Hulk Hogan’s beer tag teams with WWE

Retired wrestler Hulk Hogan’s Real American Beer brand has been announced as a sponsor of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

Now on Netflix as part of a US$5 billion deal, the WWE has marked the occasion by partnering with the beer brand of on of its biggest stars.

Described as having 110 calories and 4 grams of carbohydrates per can, Real American Beer was launched last summer, with Hogan claiming during an interview with Fox News that its purpose was to “bring America back together”. The beer itself is contract brewed by a number of breweries.

“Well, let me tell you something brother! From the first time I stepped into the ring, I’ve always fought for something bigger than myself,” Hogan was quoted as saying in a press release in relation to the new deal. “I’m thrilled to bring Real American Beer into the ring with WWE. Together, we’re bringing that pride to America, one beer, one match at a time, brother!”

As part of the sponsorship, Real American Beer branding will appear on the ring mat corners of WWE Raw, a three hour wrestling show now streamed live on Netflix. WWE’s social media channels will also share shorts promoting the beer, and the WWE has become a minority owner of the company too.

Booed off

However, the launch of the partnership at the beginning of this week (Monday, 6 January) was not seamless. The crowd saw fit to boo Hogan when he arrived to announce the sponsorship deal – indeed, he was reportedly booed out of the building.

Precisely why Hogan, who began wrestling professionally in 1977, received such a hostile reception is not immediately apparent, though the 71-year-old ex-wrestler has been a prominent Donald Trump supporter (something which The Independent argues may have been a factor).

One insider reportedly told The Daily Mail that the incident, which has been extensively reported, may actually be a case of there being no such thing as bad publicity: “This has actually been a great promotion for his beer and as quickly as he was disappointed, he thought about it a little more and is actually excited by how it turned out.”

Indeed, as Google Trends reveals, interest in ‘Real American Beer’ (which is currently available in 20 US states) has dramatically spiked in recent days, being more extensively searched than when its launch was announced in June 2024.