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WWE paid tribute to its late legendary wrestler Terry Gene Bolea, also known as 'Hulk Hogan', who passed away due to cardiac arrest on July 24, 2025 in Florida at the age of 71. Hogan broke into WWE in 1979, when it was known as WWF. Impressed by his huge physique, WWF Owner Vincent McMahon gave him the title 'Hogan'. His association with WWF lasted until 1981 but in 1983, he returned and this time, he became an instrumental figure in attracting spectators and viewers for the wrestling organisation. He also entered the WWE Hall of Fame twice (2005 and 2020).
Celebrating Hogan’s legacy, a large group of renowned WWE stars appeared on Monday Night RAW. WWE Chief Content Officer Paul Levesque also known as 'Triple H' elaborated the legend’s influence on wrestling. "We lost one of the biggest and most globally recognized icons in the world. A man I grew up watching was fortunate enough to share the ring with and like so many of us were honored to call a friend. He captivated millions of people and inspired them around the globe. We would not be standing here right now, all of us together, if it was not for him," said Levsque. Following Paul’s speech, the honorary 10-bell salute then rang and spectators in the crowd shouted the slogans of Hogan. Hogan's son, Nick, and friend and WCW collaborator Eric Bischoff were also present among the team who paid tribute to the iconic wrestler.
WWE Smackdown also paid tribute to Hulk Hogan
Earlier on July 25, WWE Smackdown remembered Hulk Hogan’s ineffable impact on wrestling with a tribute to his legacy. "WWE SmackDown touched down in Cleveland with SummerSlam on the horizon. Unfortunately, it's been a rough past 48 hours for the wrestling world after the loss of the iconic Hulk Hogan. Appropriately, WWE acknowledged the legend right from the start,” said Cody Rhodes.
Hogan retired from WWE in 2012 in a six-man tag contest. Allying with James Storm and Sting for that game, he squared off against the trio of Bobby Roode, Bully Ray, and Kurt Angle.
