(WWE) - The estate of Hulk Hogan is pushing back forcefully against a claim that seeks $10 million over the origins of the wrestler's branded beer business, setting the stage for a high-stakes legal fight that extends the late wrestling icon's posthumous legacy into the courtroom.
A company called Carma HoldCo Inc. filed a claim in federal court earlier this year, asserting that it was instrumental in developing Hogan's Real American Beer concept, only to be sidelined when others allegedly took the project forward without it.
According to the filing, Carma spent months working alongside Hogan on the brand before former executives allegedly "cut them loose" and steered the wrestler toward a more lucrative deal that excluded them entirely.
According to the company, former insiders allegedly went behind its back, approached Hogan directly, and moved forward with the project without Carma's involvement.
The company filed its claim on January 20, accusing the estate of breach of contract and seeking eight figures in damages. But Hogan's representatives are not backing down.
Alan S. Gassman, an attorney for the estate, filed a formal objection to the claim on Friday, according to court records. The estate is disputing Carma's assertions and signaling it intends to challenge the claim aggressively.
The lawsuit has been simmering for months
Carma's claim, filed on January 20, alleges breach of contract and seeks eight figures in damages tied to what it says was Hogan's dismissal of its contributions late in the development of Real American Beer.
That brand name is a clear nod to Hogan's "Real American" entrance theme from his wrestling heyday, a connection that helped propel the product's marketing.
But Hogan's estate counters that "Carma never had a binding deal with Hogan, never developed a beer and had zero beer-related trade secrets," according to filings.
The estate argues that discussions between Hogan and Carma were preliminary and never reached the formalized stage necessary to support the lawsuit's demands.
Carma's fight first became public months ago when it filed a federal lawsuit linked to the Real American Beer entity, known in filings as RAB.
In that earlier complaint, the company accused former executives of RAB of luring Hogan into a separate deal and using allegedly stolen materials to pitch the revised plan without Carma's involvement.
However, the defense forcefully rejected those claims in October, calling the lawsuit "meritless."
According to court filings, Hogan's side argued that Carma never had a binding agreement with the wrestling star, never successfully developed a beer product, and possessed no beer-related trade secrets.
By Sam Lapresse
February 3, 2026
