WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry has given his take on Hulk Hogan being roundly booed by fans on the opening night of Netflix’s Monday Night Raw.
Hogan, real name Terry Bollea, made an unexpected appearance at the Intuitive Dome, Los Angeles on Monday night alongside longtime on-screen manager Jimmy Hart.
The 71-year-old featured on the history-making episode that featured The Rock, John Cena, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, The Undertaker and rapper Travis Scott, to name just a few.
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But it was Hogan's brief cameo that got people talking for all the wrong reasons.
Much to his surprise, 'The Hulkster' was loudly booed by fans in attendance as he spoke about WWE's new multi-year partnership with Hogan's 'Real American Beer' brand.
In fact, fans said he looked "uncomfortable" and "shaken" by the reaction he received, while a source from the Mail gave an insight into Hogan's reaction.
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"Did Hulk think he was going to be cheered? Especially bringing out Jimmy Hart, who everyone likes, and who was also waving an American flag at the time… that is a resounding yes," the source said.
"So, when he came out, got booed, and then went to the back after his promo, he was instantly disappointed that the fans turned on him. But he wasn’t p***ed."
They added: "Had it not been for him being there to promote his beer, he would have leaned into it a little more, but he just had to get through the promotion of it all."
Hogan's reception didn't come as much of a surprise to former WWE superstar Mark Henry, who spent 25 years with the company.
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"With the social climate and the things [Hulk's] said and done and his lack of effort to try and fix it, people are gonna come down on it," Henry told TMZ, who claim he was referencing the clip where Hogan used a racial slur.
The former Olympic weightlifter added: "He never wanted to go forward and fix it. That's what happens when you think everything is gonna go away. It's not gonna go away."
Hogan was briefly blacklisted and removed from the WWE universe in 2015 after an old video emerged of him using the n-word to describe his daughter dating a black man.
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His contract was terminated, with WWE saying they were "committed to embracing and celebrating individuals from all backgrounds".
After apologising for his offensive comments, Hogan was reinstated in the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018 and has since made a number of appearances.
"It was unacceptable for me to have used that offensive language," he said in his apology. "There is no excuse for it and I apologize for having done it.”
Hogan added: “This is not who I am. I believe very strongly that every person in the world is important and should not be treated differently based on race, gender, orientation, religious beliefs or otherwise.”
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In recent times, Hogan has been a firm supporter of president-elect Donald Trump, appearing at rallies for his fellow WWE Hall of Famer in his campaign to beat Kamala Harris.
Topics: Hulk Hogan, WWE, Wrestling
Jack Kenmare