Hulk Hogan faced relentless boos from fans as he made his return during WWE’s debut on Netflix Monday night.
Hogan was promoting a beer company he co-founded called Real American Beer, which recently announced a partnership with WWE and TKO Group Holdings, its parent company.
Though Hogan typically hears nothing but love from audiences, including at the 2024 Republican National Convention, fans rained boos on the former wrestler as he entered with legendary manager Jimmy Hart, who waved an American flag.
The boos were so bad, in fact, that they prompted some fans to ask, “Why is hogan getting booed out of the building?”
Many pointed to political leanings as the reason for the fan reaction, given that the broadcast was filmed in California and Hogan’s support of President-elect Donald Trump and his appearance at the RNC.
However, as wrestling reporter Kazeem Famuyide noted in an interview with Ariel Helwani, the Undertaker — who supports Trump and recently interviewed him — made a full entrance on his motorcycle, using as his entrance music “American Bad Ass” by Kid Rock, who is another Trump supporter.
“Nobody seemed to boo him,” Famuyide said.
Unfortunately for Hulk, on a night when the WWE was trying to “making wrestling cool,” fans were dishing out praise to celebrities like Macaulay Culkin, but Hogan’s promotion wasn’t received well at all.
‘From the first time I stepped into the ring, I’ve always fought for something bigger than myself.’
Real American Beer, which launched in June 2024, signed a multiyear deal with the WWE that positions the company to be showcased during “Monday Night Raw” moving forward. The company will also receive branding on the ring itself during every episode.
WWE will also become a minority owner in the beer company, according to a recent press release.
“Hulk Hogan has done a tremendous job introducing an exciting new product to a competitive marketplace,” said Grant Norris-Jones, an executive with TKO Group. “We are excited to unlock a new partnership category and to showcase Real American Beer in front of Netflix’s global audience.”
For his own part, Hogan provided an in-character statement of his own.
“Well, let me tell you something, brother! From the first time I stepped into the ring, I’ve always fought for something bigger than myself.”
Hogan continued, “I’m thrilled to bring Real American Beer into the ring with WWE. Together, we’re bringing that pride to America, one beer, one match at a time, brother!”
According to Wrestlenomics, WWE’s debut on Netflix was a success, with 2.6 million live and same-day viewers in the United States. This reportedly represented a 116% increase from broadcasts on the USA Network in 2024.
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