Last Farewell to the Wrestling Icon: Hulk Hogan
An emotional funeral ceremony bid farewell to the wrestling legend, Hulk Hogan, who passed away last month at the age of 71. The event, held on Tuesday night, brought together dozens of people to honor the memory of the iconic wrestler.
The private service took place in the same church where Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, was baptized in 2023.
According to the Pinellas County medical examiner, Hogan passed away on July 24 at his home in Clearwater, a victim of a heart attack. The medical report revealed that the wrestler had previously dealt with leukemia and atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat. The cause of his death was determined to be natural.
Security at the church was reinforced, with the presence of Largo police officers and K-9 dogs. Access was denied to anyone not on the guest list, with signs indicating “Private Event”.
Governor Ron DeSantis ordered flags to fly at half-staff at all official buildings last Friday, a day that was declared “Hulk Hogan Day in Florida.”
Hulk Hogan, known for his charisma and achievements in the ring, was possibly the biggest star in WWE history. He was the main attraction at the first WrestleMania in 1985 and a key figure for years, facing wrestlers of the stature of Andre The Giant and Randy Savage, to The Rock and WWE co-founder Vince McMahon.
Outside the world of wrestling, Hogan was also a celebrity, participating in numerous films and television shows, including “Hogan Knows Best”, a reality show about his life on VH1.
Hogan’s remains will be cremated.
His daughter Brooke Bollea Oleksy, better known as Brooke Hogan, paid tribute to her father in a recent social media post.
“I am so grateful to have met the real version of him. Not just the one the world saw through a carefully selected lens,” she wrote on Instagram.
