'They're Still Nipping At My Heels' Hulk Hogan Gives Delusional Answer As To Why WWE Fans Booed Him On Raw

Sitting down recently for an interview on The Ariel Helwani Show, Hulk Hogan addressed the negative reception he received during his appearance on WWE Raw's Netflix debut in January 2025. The wrestling icon was met with loud boos from the Los Angeles crowd as he promoted his "Real American Beer" brand.

Hogan attributed the crowd's reaction to several factors. He noted his history as his heel character, "Hollywood Hogan," during his time with the nWo in WCW, suggesting that fans in Los Angeles might still associate him with that persona. That's right - he claimed that fans were still booing him for his heel turn... that happened in 1996. He echoed these sentiments in an earlier interview with Pat McAfee, claiming he was a bad guy alongside Kevin Nash and Scott Hall.

They're still nipping at my heels. I can go out there and get booed in LA. I was Hollywood Hogan with the black beard and doing the bad guy thing. Or The Rock can get booed in LA or John Cena gets booed in LA, but when I get booed, there's a whole different reaction, media-wise.

This, of course, is a totally delusional response, especially when you consider his warm reception when he showed up at WrestleMania 21 in Los Angeles. When he brings up names like The Rock and John Cena, they were indeed booed for the characters they play on-screen, not because of their personal lives. This is why they don't get the same traction in the media that Hogan does when he gets mercilessly booed.

Controversy Creates Cash, So Hogan Is Obviously Onboard

The Hulkster was asked if he felt it was people booing his character rather than him personally. Hogan responded:

It’s all the above - character, professional, personal. There are WWE guys who’ve had opinions. But when I go to New York or Chicago and the crowd cheers out of the rooftops, I’d like to hear their advice then.

While he just barely acknowledged that his controversial past likely also played a role in the booing, he quickly turned on WWE wrestlers who have pointed out the real reasons he gets such a negative reception, claiming he'd still get cheered in other big markets like New York and Chicago. Who knows if that's true or not (likely not), but even at WrestleMania 37 in Tampa, Florida, where Hogan is from, he received a similarly negative reception from his hometown crowd.

Despite the backlash, Hogan highlighted the significant media attention his appearance garnered:

When you get booed and you get 3.2 billion engagements all the sudden, and you rock that whole world in LA with how much interaction there was on the internet, I'll take it.

He emphasized that, regardless of the boos, people remain interested in his activities. Little does he know it's for all the wrong reasons.