Hulk Hogan made a surprise return on WWE Raw's premier on Netflix on Monday and against the expectations the Hall of Famer was unanimously booed by the WWE Universe at the Intuit Dome, in Inglewood. It became awkward as the former world champion came alongside Jimmy Hart, who waved the American flag at the time. Hogan receiving the jeers left many around the world astounded as he was the biggest babyface of the company at one point in time and still has the third-longest championship reign registered.'
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Hulk Hogan Reaction After Getting Booed on WWE Raw
In the aftermath of the show, Hulk Hogan's first reaction to getting booed came out and according to a source, Hogan was perturbed over the reaction he garnered and was extremely "disappointed."
A source told DailyMail.com: "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*****!
"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 wrestling career has been marred by controversy over the past decade. In 2015, WWE cut its ties with him after a racist slur he used was leaked during a lawsuit over a sex tape. Although, he apologized and was later reinstated in 2018, fans continued to express their disapproval, booing him at WrestleMania 37 in 2021. Hogan's vocal support for Donald Trump's presidential campaign further polarized fans. Despite this, his Real American Beer has secured a multi-year sponsorship deal with WWE, including prominent branding on Raw episodes. Interestingly, an insider suggests that the negative fan reaction has ironically served as effective promotion for his beer brand.
The source added: "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."