WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan addressed the negative crowd reaction he received during his appearance at the WWE Raw on Netflix premiere in Los Angeles this past January. Speaking with The Ariel Helwani Show, Hogan maintained that the mixed response only reinforced his continued relevance in the wrestling world.
“I can go out there and get booed in LA, 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,” Hogan said. “For some reason, I believe, some type of groundwork, that people are still interested in what I’m doing.”
Hogan didn’t shy away from addressing those who remain critical of him.
“For those that are the haters and still have a problem with me, there’s nothing I can do to fix that except just keep proving by my actions that I’m still in the game. I’m still pushing hard.”
The Hulkster cited a long road to recovery as part of his current outlook, referencing a series of medical setbacks.
“I took a lot of time off because I had like, 25 surgeries, and I was down for a long time… I’ve always loved the hunt. I’ve always loved to get back in the game.”
Asked whether he believed the boos were directed more at the character than the man, Hogan replied:
“No, no, no, no. All the above. There are certain people that boo the character. There are certain WWE superstars that had an opinion and they had advice for me. But I would like to ask those same guys, when I go to New York or Chicago and the people cheer out of the rooftops, I would like to know what their advice is then.”
Displaying the resilience that defined his in-ring persona, Hogan compared himself to a battle-tested warrior:
“I’m like an old scarred-up seal with a bunch of scars on me, and I’m really relatable to most normal people, because a lot of people have been through a lot of stuff.”
He concluded with a message for fans and critics alike:
“If they boo me, fine, if they’re on the team, that’s great, too… I’m still here. I’m still moving forward. It’s kind of like the old Rocky movie: it depends on how hard you can get hit, get back up and keep moving forward. And brother, I’m always leaning into the wind.”
Hogan’s comments reflect both a sense of introspection and a continued drive to remain part of the wrestling conversation—whether cheered or booed.
(h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription)
