Posthumous Tribute: The World Says Goodbye to Hulk Hogan
Largo, Florida – Dozens of people gathered Tuesday night for the funeral of legendary wrestler Hulk Hogan, who passed away last month at the age of 71.
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 died after suffering a heart attack on July 24 at his Clearwater home.
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 service featured a strong security presence from the church and Largo police officers, including K-9 units. Anyone not on the guest list was turned away near signs indicating “Private Event”.
Last Friday, Governor Ron DeSantis ordered flags to fly at half-staff on all official buildings, and declared “Hulk Hogan Day in Florida”.
Hogan was possibly the biggest star in WWE’s long history, 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 a constant figure for years, facing figures like André 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.
Brooke Hogan’s 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.
