On Monday night, WWE streamed the first episode of RAW on Netflix. The three-hour show has already shot to #1 globally and was a stacked effort featuring appearances from The Rock, John Cena, and WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan.
The Los Angeles crowd mercilessly booed the latter, overshadowing both the beer brand he was trying to promote and the show as a whole (many mainstream entertainment and news sites have covered the overwhelmingly negative response to his promo, something WWE can't be happy about).
Sportskeeda has shared an update today to reveal, "Sources close to the situation have informed Sportskeeda's Dr. Chris Featherstone that Hogan admitted that the reaction may have been a political influence. A statement made was, 'he stood for what they didn't stand for.'"
"The reaction did not shock the Hall of Famer as he allegedly 'thought it was going to be 50/50' heading into the liberal city of LA," the report adds. "From here on, there might be an increased level of mindfulness regarding the cities he chooses to appear live and promote his brand to wrestling fans."
While it's hard not to wonder whether the reaction would have been completely different had Hogan showed up in, say, Texas, the social media response to Hogan's return has been just as brutal.
While it's easy to use politics as an excuse, the Hulkster has long been an unpopular figure among pro wrestling fans and a leaked sex tape which saw him make racist remarks did little to win anyone over.
On Tuesday's Pat McAfee Show, RAW announcer Pat McAfee chimed in and didn't hold back when it came to mocking Hogan. He staged a fake press conference in which the former WCW star claimed the crowd were instead cheering "Hulk Hoooooooogan" and that the boos were meant for the clearly shaken Jimmy Hart.
The mock Hogan then claimed he's open to facing anyone, listing the likes of Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods, Trick Williams, The Godfather, Farooq (Ron Simmons), and Ahmed "Plumber." Oh, and The Rock, of course. We're sure you can figure out why he chose those WWE Superstars and Legends.
Does this close the door on future RAW appearances from Hogan? That seems to be the hope among many fans.