Legendary Hulk Hogan Dismissed in Emotional Ceremony
LARGO, Florida – Dozens of people gathered Tuesday night for the funeral of iconic 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.
Hogan died after suffering a heart attack on July 24 at his home in Clearwater, according to the Pinellas County medical examiner.
The coroner’s report indicated that Hogan had previously suffered from leukemia and atrial fibrillation, an irregular heart rhythm. His death was declared natural.
The church’s security and Largo police officers, including K-9 dogs, intensely patrolled the service. Anyone not on the guest list was denied access near signs indicating “Private Event”.
Governor Ron DeSantis ordered flags to fly at half-staff at all official buildings last Friday, a day he declared “Hulk Hogan Day in Florida”.
Hogan was perhaps the biggest star in the long history of wrestling, known as much for his flamboyant personality as for his feats in the ring. He was the main attraction of the first WrestleMania in 1985 and was a constant figure for years, facing everyone from Andre The Giant and Randy Savage 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”
