On a special tribute edition of Stories with Brisco and Bradshaw, WWE Hall of Famer Jimmy Hart shared a candid, behind-the-scenes account of Hulk Hogan’s emotional reaction to the negative crowd response he received during the debut episode of WWE Monday Night Raw on Netflix back in January 2025.
Hogan’s surprise appearance during the launch of Raw’s Netflix era took place at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, but the crowd response was far from the hero’s welcome he was expecting.
According to Hart, Hogan’s recent political endorsements, particularly his vocal support for Donald Trump and J.D. Vance, played a significant role in how fans reacted. “He had a Trump-Vance t-shirt on… we come flying into LA, baby… and all of a sudden I hear a few people like, ‘Booo,’” Hart recalled. “It was a little bit more boos than anything.”
Despite Hart’s playful take on the situation, the crowd’s mixed response clearly hit Hogan hard.
Hart noted that the reaction shook the legendary superstar to his core. “That devastated him,” Hart admitted. “We got in the back and he said, ‘What do you think happened?’ I said, ‘Hulk, it’s simple—blue state, red state. Boom.’”
Hart, who was there simply to wave the flag and accompany his longtime friend, tried to downplay the boos but acknowledged the personal toll it took on Hogan. “You can have 500 people cheering and one person booing, and it’s the boo you remember,” he said.
Despite the unexpected backlash in L.A., Hogan didn’t change course. Hart revealed that the WWE Hall of Famer remained firm in his political stance. “‘Jimmy, I have to do it. I think this is the right thing,’” Hogan reportedly told Hart.
The following week’s Raw in Texas reportedly saw Hogan receive a far more favorable reception, but Hart admitted the Los Angeles moment “always bothered him.”
Hogan’s return to WWE television for the Raw on Netflix debut was meant to be a historic moment, but the political climate created a far more complicated homecoming for one of wrestling’s biggest icons. Hart’s retelling offers a rare glimpse at the vulnerability of a man who was once the most beloved babyface in professional wrestling.
Stay tuned to PWMania.com for more stories from the road and the ring.
