hogan added.
Hogan -- who once held the WWE Championship for 1,474 days -- also shared a story of how he held Roman at one of his family's events when he was a toddler ... and praised Reigns for embodying the wrestling style that propelled him to superstardom in the 1980s and 90s.
Reigns, AKA "The Tribal Chief," has gone toe-to-toe with the best superstars on WWE's roster, including Lesnar, John Cena, Drew McIntyre, Braun Stroman, and Cody Rhodes, en route to becoming one of the longest-reigning champions in WWE history.
Hogan thinks Roman, who's headlined three consecutive WrestleMania events, is the total package ... and believes his skillset in the ring separates him from other superstars and is why he's the current face of the WWE.