Hulk Hogan’s last appearance on WWE television did not unfold the way many expected, and new insight suggests the reaction may have affected him more than he publicly admitted.

During an interview on April 15, 2026, Hulk Hogan Real American director Bryan Storkel spoke about the January 2025 episode of WWE Raw that marked Hogan’s final televised moment with the company. The appearance quickly turned uncomfortable, with the crowd response shifting heavily against the Hall of Famer.

At the time, Hogan attributed the backlash largely to political reactions connected to his support of Donald Trump. However, Storkel indicated the situation was not that simple, explaining that Hogan appeared aware there were multiple factors at play even if he chose to focus on one narrative publicly.

“Somewhat,” Bryan said when asked if Hogan fully understood the backlash from fans. “I think there’s multiple reasons too, and he was more into the political side in the last years. But I think he also understood there were other reasons.”

Storkel went on to describe a conversation where he tried to get Hogan to reflect on the experience in a more personal way. Being booed as a performer is one thing in wrestling, but being rejected as a person is a very different reality, especially for someone whose legacy is tied so closely to fan adoration.

“I asked him, ‘Certainly in real life, when you’re being booed, not for your character, but because of other things, that has to hurt, right?’”

According to Storkel, Hogan did not fully open up in that moment, instead brushing it off despite what others around him seemed to notice. The reaction inside the arena may have carried more weight than he was willing to acknowledge publicly.

“And that’s one where he kind of, I think, deflected a bit, and was like, ‘No, of course, it didn’t hurt’, but you talk to the people around him, and I think it did. “Everyone wants to be loved. And I think, at the end of the day, he does say, the cheers were obviously better than the boos.””