WWE Slammed For Promoting Hulk Hogan's Beer Brand Amid Company Lawsuit and His Past Racist Outburst
Hulk Hogan's latest WWE deal has outraged some fans who are criticizing the company for endorsing his Real American Beer brand despite his controversial past.
Although Hogan retired from professional wrestling 13 years ago, he remains a prominent figure within WWE.
His multiyear agreement to promote his beer on Monday Night Raw and other programming has sparked backlash, with many accusing WWE of pushing a political agenda.
The beer, launched in 2024 as "The Beer America Built," features Hogan in a blue bandana, holding an American flag. However, his vocal support for Donald Trump, including a remark about body-slamming Kamala Harris during their presidential election campaigns, has alienated some angry fans.
WWE is falling off because they keep heavily biasing one political view. WWE always felt balanced politically so viewers could project who they thought was Dem or Repub aligned.
— 🐝Mel🐝 (@Tokyo_Gaming_) February 19, 2025
Now they platform Hulk Hogan and Logan Paul heavily as heroes and treat the women's div like trash. https://t.co/rcSRngZXzf
On the brand's official Instagram account, they confirmed the beer is an official WWE partner on February 3.
Frustration with WWE's decision is evident, with one fan commenting, "WWE is falling off because they keep heavily biasing one political view... Now they platform Hulk Hogan and Logan Paul heavily as heroes and treat the women's div like trash."
Hogan was met with loud boos at Monday Night Raw's January 6 Netflix premiere, with even celebrity fan O'Shea Jackson Jr. joining in.
The reaction intensified when Hogan addressed the crowd, saying, "You know something, Maniacs. I've been in the business for over 40 years, and the greatest part of my life was being part of this great WWE."
HULK HOGAN IS BEING BOOED WHILE TRYING TO GLAZE THE FANS.
— TribaI Wrestling (@TribalMegastar) January 7, 2025
LMFAOOOOOOOO DESERVED 😭#RAWOnNetflix pic.twitter.com/1CN4AwNVXU
Since then, Raw has reportedly lost 53% of its global Netflix audience, dropping from 5.9 million viewers to 2.8 million, according to What Culture.
Adding to the controversy, Hogan's beer brand was named in a February 10 negligence lawsuit, per VICE, after a woman claimed she was hit in the head by a thrown beer can at a promotional event, requiring stitches.
Back in July, a Black influencer accused Hulk Hogan of firing her because of her race and replacing her with white ambassadors instead.
Essence Jenai made the accusation against the ex-WWE Hall of Famer on TikTok where she shared a series of images with Hogan promoting his Real American Beer.
"POV: Hulk Hogan paid you to be a brand ambassador and canceled your contract the next day because he realized you were a BLACK brand ambassador," she captioned the post, which has since gone viral.
@essencejenai @Hulk Hogan thanks for making it clear that you don’t work with BLACK brand ambassadors. #fypage #hulkhogan #brandambassador
♬ Shake Dat Ass (Twerk Song) - BossMan Dlow
This isn't the first time Hogan, real name Terry Gene Bollea, has been accused of discrimination and racism.
In 2015, Hogan was terminated from the WWE after racist remarks he made in 2007 resurfaced online. The retired professional wrestler expressed his disapproval of his daughter Brooke Hogan dating a Black man while using racial slurs during a rant. Hogan admitted that he is "a racist, to a point," but issued an apology to PEOPLE.
"Eight years ago I used offensive language during a conversation," he said. "It was unacceptable for me to have used that offensive language; there is no excuse for it; and I apologize for having done it."
Neither WWE nor Hogan has publicly responded to the backlash.
