Hulk Hogan Had A Big Dream Of Working With Trump Before His Tragic Death
Toward the end of his life, Terry Gene Bollea — aka Hulk Hogan — had embedded himself within President Donald Trump's orbit. In 2024, Hogan famously ripped off his own shirt at the Republican National Convention, only to reveal another shirt promoting the ticket for Trump and JD Vance. Additionally, Hogan even got to sit near members of the Trump family during the RNC. Appearing on stage for such an event and getting to rub elbows just might have gotten the former wrestler's wheels turning, especially around a new wrestling series Hogan was slated to launch with business partner Eric Bischoff.
Hogan and Bischoff founded Real American Freestyle (RAF), a newfangled wrestling league that aims to combine the theatrics of WWE and the prestige of the UFC. Back in May of 2025, Hogan spoke to TMZ about the possibility of Trump attending the inaugural event for RAF. Hogan pointed out that Trump was present for a collegiate wrestling championship earlier in the year, so having the president show up to the August 30 premiere of RAF — which takes place in Vance's home state of Ohio — was a real possibility. Ultimately, before Hogan's untimely death at age 71, it seems that he just might have been on track to make this particular dream come true.
Hulk Hogan had cut a deal with a company favored by Donald Trump
While there may be a shady side to the Hogan family, as the patriarch, Hulk Hogan was still a fairly competent businessman. When he and Eric Bischoff got Real American Freestyle off the ground, they knew it would need a place to land. "RAF01" is slated to take place in Cleveland, Ohio, and will be broadcast through Fox Nation — meaning it can be streamed on President Donald Trump's preferred network of Fox News. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Bischoff said of the deal, "Having the right broadcast partner is critical to putting on a good show for the fans and we are thrilled to be working with Fox."
It's safe to say that Hogan was most likely excited about the deal as well, as it certainly landed him one step closer to securing his dream of having Trump sidle up ringside — just like he did for Dana White at a UFC match. While Hogan's passing has certainly been a crushing blow to the wrestling world, there might still be hope for his dream to come true. The premiere of RAF is still slated to continue, it will still be aired on Fox, and Trump just might turn up to honor the WWE hall of famer, Hulk Hogan.