Hulk Hogan’s latest TV appearance has sparked confusion, concern, and a flurry of online jokes after debuting a “new” look marked by a contrasting black beard against his bleached blonde moustache.
“Tell Hulk Hogan his face is dirty, clean that soot off,” one commenter wrote on X. “Does anyone believe this is Hulk Hogan?” another asked, while a third compared him to a magnetic Wooly Willy toy.
The 71-year-old wrestling icon appeared on Fox & Friends on Thursday to promote Real American Freestyle Wrestling, a new sports venture with longtime collaborator and wrestling personality Eric Bischoff.
“His eyes,” one concerned user pointed out, believing that behind the facade of “Hollywood Hulk Hogan” was a man grieving the dissolution of his family.
Hulk Hogan debuts “concerning” look, promoting new wrestling show while dealing with personal issues
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Despite his appearance being considered “new” by some viewers—and described as “horrifying” and “dramatic” by some news outlets—longtime wrestling fans were quick to point out that his appearance was anything but, and in fact was a reference to a character he played in WCW back in the 90s.
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From 1996 to 1998, and again in the early 2000s, Hogan donned the same jet-black beard with his signature white moustache during his time as “Hollywood Hulk Hogan”—the villainous persona he adopted after turning heel at WCW’s Bash at the Beach in 1996.
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That moment, where he betrayed Macho Man Randy Savage to align with Scott Hall and Kevin Nash, and later joined by Eric Bischoff, helped launch the infamous New World Order (nWo), and ushered in a time of massive popularity for the wrestling TV show.
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The black-and-white contrast was central to the staple’s image, and his heel turn allowed WCW to dominate rival WWE in ratings for 83 consecutive weeks during the so-called Monday Night Wars.
Wearing his signature red bandana and a shirt that read “America first, beer second,” Hogan harkened back to an era of bygone glory.
Putting his political views front and center, many viewers felt put off by the 71-year-old outlandish look, which comes at a time when he’s experiencing deep issues in his personal life.
Hogan’s recent TV appearance comes a month after both his ex-wife and daughter broke the silence on their estranged family dynamic
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Recently, during an interview with TMZ in late March, his ex-wife Linda Hogan made headlines in a tearful interview, expressing heartbreak over their estranged relationship with daughter Brooke.
Linda revealed that Brooke has not spoken to either parent in nearly eight years, despite having gotten married and welcomed twins during that time.
“Hulk Hogan, my ex, has been really distraught and saddened by her distance, just as I and her brother Nick have as well,” she told the outlet, while at the same time admitting that Hogan could be a “sh**ty husband sometimes.”
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Linda nevertheless defended him as a father, describing him as someone who “always supported the family with everything they ever wanted,” and who spent “probably over $3 million on Brooke’s career.”
“Hulk Hogan is a good father,” she added, lamenting that Brooke’s children “will never know how great he is.”
Linda’s words mark a significant shift in tone from previous statements in which she referred to the wrestler as a “sex addict” and branded their family dynamic as a “mess.”
Brooke explained her decision to distance herself from her parents was due to being subjected to physical and psychological by both of them
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Brooke Hogan, now going by Brooke Oleksy after her marriage to ice hockey player Steven Oleksy, broke her silence via an Instagram post on March 27.
Describing a history of “verbal and mental” abuse at the hands of her parents, the former reality TV star addressed the reasons for her decision to distance herself from her family.
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“I try very hard to ignore issues surrounding my family, in hopes I might have peace in my life,” she wrote.
“Sadly, I’ve intentionally made myself smaller in my professional career in music and TV; simply to dodge the public negativity surrounding my family that has continuously and relentlessly overshadowed anything I do.”
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“If it were just me, I would continue to take the hits and shrink even smaller to avoid the dangers of speaking publicly. But I have my own family now and it’s affecting more than just me at this point,” she said, addressing her mother’s previous interview.
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“No contact with my Mom has nothing to do with my Dad, and no contact with my Father has nothing to do with my Mother,” she clarified. “I have been EXTREMELY verbally and mentally abused since childhood. Sadly, it would frequently turn physical.”
Whether Hogan embracing his “villainous” look is simply a tribute to the past or a sign of something deeper remains to be seen—this time, however, the issue cannot be solved in the ring.