By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
WWE star Seth Rollins said he is happy that Hulk Hogan was booed at the Raw on Netflix premiere that was held last month in Inglewood, California. Rollins appeared on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” and was asked about the boos.
“I am all for people getting what they deserve,” Rollins said. “That’s how I feel about Hulk Hogan getting booed. If you are getting booed by the masses, there’s a reason for it. I don’t know if Hulk fully understands the scope, but people get what they deserve, so I’m happy to see it. I love to see it.
And, look, I said this before about the Hulkster, he’s the guy that got me into this industry as far as love for professional wrestling, so I’ll never take that away from him. What he’s done for our business, I’ll never take that away from him, but I do think there’s some responsibility that he needs to own up to that he hasn’t yet. And maybe when he finally figures that out, he might be able to move forward with our fans. So, we’ll see.”
Powell’s POV: Good for Rollins. He’s usually the ultimate company man during mainstream interviews, so I am pleasantly surprised to see him speaking so openly about the Hogan situation. As far as Hogan figuring it out, he put his strange spin on things during his appearance on Monday’s “The Pat McAfee Show” on ESPN. Hogan said he thinks the reason he was booed was because he was a heel with the NWO the last time he was on Los Angeles. He then agreed with McAfee that politics were also factor. “And also some other stuff, you know,” McAfee said. Hogan replied, “Yeah, of course,” and then moved on. Yeah, Hulk, some other stuff.
Seth Rollins on @gmfb talking Hulk Hogan pic.twitter.com/0TvfYIx1Yf
— Kyle Brandt (@KyleBrandt) February 6, 2025
“It’s a Modelo town, Hulkster.”
– Moe Szyslak
This is an honest question, so please don’t hit me over the head with a hammer.
If this is all about the racist comments he made a decade or so ago, didn’t he apologize for that? I could have sworn he did – and that at least one or two wrestlers didn’t accept said apology – but maybe he didn’t? And in any case I haven’t seen where he’s continued to say things like that, or continued to act in accordance with those comments.
Here’s another honest question: If he DID apologize what do you believe he would need to do to make it right with the fans? Is there any way to do that? If he didn’t apologize, obviously he would need to do that, but then I would suspect whatever he would need to do to make it right in the first scenario would need to be done in this one too?
This isn’t me playing devil’s advocate or trying to defend Hulk. I was genuinely a little confused at the boos because I thought everyone had moved on, but clearly I missed something (especially considering the reaction online). I’m just trying to catch up.
And look, I believe in redemption. People say and do wildly unbelievably awful things. But, obviously, they need to earn that redemption. What would Hogan need to do to earn his?
Yes, he apologized numerous times. More than that (regarding the strangely hateful reaction he received), he appeared many times since that stuff came to light. He never received this kind if a reaction. I genuinely believe that his speaking at the RNC on behalf of Trump prompted this response in super-liberal Southern California. If folks haven’t been there in the last 5 years or so, they really can’t grasp the grip that liberalism has on those people.
I’m not trying to make this a political discussion, but politics (and a newly professed faith in Jesus) is the only variable that’s changed since his vastly more positive appearances in recent years.
I’m not trying to make it political right after I make it political. If we’re going to talk about the grip that political affiliation has on some people these days, I’ll just say that I’ve never seen someone from the other party wearing their candidates shoes or buying their candidate’s bible. Anyway, I don’t think his affiliation with Trump helped him in California, but if that’s the excuse, then you’ll have to explain why Paul Levesque and Undertaker received great reactions from the same crowd. Hogan’s apologies have come off half-assed. When he spoke to the WWE locker room, many felt his speech was more about not getting caught than showing true remorse. More recently, when talking about Kamala Harris’s Indian heritage, he actually held up his hand and said “How” and then blamed the beer he was shilling. Forget the party she represented, that’s just plain idiotic coming from anyone, let alone someone who wants people to believe that he’s truly sorry for his past behavior. We all make mistakes. There’s plenty that Hogan could have to make up for his. Jumping at the chance to post photos of his Black fans on social media just isn’t enough for some people.
I’m Australian and am gobsmacked by the love affair with a man who can’t form a coherent thought, but hey, liberals are the problem. Not the racist, sexual abusing con artists. No it’s all those scientists, journalists and doctors who obviously spent their whole life working towards these professions just so one day, they could all deceive koolaid gobblers. Orrrrr maybe in hogans case, the lying unapologetic racist, was booed for being a lying unapologetic racist. And, no, I wouldn’t have booed taker, but happily would jeer hogan. Just food for thought.
Dammit, Aussie, that’s my… I can’t even pretend to be offended.
I thought it was funny how L.A. booed him, then their city burned down.
Pathetic