According to a recent report, Hulk Hogan did not expect to be booed at the WWE Raw on Netflix debut on Monday.
Hogan and a United States flag-waving Jimmy Hart took part in a brief live segment on the show to promote Hogan’s Real American Beer, a new WWE sponsor. The live crowd responded to Hogan’s promo by loudly booing him throughout.
According to a report from The Daily Mail, Hogan did not expect to be booed on Monday night. The outlet wrote that a source close to the situation told them:
‘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!
‘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!
‘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.
Hogan reportedly now feels as though the situation could provide publicity for his beer brand.
The source continued:
‘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.’
WWE released Hogan in 2015 after audiotapes featuring him making racist comments leaked online. He was also removed from the company’s Hall of Fame. In the summer of 2018, WWE welcomed Hogan back, and he gave a speech to the locker room before the Extreme Rules pay-per-view. Hogan is said to have issued an apology of sorts during his speech, but what he said did not sit well with Titus O’Neil.
O’Neil appeared on Busted Open Radio shortly after Hogan returned to the company and said he did not feel Hogan offered a true apology for his actions.
“At the end of the day, the company made a decision. I support the decision. I actually support having one of the most iconic figures in WWE history in Hulk Hogan be in the WWE Hall of Fame,” said O’Neil (transcriptions via Fightful). “What I don’t support is the apology that was given in regards to the words and the actions he exhibited years ago. To me, when you have true remorse for being sorry about doing something, It’s pretty simple. You don’t have to be prepped to say certain things and you certainly don’t want to make excuses,” he continued.
Three years later, Hogan and O’Neil co-hosted WrestleMania 37 together in Tampa. Hogan also received a negative reaction from the crowd that night, something O’Neil says surprised him.
“It really caught me by surprise,” O’Neil said on Busted Open Radio in May 2021. “I didn’t expect, I expected some boos, but I didn’t expect it to be at that level. To Hulk’s credit, he took it in stride and kept going. It was definitely different.”
O’Neal recently responded to a fan on X who said he did his part by booing Hogan at the Raw on Netflix premiere.
Thank you for your service 😂😂
— Titus O'Neil (@TitusONeilWWE) January 7, 2025