Hulk Hogan’s ‘Unrecognizable’ Beard Sparks Confusion—Here’s the Real Reason

Hulk Hogan stepped back into the spotlight this week, but it wasn’t his new business venture that had fans talking—it was his face.

During a Thursday morning appearance on Fox & Friends, the wrestling icon popped up to promote his Real American Beer brand and a brand-new wrestling league geared toward mainstream fans. But social media had other priorities.

The 71-year-old’s signature handlebar mustache was present and accounted for, but it was overshadowed—literally—by an unexpected five o’clock shadow that looked like it had wandered in from another decade. Viewers were quick to jump online to question what, exactly, was going on with Hogan’s look.

“WTF is that beard?” one user asked. Another added, “Hulk is unrecognizable!”

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For those not up on their wrestling lore, the confusion is understandable. But longtime fans were quick to connect the dots: Hogan’s new facial hair is a throwback to his heel turn in the 1990s when he joined the infamous New World Order (NWO) and dyed his trademark blond look dark to match his villainous persona.

“The amount of dumb people that do not understand that Hogan has dyed his hair black to bring nostalgia to his NWO days is laughable,” one commenter posted in defense.

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While the buzz may have started over his beard, Hogan had more than facial hair to promote. He told the hosts his league isn’t aiming to compete with WWE or the UFC—but he’s not thinking small either.

“Our goal is not to be competitive... but to be just as big or bigger because this is an underserved market,” Hogan said.

The first event in the Real American Freestyle Wrestling league kicks off in August in Cleveland. Judging by the social media reaction, they might want to stock up on merch—and razors.