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The WWE is at a level of popularity that it has never reached before, largely due to a crop of legends and superstars that have transcended into mainstream pop culture. At one point, Hulk Hogan was one of those stars, but the boos he received during the Monday Night Raw debut on Netflix suggest that his transgressions are too severe for his legacy to overpower.
The Raw debut on Netflix emanated from the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. on Monday evening (Jan. 6). Several WWE legends such as The Rock, John Cena, and The Undertaker all appeared on-screen in some capacity and received heroes’ welcomes. Hulkster, however, was seemingly in enemy territory. He entered the arena alongside WWE Hall Of Fame manager Jimmy Hart to greet the crowd, celebrate the Netflix partnership, and plug his new beverage company Real American Beer.
“In the past, I’ve had a whole bunch of partners down the line,” the 71-year-old said. “I had incredible partners, like the Macho Man Randy Savage. I’ve had giant-sized partners like Andre the Giant. But the greatest partner the WWE has ever had, is the fact that tonight, we’re making history, and the WWE has tag teamed up with Netflix, the greatest tag team partner of all time.” While he could be heard pretty clearly, the boos were just as audible whether one was in the arena or watching the live stream on Netflix. Watch below.
So, how did Hulk Hogan go from the beloved Hulkamania to the unwanted elder at the family function? Well, it began in 2015 when footage surfaced of him using racial slurs in 2007. The WWE acted quickly, removing him from their Hall Of Fame for a few years before reinstating him in 2018. Hogan has been much less of a presence in the company since then, making sparse appearances at reunion episodes or Wrestlemania’s.
He made his journey toward reconciliation with the fans even more difficult in 2024 when he proudly supported President-Elect Donald Trump on his journey toward reelection. The six-time WWE Champion appeared at the Republican National Convention and has been seen wearing MAGA merchandise at multiple points. Though he is not the only WWE superstar to have ever aligned with the Republican party or Donald Trump, he is easily the one to receive the most negative backlash for it. Threatening to body slam VP Kamala Harris also didn’t help his case.
Outside of Hulk Hogan drowning in boos, the Monday Night Raw debut on Netflix was a rousing success. The sold-out 17k capacity arena witnessed Roman Reigns defeat Solo Sikoa in Tribal Combat, Rhea Ripley win the Women’s World Championship from Liv Morgan, Jey Uso defeat Drew McIntyre, and CM Punk defeat Seth Rollins in the main event. John Cena, who will retire at the end of 2025, also announced that he would compete in the Royal Rumble at the namesake premium live event on Saturday, Feb. 1 in Indianapolis. Travis Scott, Wale, and other celebrities were also in attendance. Watch highlights from the show below.
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