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The world lost an icon in the form of “The Immortal” Hulk Hogan, real name Terry Bollea, on Thursday, July 24, leaving not only the entire community of professional wrestling but also the pop culture landscape in a somber mood. Just a day later, on the newest episode of SmackDown from the Rocket Arena in Cleveland, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) remembered Hulk Hogan with a 10-bell salute in his honor at the beginning of the show.
WWE SmackDown kicked off with the entire roster and legends standing on the entrance stage before Paul Levesque aka Triple H, the Chief Content Officer (COO), addressed the life and legacy of Hulk Hogan. Triple H spoke about how the world of pro-wrestling lost a globally-recognized icon, whom he grew up watching and shared a ring with him apart from getting the honor to call him a friend.
He also stated if it wasn’t for Hulk Hogan, the world of pro-wrestling wouldn’t have touched the heights it’s currently reached apart from pointing out how he captivated millions of people and inspired generations. Following that, Triple H commenced the 10-bell salute in the honor of Hulk Hogan before a memorial video package in his memory, narrated by the WWE COO himself, played on the titantron inside the arena.
Hulk Hogan wrestled The Rock in one of the greatest matches in WWE history at WrestleMania 18
The memorial video package showcased how Hulk Hogan came up from humble beginnings in Florida to reaching superstardom in the world of pro-wrestling, showcasing his peak in the 1980s with the Hulkamania in WWE before the second peak with the nWo in the WCW in the late 1990s. Hulk Hogan’s epic match with The Rock at WrestleMania 18 got featured along with his segment alongside Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock at WrestleMania 30 in 2014.
The lasting image of Hulk Hogan holding the banner “Hulkamania will live on forever”, culminated the memorial video package.
