Jimmy Hart has revealed that he feared the worst before accompanying Hulk Hogan during WWE RAW’s historic Netflix premiere in January 2025.
While the segment was meant to celebrate WWE’s new era, Hart admitted he already sensed the crowd reaction could quickly turn from “Real American” to real uncomfortable.
Speaking on Cody Rhodes’ What Do You Wanna Talk About? podcast, Hart recalled warning Hogan before they arrived at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
“I told Hulk before we went… ‘You know where we’re going? We’re going to California,’” Hart explained. He added that Hogan had recently worn a Trump-Vance shirt publicly, which made him nervous about the reception in Los Angeles.
Jimmy Hart details backstage concerns before Hulk Hogan’s RAW appearance
Hart said fans outside the venue immediately signaled trouble ahead. According to him, some supporters told Hogan, “Hulk, we loved you, but you love them. We don’t like you anymore.”
Even then, Hart said Hogan brushed off the concerns. “I said ‘Hulk, I don’t feel good about this’. “Jimmy, don’t worry about it,” Hogan reportedly told him several times before the segment, as per Hart.
Before the pair even walked through the curtain, Triple H reportedly gave Hart one specific instruction regarding the massive American flag he carried during Hogan’s entrance.
“Jimmy, whatever you do, don’t let that flag touch the ground.”
Hart joked that he waved the flag so aggressively he nearly “ripped” his arms out trying to keep it elevated.
Once Hogan appeared in front of the crowd, the atmosphere shifted immediately. Fans loudly booed throughout the segment, which promoted WWE’s Netflix partnership and Hogan’s Real American Beer brand. Hart admitted he looked over at Hogan thinking, “Okay, here we go.”
The following day, Hogan reportedly pointed to the strong segment ratings, but Hart later explained the moment genuinely affected the WWE Hall of Famer backstage.
According to Hart, Hogan understood the situation and accepted the fallout, telling him, “I’ve made my bed and I’ve got to lie in it.”
The segment ultimately became one of Hogan’s most talked-about WWE appearances before his death in July 2025.
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