Hulk Hogan was booed by Los Angeles WWE fans this past Monday. Some are blaming this on his political ties with incoming U.S. president Donald Trump.
WWE legend Hulk Hogan faced a wave of boos from the Los Angeles crowd during the Netflix debut of WWE Monday Night RAW. The unexpected reaction, which came as Hogan appeared alongside longtime friend and manager Jimmy Hart to promote his new “Hulk Hogan’s Real American Beer,” left the wrestling icon visibly disappointed.
Watching Hulk Hogan get booed out of a building filled with 18k people restored my faith in humanity 😭 #WWERAW #RawOnNetflix pic.twitter.com/f8qBP7uILt
— Public Enemies Podcast (@TheEnemiesPE3) January 7, 2025
While some have speculated that the boos stemmed from Hogan’s vocal support of Donald Trump during the 2024 presidential campaign, a deeper look at his history with fans suggests other reasons for the animosity.
According to a source quoted by the Daily Mail, Hogan was caught off guard by the reaction, though he quickly shifted his perspective to see the silver lining.
“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*ssed!
Hulk Hogan promoting Real American Beer on Monday Night RAW – YouTube, Entertainment Tonight
“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. But after thinking about it, a few good things came out of it. The fact that he was booed, everyone talked about it, and he’s been in the wrestling business long enough to know, that even a bad reaction goes a long way, because if they aren’t cheering for you or aren’t booing you then they don’t care at all.
“This has actually been a great promotion for his beer, and as quickly as he was disappointed, he thought about it a little more and is actually excited by how it turned out. Hulk is a businessman, and he is going to take advantage of the fans’ reaction all the way to the bank.”
🚨🇺🇸 Hulk Hogan Rips His Shirt on The RNC Stage
“LET TRUMPAMANIA MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” pic.twitter.com/sXZUBazbKI
— Censored Men (@CensoredMen) July 19, 2024
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Hogan’s vocal support for Trump, including his appearance at the Republican National Convention, has certainly polarized public opinion of the former world champion in the eyes of the left, who often allow someone’s personal political beliefs to impact whether they feel that person deserves to continue existing. Leftist ideologues use the way a person votes as a part of ill-fated cancel campaigns that seldom work anymore.
In liberal Los Angeles, the home of Woke Hollywood, the association may have added fuel to the fire. But the effort by many to somehow point to this incident as proof that Trump is unpopular despite his sweeping election victory in November is ridiculous.
Trump support alone doesn’t fully explain the crowd’s response.
WWE legend The Undertaker tag teams with Trump in message to voters: ‘Choose wisely’ pic.twitter.com/qy78oSV3JM
— New York Post (@nypost) October 19, 2024
The Undertaker, another WWE icon who openly supported Trump and even hosted him on his podcast, was also featured on the same Monday Night RAW. Unlike Hogan, The Undertaker was greeted with cheers and admiration. This stark contrast suggests that Hogan’s boos were tied to more than just his political leanings.
Of course, it’s possible that The Undertaker’s political stances aren’t as well known as Hogan’s given the Hulkster’s appearance at the RNC.
But Hogan has faced boos from WWE crowds long before his political affiliations came into play. At WrestleMania 37 in Tampa, his hometown crowd loudly jeered him, signaling deeper discontent.
Titus O’Neil Gets An Amazing Pop.
Hulk Hogan is Getting Booed.
Classic. #WrestleMania pic.twitter.com/1FBVX8e9ah
— JTEonYT (@JTEonYT) April 11, 2021
One major factor is the fallout from Hogan’s 2015 scandal, when a leaked video showed him making racist remarks, including the use of racial slurs. WWE swiftly cut ties with him after that, removing him from its Hall of Fame for three years. While Hogan was reinstated in 2018 after multiple apologies, many fans found his statements insincere, focusing more on being recorded without his knowledge than any actual remorse.
Hogan’s backstage politics have also earned him a reputation for self-serving behavior. The most infamous example came in 1986, when he reportedly informed Vince McMahon of Jesse Ventura’s attempts to unionize wrestlers, effectively killing the effort.
Hulk Hogan squares off with Andre The Giant at WrestleMania 3 – YouTube, HBO
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Additionally, Hogan’s penchant for exaggerating stories about his career has drawn ridicule. From claiming he was almost Metallica’s bass player to alleging he worked 400 days in a single year due to time zones, Hogan’s credibility has often been called into question. He once claimed that Andre the Giant died soon after being bodyslammed by Hogan at WrestleMania 3 in 1987. However, Andre would go on to live another six years before dying in 1993.
Despite the initial disappointment at being booed, Hulk Hogan appears to be leveraging the reaction to his advantage. As the Daily Mail’s source noted, even a negative crowd response can be a valuable asset in wrestling. Hogan has spent decades in the business and understands that being talked about—whether positively or negatively—keeps him relevant.
Hulk Hogan has arrived for the debut of #RawOnNetflix and he’s wearing a MAGA Powers shirt with Trump, Vance & Hogan on it. We are so back! pic.twitter.com/Z1oy0VBIBO
— Nick Kayal (@NickKayal) January 6, 2025
Hogan, ever the businessman, seems ready to use the reaction to his advantage, proving once again that in wrestling, even boos and controversy can translate to dollars.
Are you surprised that Hulk Hogan was booed in Los Angeles? Were you watching Monday Night RAW on Netflix? Sound off and let us know your thoughts!
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Hogan has repeatedly done negative things in the past and is therefore has been watched much more critically by the fanbase than some others. Every longtime wrestling fan knows that he has a lot of power in the background and has not always used it to the advantage of the business (to put it kindly).
But yes, Hogan has been booed a lot. And then cheered again the next year. Even if it was unexpected, it’s not a problem for him. He understands the game better than the most.
He ain’t a perfect man and never was, but I trust the Hulkster a hell of a lot more than your average Hollywood actor.
The Clip was a mix of Boos and Applause. The Boos were likely for the obvious Beer Promotion then anything.
Also I heard more Applause then any form of Booing……..
Hogan has a history of pitching bad product endorsements. It’s clear that the audience saw this as just another one and didn’t want to hear him shilling it.
LOL You didn’t like PastaMania?
I think Hogan’s reputation as a constant liar and a scumbag are finally catching up with him. He doesn’t have that “Golden Era of wrestling” shine anymore.
I’m a big hulk Hogan fan since the 80s mostly it was tourists that was there. Wasn’t the real fans in full attendance I wouldn’t worry about it. Glad to see kane and undertaker was beside our president trump 👍