Hulk Hogan Dismissed in Emotional Funeral Ceremony
Largo, Florida – A crowd gathered Tuesday night to say goodbye to the legendary wrestler Hulk Hogan, who passed away last month at the age of 71.
The private ceremony 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 previously suffered from leukemia and atrial fibrillation, an irregular heart rhythm. His death was ruled natural.
The security of the church and Largo police officers, including K-9 dogs, patrolled the event. Access was denied to anyone not on the guest list, visibly marked with signs indicating “Private Event”.
Former President Donald Trump shared a photo on his Truth Social platform where he is seen arm wrestling with Hogan, accompanying it with the message: “Today is the funeral of the ‘Hulkster’, and I thought everyone would like to see this photo.”
Governor Ron DeSantis ordered flags to be flown at half-staff at all official buildings last Friday, which was declared “Hulk Hogan Day in Florida”.
Hogan was perhaps the biggest star in WWE’s extensive history, recognized 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 a constant figure for years, facing legends 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, participating 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, honored 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 curated lens,” she wrote on Instagram.
