On January 6, Hulk Hogan made his return to WWE RAW during its Netflix debut, but he did not receive the warm reception he might have expected. Instead, the Los Angeles crowd loudly booed him as he tried to promote WWE and his Real American Beer brand. Hogan, who was accompanied by his longtime manager Jimmy Hart, struggled to engage the audience during his promo.
Elijah Burke, a former WWE and TNA star, did not shy away from commenting on Hogan’s reception. Burke attributed the negative reaction to Hogan’s political stances, which have been a point of controversy in recent years.
On Twitter, Burke wrote:
“Hahaha… Hogan thought Cali was gonna 4get? Hogan screwed Hogan because while this was WWE Netflix Debut, they should’ve waited until they got to a ‘Red State’ to bring on Hogan who was overly boisterous & opinionated during the presidential election.”
Undertaker vs. Hogan: Political Views and Fan Reception
As fans compared Hogan’s experience to that of The Undertaker, who also has ties to Donald Trump but wasn’t booed during RAW, Burke further clarified the situation. He pointed out that while both The Undertaker and Hogan are linked to Trump, there is a distinction in how they approach their personas:
“Undertaker is not a Trump supporter… Mark Calaway is… Therefore fans could care less about his personal views, he was not shoving it down their throats & certainly not using his Undertaker persona to promote it. Hogan is Hulk Hogan everywhere he goes and there’s no separation.”
Burke continued to elaborate on Hogan’s history with controversy:
“Folk act like it’s Hogan’s first time back since racist remarks. He’s been back PLENTY of times on RAW never got that type of reception. Hulk Hogan was a poster boy for Trump’s campaign. Had Donald Trump walked out the boos would be ‘greater than any boos you’ve ever heard.’”
Rhea Ripley Wins Women's World Championship as WWE Preps for WrestleMania 41
In other WWE news, this week's RAW saw a significant shift in the women’s division, as Rhea Ripley defeated Liv Morgan to capture the Women’s World Championship. This change is reportedly part of WWE’s strategy leading up to WrestleMania 41, which is set to feature two major women’s title matches.
According to WrestleVotes, WWE is planning for four top competitors to headline these matches, with Rhea Ripley, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte Flair all confirmed or likely to fill three of the four slots. As a result, Liv Morgan, despite her impressive title reign, was removed from the title picture:
“I think it becomes a numbers thing as we get closer to WrestleMania. You know, two world title matches for the women equals probably four participants. They wanted Rhea, obviously, to be one of those. I think Becky and Charlotte are going to be two and three. And I just don’t believe they had a spot for Liv there. So they decided to take the title away from her,” WrestleVotes explained.
Becky Lynch's Return and Liv Morgan's Future in WWE
Becky Lynch recently re-signed with WWE and is expected to return soon, potentially reigniting her feud with Rhea Ripley as WrestleMania approaches. As for Liv Morgan, her future in WWE remains uncertain. Fans continue to express their desire for Morgan to be involved in a major WrestleMania storyline, citing her popularity and recent strong performances.
For now, Rhea Ripley holds the Women’s World Title and is gearing up for what is shaping up to be an exciting WrestleMania season.