WWE stars past and present paid their respects to Hulk Hogan on Friday night following his tragic death at the age of 71.
Widely regarded as the greatest wrestler of all time, Hogan sadly died on Thursday morning due to a cardiac arrest at his residence in Clearwater, Florida.
The death of the American icon has sent ripples around the world, with President Donald Trump, a close friend, leading the heartfelt tributes following the devastating news.
Wrestling legend Triple H, currently serving as the company’s chief content officer, honored his former colleague, culminating in a traditional 10-bell salute held in Hogan’s memory.
‘Ladies and gentleman, yesterday we lost one of the biggest and most globally recognized icons in the world,’ said Triple H, whose real name is Paul Levesque.
WWE stars past and present paid their respects to Hulk Hogan on Friday night after his death
Hogan, considered by many as the greatest wrestler in history, died Thursday at the age of 71
‘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.
‘The truth is, 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.
‘So please help us honor him now as we give a 10-bell salute to Terry Bollea – the one and the only, the immortal Hulk Hogan.’
A number of WWE figures looked visibly emotional as the 10-bell salute played out, including his former manager Jimmy Hart, who was seen wiping away tears.
The likes of Randy Orton, Logan Paul, Charlotte Flair and Cody Rhodes were also seen paying their respects to Hogan on the stage.
SmackDown then ran a heartwarming montage of Hogan’s greatest WWE moments, which featured some touching words from a number of his fellow wrestlers.
Hart, a WWE Hall of Famer who once served as Hogan’s manager, revealed earlier on Friday that he tried to call his close friend the night before his tragic death.
On Wednesday, he rang Hogan but spoke only to his assistant. Hart, 81, was told that the wrestling legend was ‘doing great’. ‘Well, tell him I love him,’ he told Hogan’s assistant.
Triple H (right), whose real name is Paul Levesque, led the tribute to Hogan on SmackDown
Logan Paul (second from right) was among the current WWE stars who paid their respects
Hogan’s former manager and friend Jimmy Hart was seen wiping away the tears on the night
Hart revealed earlier on Friday that he called Hogan just hours before the wrestling icon died
‘And then Thursday morning is when everything took place,’ he told PEOPLE. ‘So just overnight it all happened, but it was so positive the day before.’
Hogan and Hart also used to do karaoke with the former’s son, Nick, on Monday nights at the family’s bar, Hogan’s Hangout, in Clearwater, Florida.
Remembering their last meeting, Hart said: ‘He was great… he had great food to eat that night. He was talking with the fans. He was just phenomenal.’
But they did not see each other between Hogan’s neck surgery and his death on Thursday.
‘It just hits so fast,’ Hart told People. ‘It was like, “Oh my God.” We thought he was doing so well.
‘We didn’t go to see him at the house and at the hospital, because we wanted to make sure that he didn’t get any infections or anything else.’
