Hulk Hogan nowadays is seen as a controversial figure in the wrestling industry. The memories of him body slamming Andre The Giant at Wrestlemania III; the stare down at Wrestlemania X8 with The Rock and him forgeting the name of the arena hosting Wrestlemania XXX are all distant memories now. His actions are now marred in controversy and has been shunned by the wrestling commmunity on multiple occassions. A new talking point arose last week when he was booed on the debut episode of Raw on Netflix.
A whole lot of fans made it known they’ve had enough of his bulls*** during Raw’s debut episode on Netflix where he was loudly booed out of the Silver Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. The boos got louder as Hogan spoke, even when he tried to put over the fans for always sticking by his side. The cherry on top was that important Netflix executives who were sitting right there as Hogan was heavily booed for mentioning Netflix as WWE’s best tag team partner of all-time.
Hogan’s history of disgusting racism, his lack of contrition for that racism, all the stories of being a selfish ass*** backstage and perhaps his very public jump into politics over the last year are the main factors that contributed to the negative reception he got on Raw.
It’s a very bad idea for WWE to trot out this pathetic old man again on live TV considering what happened here, so it will be interesting to see if they have plans for him on Saturday Night’s Main Event later this month, especially given WWE’s multi-year partnership with Hogan’s beer.
One theory suggests that Hulk Hogan’s political affiliations may have played a role in the hostile reception from wrestling fans. Eventhough WWE is a non-partisan organisation, it’s reasonable to assume that the majority of its fan base’s leanings could influence the audience’s mood at any given moment. It's noted, however, that other wrestlers with similar political views present didn't face the same scrutiny as Hogan did. This only amplifies the curiosity behind his distasteful welcome.
According to MSNBC, the wrestler’s unpopularity among fans may stem from his history of using racially charged language. Often at times, claims of derogatory use of vernacular have no power if they remain pure speculation. In Hulk Hogan’s case, it’s a documented fact. The use of the language and the wrestler’s response to it are on record and widely publicised. As the New York Times cites Hogan, post-incident with included commentary, "I guess we’re all a little racist," he is reported to have said on the tape while discussing his suspicions that his daughter, Brooke, had been intimate with a black man.
Given this, it is also plausible that this could've led to widespread disgust and subsequent expression of such.
Then, there is the issue of ego and pushing business over everything. His self-promotional tactics during this event may have also been off-putting. Fans were there for the WWE, not Hogan’s latest product endorsement. Putting everything together, it’s easy to make a fair assessment. The boos indicate a matter of preference. They don't like the man and what he represents.
Much to his surprise, 'The Hulkster' was loudly booed by fans in attendance as he spoke about WWE's new multi-year partnership with Hogan's 'Real American Beer' brand. In fact, fans said he looked "uncomfortable" and "shaken" by the reaction he received, while a source from the Mail gave an insight into Hogan's reaction.
"Did Hulk think he was going to be cheered? Especially bringing out Jimmy Hart, who everyone likes, and who was also waving an American flag at the time… that is a resounding yes," the source said. "So, when he came out, got booed, and then went to the back after his promo, he was instantly disappointed that the fans turned on him. But he wasn’t p***ed."
They added: "Had it not been for him being there to promote his beer, he would have leaned into it a little more, but he just had to get through the promotion of it all." Hogan's reception didn't come as much of a surprise to former WWE superstar, Mark Henry, who spent 25 years with the company.
"With the social climate and the things [Hulk's] said and done and his lack of effort to try and fix it, people are gonna come down on it," Henry told TMZ, who claim he was referencing the clip where Hogan used a racial slur.
The former Olympic weightlifter added: "He never wanted to go forward and fix it. That's what happens when you think everything is gonna go away. It's not gonna go away."
Hogan was briefly blacklisted and removed from the WWE universe in 2015 after an old video emerged of him using the n-word to describe his daughter dating a black man. His contract was terminated, with WWE saying they were "committed to embracing and celebrating individuals from all backgrounds."
After apologising for his offensive comments, Hogan was reinstated in the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018 and has since made a number of appearances. "It was unacceptable for me to have used that offensive language," he said in his apology. "There is no excuse for it and I apologise for having done it.”
Hogan added: "This is not who I am. I believe very strongly that every person in the world is important and should not be treated differently based on race, gender, orientation, religious beliefs or otherwise."
One audience member, who shared a video of Hogan’s entrance on X, wrote, "Watching Hulk Hogan get annihilated with boos while trying to sell his ripoff Bud Light beer was effing IN-CREDIBLE. And I grew up a Hulkamaniac."
Hogan has become a pariah in the WWE community since his heyday in the early ’80s. Trouble first started for Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea, when a tape from 2007 emerged of him using a racial slur. The WWE cut him from their Hall of Fame in 2015 in light of the incident but reinstated him in 2018. Hogan has only made things worse since then, becoming a stark supporter of President-elect Donald Trump.
Hogan has gotten his share of supporters in response to all the booing. While the Los Angeles crowd was quick to make their displeasure known, not everyone watching "Raw" on Netflix was pleased with the treatment Hogan received. "The Hulkster" found defenders on social media.
"Hulk Hogan getting boo’d probably because the state of California is the biggest left sided piece of s--- state in the country. F--- your political views and watch wrestling," one Hogan fan wrote on X.
"I love Hulk Hogan idgaf. Guy had a whole life and made a few mistakes okay so what. F-----g people acting holier than holy. P--- off," another Hogan defender added.
It was Hogan’s first appearance since he came out in full support of President-elect Donald Trump during election season. Hogan was seen in Trump’s corner during a rally at Madison Square Garden back in October and the Republican National Convention in July.
He also appeared on the "PBD Podcast" and revealed why he decided to speak out, pointing to the assassination attempt against Trump over the summer.
"When they tried to kill Trump, someone that I knew personally, it affected me worse," he said. "I sat up off the couch and I said, ‘that’s it, this has to stop.’ I don’t want to split my audience as a businessman but now I don’t care. This is much more important than business. This is a spiritual revolution now. This guy is coming out trying to help people. He wants to help millions of people. He wants to help America. Have God in our country, in our homes, in our schools, and I said, ‘I can’t handle it.’"
Hogan’s appearance in Los Angeles came about two months after Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in the election.
To be honest, I don't recall ever watching any of Hulk Hogan's matches. Regardless, no one should be invited to a public event if they have the kind of background that he has. It can paint a bad picture for the businesses that they are representing. Before inviting anyone, it's crucial to do background checks to ensure no potential backlash's over the person's appearance at the event takes place.