Hulk Hogan’s son, Nick Hogan, attended a somber WWE tribute to the late wrestling icon.
Nick, 35, was among the dozens of people standing onstage as WWE Raw opened with a 10-bell salute to Hulk on Monday, July 28, four days after the wrestling legend’s death at the age of 71. The crowd roared and chanted “Hulk!” while a Jumbotron flashed images of the wrestler during his WWE glory days.
“Ladies and gentleman, we lost one of the biggest and most globally recognized icons in the world,” intoned a recording of the booming voice of WWE executive Paul Michael Levesque, who formerly wrestled under the stage name Triple H. “A man I grew up watching, was fortunate enough to share the ring with, and like so many of us [was] honored to call a friend.”
He continued, “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.”
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During Levesque’s speech, Nick stood in the front row with wife Tana Lea, who held on to his arm. Nick donned a black suit and an emotional expression; at one point, he and Lea, 37, looked skyward, their eyes wet with tears.
Nick broke his silence on his father’s death earlier this week.
“Thank you to everyone who has reached out to me and comforted me over the last few days. It truly means a lot,” he wrote in a Saturday, July 26 Instagram post, one day after Hulk’s passing. “I’m sorry to everyone I have not responded to yet. This has been overwhelming and extremely difficult. Hearing so many kind words and stories about my dad’s life, interactions and experiences with everyone has been incredible and comforting.”
Alongside the message, Nick shared several heartfelt photos of him with Hulk, including one where the wrestler wrapped his arms around his son.
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“My dad was the most incredible person I’ve ever known and will always be my hero. He was the most kind, loving and amazing father anybody could ask for,” Nick added. “I feel so blessed to have had the greatest dad in the world. He was not only the best dad but also my mentor and my best friend.”
News broke on Thursday, July 24, that Hulk had suffered cardiac arrest at his Florida home and was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
A source exclusively told Us Weekly that Hulk and his son were “very close” despite the Hogan family’s estrangement. (Hulk shared Nick and daughter Brooke with ex-wife Linda Hogan, to whom he was married from 1983 to 2009.)
“Nick got married recently and lives down in Florida near his dad,” an insider close to the family shared. “They got on great — it was a solid father-son relationship.”
