The Wrestling World Says Goodbye to Hulk Hogan
Largo, Florida – Dozens of people gathered Tuesday night at a funeral service for legendary wrestler Hulk Hogan, who passed away last month at age 71.
The private ceremony was held in the same church where Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, was baptized in 2023.
The death occurred after suffering a heart attack on July 24 at his home in Clearwater, according to the Pinellas County medical examiner.
The coroner’s report revealed that Hogan had suffered from leukemia and atrial fibrillation, an irregular heart rhythm. His death was classified as natural.
The security of the church and Largo police officers, including K-9 dogs, heavily patrolled the service. Anyone not on the guest list was turned away near signs indicating “Private Event”.
Governor Ron DeSantis ordered flags to be flown at half-staff at all official buildings last Friday, declaring that day “Hulk Hogan Day in Florida.”
Hogan was perhaps the biggest star in WWE’s long history, known as much for his flamboyant personality as for his achievements in the ring. He was the main attraction of the first WrestleMania in 1985 and was a prominent figure for years, facing figures like Andre The Giant and Randy Savage, up to The Rock and even WWE co-founder Vince McMahon.
Hogan was also a celebrity outside the world of wrestling, appearing in numerous films and television shows, including “Hogan Knows Best”, a reality show about his life on VH1.
Hogan’s body will be cremated.
His daughter Brooke Bollea Oleksy, better known by her stage name Brooke Hogan, commemorated her father in a recent social media post.
“I am very grateful to have met the real version of him. Not just the one the world saw through a carefully selected lens,” she wrote.
