Report: WWE Feared Hulk Hogan Tributes On Raw & NXT Would Be Booed

Hulk Hogan’s death has prompted as many debates as it has tributes, leaving WWE reportedly fearful that their recent tributes to Hogan on Raw and NXT would be booed.

Despite his achievements in the ring and for being one of the most famous pro wrestlers of all time, Hogan’s legacy will be forever tarnished due to past racist comments, exacerbated by a lack of a heartfelt apology, as well as his ties with President Donald Trump.

Still, WWE wanted to honour the man who put the company on the map in the 1980s, airing tributes to Hogan on Raw and NXT, as well as SmackDown. Writing in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer noted how WWE were fearful that the Raw crowd in Detroit could boo tributes to Hogan, with Detroit itself having a 77% Black population.

WWE are believed to have gone as far as to lower the crowd mics on Raw to combat any potential backlash, but it was noted the Detroit crowd were respectful as tributes to Hogan aired. It was also noted that there were fears that the crowd for NXT in Orlando, Florida could also turn on any Hogan tributes, but, again, there were no such scenes.

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