Tag: hulk hogan news

Update on Hulk Hogan’s will, $5 million in assets listed

Posted on by Joseph Currier

A new report has emerged detailing who will benefit from Hulk Hogan’s estate.

US Weekly reports that, in court documents filed this week, Hogan’s son Nick is listed as the sole beneficiary of Hogan’s estate and Hogan’s wife Sky Daily is listed as the surviving spouse. Brooke Hogan, who asked to be removed from her father’s will in 2023, is not a beneficiary.

There are approximately $5 million in assets listed, along with money that could potentially come from a medical malpractice lawsuit that Daily is planning.

“The paperwork shows Hulk left behind $200,000 in cryptocurrency, $799,000 in personal property and intellectual property, and in addition to his right to publicity, worth $4 million and an unknown value for a potential medical malpractice lawsuit,” US Weekly wrote.

In the court documents, Nick requested to be named as co-personal representative of the estate along with Hogan’s lawyer Terry McCoy. Nick also is asking for McCoy to be named curator of the estate.

The documents say Hogan’s will was first executed in 2016 and then was amended four times over the years, most recently in 2023.

Hogan passed away at 71 years old in July following complications from neck surgery. That surgery — where Hogan’s phrenic nerve was said to have been “compromised” — is at the center of the medical malpractice lawsuit that is being considered.

In another legal matter, Nick Hogan has filed suit against radio host Bubba the Love Sponge over a soon-to-be-released documentary regarding Hulk Hogan’s sex tape scandal and the impact it had on Bubba’s life and career. That documentary had a screening in Florida this week with Brooke Hogan in attendance.

Brooke Hogan explains why she didn’t attend Hulk Hogan’s funeral

Posted on by Joseph Currier

On the day of Hulk Hogan’s funeral, Brooke Hogan chose to honor her father in a more private way.

Hogan’s funeral took place in his home city of Clearwater, Florida on Tuesday. Vince McMahon, Paul “Triple H” Levesque, Stephanie McMahon, Ric Flair, Kid Rock, Hogan’s wife Sky Daily, and his ex-wife Linda Hogan were among the people who were there. Brooke did not attend, instead honoring her father with a visit to the beach.

The beach was a place Hogan loved, and he passed that love of the ocean down to Brooke. She now hopes to pass it down to her own children. Brooke shared photos on Instagram with her husband Steven Oleksy and their twins Molly and Oliver at the beach honoring Hogan.

“My father hated the morbidity of funerals. He didn’t want one,” she wrote. “And although I know people grieve in many ways – and I’m so grateful for all celebrations and events organized to honor him, as his daughter, I had to make my own decision to honor him the best and most genuine way I knew how…privately…the way that made me feel the closest to him. The only thing missing today was him in is pop up lawn chair watching the waves… and the sunset.

“Daddy, we honored you in the simplest way that agreed with my soul. We took our babies to the beach, and put them in the same salty waters you loved. Molly loved the water. I think she’ll be a ‘little fish’ as you called me. We love you and honor the things that made you so special. Every grain of sand and every wave reminded me of being your beach baby, and brought us closer to you. I pray you are at peace and know how dearly I love you. Rest in heaven, Daddy.”

Brooke also did not attend WWE’s televised tributes to Hogan, which Brooke says she was not invited to. She and her father were estranged at the time of his death, but Brooke expressed that she always loved Hogan despite their strained relationship. The last time they spoke was in 2023.

While appearing on the Bubba the Love Sponge Show on Tuesday morning, Brooke discussed her father’s passing and explained why she chose to be removed from his will, citing fear of Hogan’s wife’s connection to Scientology as one of the reasons that she didn’t want to be involved in a fight over his estate.

Hogan died at 71 years old on July 24 with a heart attack being ruled as the official cause of death. He had been experiencing complications from a neck surgery that he underwent in May.

Brooke Hogan: Fear of Scientology contributed to removal from father’s will

Posted on by Joseph Currier

On Tuesday morning, Brooke Hogan phoned up the Bubba the Love Sponge Show to discuss the passing of her father.

The hour-long conversation included Brooke explaining why she made the decision to be removed from Hulk Hogan’s will. Brooke and her father had not spoken in two years and were estranged at the time of his death. TMZ reported that, in 2023, Brooke asked to be removed from Hogan’s will because she didn’t want to get caught up in the financial battle that would ensue after he passed.

Brooke told Bubba the Love Sponge that she has no problems with Hogan’s third wife Sky Daily, but Daily being a former Scientologist contributed to Brooke not wanting to be involved in the battle over her father’s estate. Fighting a powerful group like Scientology is not something Brooke wanted, especially because she has a great husband and children and did not want to put them at risk.

In addition to that, Brooke did not want to fight her estranged mother Linda over money.

“Money didn’t matter,” Brooke said. “I was like, ‘Take me off everything.’ And I was sobbing, I was sobbing when I wrote the text to Terry McCoy — the guy that manages his money — I was sobbing and I just said, ‘Take me off everything, I just — I don’t want to be a part of it.’ Because I knew, in my mind, this is how the math was going to work out. If Sky is a Scientologist, which apparently she’s still in good standing but she says she left. It’s not for me to judge. She was always nice to me. I have no problem with Sky. But if she was a Scientologist, I know that that’s a very powerful backing.

“And then I thought, oh my God, if I get left any money or [her brother] Nick gets left any money, no offense, but my mom has been known to kind of find herself in the mix with things like that. And I’m like, I don’t want to fight Linda. I don’t want to fight Scientology. I don’t want somebody that I love to get knocked off. I don’t know how deep this stuff goes. It scared me. And I just said, ‘I want out.'”

While she did not have personal problems with Daily, Brooke urged her father only to date her and not get married due to the Scientology connection.

Brooke won’t benefit from Hogan’s will, but she will receive some money from a small life insurance trust that she plans to put toward her kids’ college funds. Though she hopes her father’s legacy is properly maintained, she expressed distrust toward some of the (unnamed) business partners Hogan had been working with.

“And I hope that my dad — and it was never about money — I had hoped that my dad at least trusted me with his IP, like his intellectual property and his trademarks and stuff,” she said. “Because like I said, I would have done the right thing and upheld his — I would have made him an Elvis legacy, or a Marilyn Monroe legacy, or a Selena legacy. And I hope that whoever has his marks does that. I just know that the people around him are pretty shady and not in his best interest.”

Brooke is married to former NHL player Steven Oleksy, with the couple welcoming twin children into the world this January. Brooke confirmed that, when she got married in 2022, her father refused to walk her down the aisle because he doesn’t do weddings or funerals and it’s hard to get him to leave the beach.

Despite their estrangement, Brooke said she’s trying to remember the good times with her father while processing all they went through. Hogan passed away due to a heart attack at 71 years old on July 24, with his death coming after complications from neck surgery.

Brooke’s full Bubba the Love Sponge appearance can be heard below:

Jimmy Hart: Hulk Hogan was ‘devastated’ by booing for final WWE appearance

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Hulk Hogan was “devastated” by the booing he received in his final WWE appearance.

In what ended up being his last time on WWE television before passing away, Hogan was featured on Raw’s Netflix premiere this January, promoting his Real American Beer brand. Hogan was booed by the Los Angeles crowd that night during a brief segment where he appeared alongside Jimmy Hart.

Hart, Hogan’s friend and long-time road manager, paid tribute to Hogan on a new episode of Stories with Brisco and Bradshaw. He opened up about the Netflix premiere, saying that Hogan was affected by the response he received.

Hart was not shocked by the booing and attributed it to Hogan’s support of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, with Hogan having been prominently featured as a speaker at the 2024 Republican National Convention.

“It’s kind of a mixed reaction, but it’s a little bit more boos than anything. But that devastated him. And we got in the back and he said, ‘What do you think happened? I said, ‘Hulk, it’s simple — blue state, red state, [Hogan’s support of] Trump/Vance.’ I mean, really, I said, ‘I’m okay with it.’ He goes, ‘What do you think?’ I said, ‘I’m okay. I felt like I was managing the Hart Foundation against the British Bulldogs or the Killer Bees or somebody,” Hart said.

“But that bothered him because of that. And I said, well, surely people are going to realize what that was for. So the next week we’re in Texas [to promote Real American Beer] and it’s all cheers, you know? But that always bothered him. It sure did.”

Hart said he’s personally not a Democrat or Republican and did not go to the Republican convention with Hogan.

“I’m not a Democrat or a Republican, I’m just a jabroni,” Hart said. “Hulk knew that, okay? So I didn’t go with him to the Republican convention or anything — not because I wanted to hide or wasn’t for Trump or wasn’t for Biden or anybody. I’m just, like I said, a jabroni.”

While appearing on The Pat McAfee Show in February, Hogan discussed the booing he received from the Raw crowd, admitting that the personal scandals from his past may have played a part as well.

“Yeah, of course,” Hogan said. “You do slip and fall a couple times.”

Hogan’s official cause of death was confirmed today with the Pinellas County Forensic Science Center saying that he died of a heart attack. He passed away at 71 years old on July 24 following complications from a surgery that he underwent in May.

WWE has paid tribute to Hogan with 10-bell salutes on SmackDown, Raw, and NXT following his death.

Hulk Hogan’s official cause of death revealed

Posted on by Joseph Currier

One week after his passing, Hulk Hogan’s official cause of death has been disclosed.

Page Six reports that, per the Pinellas County Forensic Science Center, Hogan’s death was caused by a heart attack (acute myocardial infarction). The medical examiner’s report says Hogan (Terry Bollea) had a history of AFib (atrial fibrillation), a condition where your heart does not beat regularly.

The medical records also showed that Hogan had a history of leukemia — news that was not made public while Hogan was alive.

“Per the records, the former WWE superstar also had a history of leukemia CLL, a type of cancer that affects white blood cells called lymphocytes,” Page Six wrote. “It does not appear that it was public knowledge that Hogan, born Terry Bollea, had ever battled cancer.”

Hogan, 71, passed away at his home in Clearwater, Florida on July 24 after experiencing weeks of complications following a May surgery. He was in and out of the hospital in the weeks preceding his death.

WWE honored Hogan with 10-bell salutes taking place on SmackDown, Raw, and NXT after his passing.

Triple H talks two-night SummerSlam, possible Hulk Hogan tribute

Posted on by Joseph Currier

While appearing on WFAN Radio in New York City this week, Paul “Triple H” Levesque explained WWE’s decision to make SummerSlam a two-night event.

SummerSlam will take place across two nights for the first time ever as MetLife Stadium in New Jersey hosts the show this Saturday and Sunday. Levesque told WFAN that WWE has been successful with two-night WrestleManias, and he believes the demand is there for SummerSlam as well. He said business is going “incredibly well” for this PLE.

“It creates a destination event. So if you are a WWE fan, if you’re a sports entertainment fan, man, it’s the ultimate,” Levesque said. “You come in, you’re there for that whole weekend and everything you do, everything you see, when we say we come in and we take over, that New York, New Jersey area will just be WWE central.

“And if you’re a fan, there’s nothing like it. It’s going to Disney for pro wrestling. It’s worked for us at WrestleMania, it’ll work for us at SummerSlam. It’s going incredibly well. You know, the business is there, so let’s take it.”

SummerSlam will again be two nights in 2026 with the show set for U.S. Bank Stadium in Minnesota.

This year’s event is taking place not long after the passing of wrestling icon Hulk Hogan. WWE has already paid tribute to Hogan with 10-bell salutes on SmackDown, Raw, and NXT. WFAN asked Levesque if they are planning any further tributes to Hogan for SummerSlam.

“We’re working through the show now,” Levesque responded. “And it comes down to finding the right mix — and I think you just mentioned it a second ago as I was getting mic’d up here, right? Like, what is the right level of respect? Obviously you cannot tribute enough as his accomplishments in WWE or in wrestling in general — I mean, you could make the argument that none of us would be here in this industry without him, the rise of Hulk Hogan in the 80s, really catapulting the business to another level.

“So, you know — but there’s not without its controversy. So we want to be aware of that and we’re making those decisions in real time, I think just like everybody else is.”

Ben Affleck & Matt Damon Hulk Hogan movie no longer in development

Posted on by Joseph Currier

A Hulk Hogan-related project that Hollywood stars Ben Affleck & Matt Damon were once planning is no longer in development.

In 2024, it was revealed that Affleck & Damon’s production had acquired the script for a movie called “Killing Gawker” that would have focused on Hogan’s legal battle against Gawker after the website published a leak sex tape of him. TMZ reports that the movie is no longer happening, though, with the decision being made well before Hogan’s death.

“Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ [that] Artists Equity isn’t moving forward with the project, which hasn’t been in development for some time,” TMZ wrote. “We’re told the decision was made a while ago — long before Hulk’s passing — so, the two aren’t related to it whatsoever. It’s unclear why they decided to pull the plug on the film.”

Hogan was not involved with the project and was reportedly “indifferent” toward it — though he threatened to sue if the movie went too far in violating his privacy.

The sex tape was published by Gawker in 2012 and included footage of Hogan with Heather Clem, who was the wife of Hogan’s friend Bubba the Love Sponge (a radio host) at the time. Billionaire Peter Thiel backed Hogan’s lawsuit against Gawker, which was settled in 2016 and led to the website shutting down.

The leaked tape also featured Hogan’s racist remarks that, when made public, led to him being removed from the WWE Hall of Fame from 2015-2018. Those remarks were reported on by the National Enquirer and Radar Online, not Gawker.

While the Affleck & Damon project is not moving forward, Netflix is reportedly planning a Hogan docuseries that has been in the works since 2024. The wrestling legend passed away of cardiac arrest at 71 years old last week after experiencing complications from a May surgery.

Brooke Hogan says she was not invited to WWE’s Hulk Hogan tributes

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Brooke Hogan says she was not invited to attend the tributes that WWE has held for her father over the past week.

Since Hulk Hogan’s passing at 71 years old last Thursday, each episode of WWE television — SmackDown, Raw, and NXT — has opened with a 10-bell salute honoring the wrestling legend. Hogan’s son Nick was in attendance for Monday’s tribute, with other legends and friends of Hogan also being flown in for Friday and Monday’s shows.

Brooke explained her absence from the tributes in a post to her Instagram stories today.

“For those of you giving me crap for not attending my Dad’s tributes, @wwe did not extend an invite,” she wrote.

Though Brooke had been estranged from her father since 2023, she wrote a statement yesterday expressing her love for him and saying that — despite not talking — their bond never truly broke. Brooke said their falling out happened as they became disconnected from each other through respectful disagreements where Hulk confided in her about issues — both personal and business-related — that were weighing on him.

The last time Brooke spoke with her father was shortly before he got married to his third wife Sky Daily in September 2023, with TMZ reporting that Brooke is thankful that she got to tell her father “I love you” during that conversation.

TMZ also reports that Brooke asked to be removed from Hogan’s will in 2023, and she will not be receiving money from his estate. Brooke will receive some money from a “small life insurance trust” that she plans to put toward her kids’ college funds.

“Sources close to Brooke tell TMZ that in 2023, she asked to be removed from Hulk’s will … because she didn’t trust a single person around him, and didn’t want to get caught up in a financial battle when he passed,” TMZ wrote.

“We’re told all Brooke ever really wanted was to protect her dad from people she felt were taking advantage of him … but after years of disagreeing with Hulk over the matter, she reached out to his financial manager and had herself removed from the will.”

Brooke Hogan breaks silence on death of father Hulk Hogan

Posted on by Joseph Currier

In a lengthy Instagram post today, Brooke Hogan gave her first public comments on the passing of her father.

TMZ reported last week Brooke had been estranged from Hulk Hogan for nearly two years prior to his death, but Brooke was grateful that she got to tell her father “I love you” one last time during their final conversation in 2023. That conversation took place shortly before Hogan’s marriage to his third wife Sky Daily.

“Our sources say the last time they spoke was two weeks before Hulk married Sky Daily in September 2023,” TMZ said. “During that final phone call, we’re told Brooke expressed deep love and concern for her father, telling him she didn’t think he should still be working so hard given his declining health.”

Brooke said in today’s statement that, despite the estrangement, her bond with Hulk (Terry Bollea) never broke. When Hogan died at 71 years old last Thursday, Brooke felt like a part of her spirit left the world with him. She claimed to even have felt his death before finding out the news.

The estrangement was not due to a “big fight” between her and her father, Brooke says. It was instead a slower process where they became disconnected from each other through respectful disagreements as Hulk confided in her about issues that were weighing on him. Those issues were both personal and business-related.

“I begged him to rest, to take care of himself. He had nothing else to prove to the world or anyone,” she wrote. “My husband and I moved down to Florida to be near him. He was getting older. I wanted to be there as much as possible. We had been through almost 25 surgeries together, and then all of a sudden he didn’t want me at surgeries.

“Everything started getting covered in a thick veil. It was like there was a force field around him that I couldn’t get through. He was telling me these things, being so vulnerable with me and heard my pleas, then suddenly something shifted, and he made a choice to walk the path that clearly tore at his spirit. I felt a disconnect. What followed were respectful disagreements that took an emotional toll on me.”

Brooke says she stepped away from the relationship to protect her heart, but she’s at peace knowing her father was aware how much she loved him. She confirmed that one of her twins — a daughter named Molly Gene — is named in tribute to Hulk (whose middle name was Gene).

“I know in my heart I did everything I could,” Brooke wrote. “He knew I would run through a burning building for him. And in many ways, along the path of life, I did. He knows how deeply, how hard and how purely I loved him. I am at peace knowing this.”

Brooke and the rest of her family were featured on the VH1 reality show “Hogan Knows Best” in the mid-2000s, with Brooke also working alongside her father in TNA Wrestling.

Though she did not attend either of WWE’s tributes to her father, Brooke expressed appreciation for all of the memorials that have been held and love that has been shown. Her brother Nick was there for the tribute that opened last night’s episode of WWE Raw.

Brook’s full statement can be read below:

My dad’s blood runs through my veins. His eyes shine through my children. And our bond has never broken, not even in his final moments. We had a connection deeper than words, one that spanned lifetimes. I am so grateful I knew the real version of him. Not just the one the world viewed through a carefully curated lens. We shared a quiet, sacred bond, one that could be seen and felt by anyone who witnessed us together. When he left this earth, it felt like part of my spirit left with him. I felt it before the news even reached us.

He used to remind me, ‘All of this is temporary and I’ll always find my way back to you.’ I truly believe that — we will find each other in every lifetime. I know he’s at peace now, out of pain, and in a place as beautiful as he imagined. He used to speak about this moment with such wonder and hope. Like meeting God was the greatest championship he’d ever have.

I will remember watching him build my Barbie dream houses, our jet ski rides, laughing till we cried when no one else got the joke, the way he gave me a love and respect for the ocean, the beach, sunsets, and the beauty God painted into this life. His hugs were my home. Wrapping my arms around his big frame always made me feel like his little girl, even as I grew up. I’ll never forget his scent. I swear when I hold my sweet Molly Gene, named after him, she smells just like him sometimes. I feel his presence in my children. He lives through me, and through them. The greatest gift a father could ever give — A love that goes on… long after we’re gone.

But the world he left behind is different than we had imagined. The media has been convoluting the narrative and I feel it necessary to clear a few things up.

We never had a ‘big fight.’ My father and I never ‘fought.’ It was a series of private phone calls no one will ever hear, know, or understand. My father was confiding in me about issues weighing on his heart, both personal and business. I offered to be a life raft in whatever capacity he needed. I told him he had my support. I begged him to rest, to take care of himself. He had nothing else to prove to the world or anyone. My husband and I moved down to Florida to be near him. He was getting older. I wanted to be there as much as possible. We had been through almost 25 surgeries together, and then all of a sudden he didn’t want me at surgeries… everything started getting covered in a thick veil. It was like there was a force field around him that I couldn’t get through.

He was telling me these things, being so vulnerable with me and heard my pleas, then suddenly something shifted, and he made a choice to walk the path that clearly tore at his spirit. I felt a disconnect. What followed were respectful disagreements that took an emotional toll on me. You have to imagine, along with this, everybody inserts their opinion, never really knowing the truth or walking in our shoes. I also got pregnant with our twins shortly after, and had a very complicated and scary c section with a hard recovery. I actually feel it was my daddy’s thick Bollea blood that kept me alive to be honest.

Prior to this, I was by my father’s side for nearly every surgery. I knew his medical history like a roadmap. When I heard about the valve surgery, which was in a conversation I was part of with his doctors a few years back, I had my husband send over detailed notes from past hospital stays. I knew, deeply, what that procedure meant-it was a final option, one that might buy time, but not much more.

During the last two years, I had to step away to protect my heart. My husband stayed open, quietly reaching out to my dad without me knowing, trying to find a safe way back in for me. After my father passed, I read those messages, some answered, some ignored… but all of them broke my heart.

In the end, he continued to be a financial success for many. This was the last thing I wanted for him — he’s been working and tearing his body apart his entire life.

I know in my heart I did everything I could. He knew I would run through a burning building for him. And in many ways, along the path of life, I did. He knows how deeply, how hard and how purely I loved him. I am at peace knowing this.

All I ever truly wanted from my father was love, honesty, and a deep connection. And for a few special years, I had that — with memories that will last a lifetime.

My world is forever changed. But I’m deeply blessed with a loving husband and two beautiful children who remind me every day of life’s greatest gifts.

I’m deeply grateful for the love, tributes, and memorials from his fans and friends. His life was one worth celebrating — and always will be.

Brooke also shared a video today with some pictures of her and her father together throughout his life:

Sting remembers Hulk Hogan: He brought me up to ‘new levels’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Over the weekend, Sting remembered his late friend Hulk Hogan while making an appearance for Big Time Wrestling in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Sting signed autographs and took photos with fans at Truist Field in Charlotte on Friday night. He also took a moment to pay tribute to Hogan, who passed away of cardiac arrest the day prior after experiencing weeks of complications from neck surgery.

“I loved Hulk Hogan. I still love him. I’m going to miss him,” Sting said at the Big Time Wrestling event. “He was a contributor to the wrestling industry as a whole like no one else. He brought everyone else up to new levels, he brought Sting up to new levels. Sting-Hogan, we broke attendance records all over the United States, here in Charlotte. We had buyrate, pay-per-view rates, record-breaking there with pay-per-views. Nintendo games, remember those, right? Nintendo 64, unbelievable.”

Sting and Hogan were rivals following Hogan’s 1996 heel turn, and they headlined Starrcade 1997 against each other in a match that both exemplified the highs of WCW and why the promotion ultimately lost the Monday Night War. Sting recalled that, when Hogan was first brought into WCW, there were people who asked him if he felt like management was having him step aside so Hogan could take the spotlight.

“I said, ‘No, I don’t feel like that at all. I feel like we have the king of kings here. I mean, Hulk Hogan, he is going to help put butts in seats, we’re all going to make more money, we’re all going to get better ratings. It’s going to be good all the way around.’ You look at what he did, he transcended wrestling,” Sting said. “No one else ever did. He was the first.”

Hogan has left behind a legacy of extreme highs and lows, including a racism scandal that saw him removed from the WWE Hall of Fame from 2015-2018. Sting did not address that but — from their personal interactions — remembered Hogan as a person who cared about people.

“He really did care for others. He cared for me,” Sting said. “He lifted me up, he lifted WCW up. I’m grateful to have known him. And I just couldn’t not acknowledge Hulk Hogan tonight in Charlotte, North Carolina.”

Sting, who remains under a licensing contract with AEW, retired from the ring in March 2024 and is currently on a “2025 or Never” tour of convention appearances that will last through the end of the year. He will still make appearances after 2025 but will no longer be doing so in the full Sting costume.

WWE SmackDown ratings up for Hulk Hogan tribute

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Friday night’s WWE SmackDown episode — featuring a tribute to Hulk Hogan the day after his passing — averaged 1.707 million viewers on USA Network. That’s up 10.4 percent from the previous week and is the best audience total for the show since April 18, which was the night before WrestleMania.

In the 18-49 demo, SmackDown topped all of television with a 0.48 rating. The number is up 6.7 percent from last week and is the highest rating the show has done in that category since April 25, the post-Mania SmackDown.

There was no major sports competition on the night, and SmackDown nearly doubled the next highest-rated show in the key demo, (Celebrity Jeopardy on ABC). SmackDown finished ninth on TV in terms of total viewers in prime time.

As compared to the same week in 2024, when the show still aired on Fox, SmackDown’s overall viewership was down 17.1 percent while the 18-49 rating was down 7.7 percent. The year-over-year numbers are much closer than they have been in any week since the move from Fox back to cable.

Listed below are the last 11 weeks of viewership numbers and 18-49 demo ratings for SmackDown, as well as the 10-week average in both categories. This week’s show was up 22.2 percent in viewers and 26.3 percent in 18-49 as compared to the recent averages.

Ric Flair gives health update: ‘I don’t have an ache or pain in my body’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Despite the serious health issues he’s battled recently, Ric Flair is feeling good physically.

The 76-year-old Flair was a guest on The Ariel Helwani Show on Monday, discussing the passing of his friend and fellow wrestling icon Hulk Hogan. Flair also spoke about his own health issues that he’s faced.

“Here I am, I’m five years older than Hulk and I don’t hurt at all,” Flair said. “I’ve had some serious health issues, but I don’t have an ache or pain in my body. And it bothers me and of course it gives me anxiety that I could be next [laughs]. So I’m glad anytime I can talk about how great Hulk is and spend time talking about his life, his legacy with you guys. I’m honored.”

In June, Flair went public with the news that he was battling skin cancer for the second time in just three years. He shared a positive update last week announcing that he’s “now cancer-free.” Flair told Helwani that he feels great after skin cancer treatment.

Flair and Hogan were the two defining wrestling stars of their era and spent time together in WWE, WCW, and TNA. During his appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Flair said he last saw Hogan two weeks ago in a FaceTime call. He knew Hogan was having health issues but didn’t think they were as serious as was being rumored. Flair said he spoke to Jimmy Hart the day before Hogan’s death and things seemed to be fine.

“I think he just got tired,” Flair said about Hogan. “I mean, 11 back operations, hip replacements, now a neck surgery. I mean, how much can your body take, you know? We’ve all put ourselves in ridiculous positions in the business.”

Hogan (Terry Bollea) died at 71 years old on July 24 after experiencing complications from a May neck surgery. When asked how he’d like for Hogan to be remembered, Flair praised him as a generous person and the biggest star in the history of the business.

Jimmy Hart says Hulk Hogan’s health situation was ‘so positive’ night before death

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Jimmy Hart claims that things were looking up for Hulk Hogan in his health battle before taking a sharp turn at the end.

Last Tuesday, Hart posted that Hogan was doing “phenomenal” despite rumors that he was in grave condition. The 71-year-old Hogan had battled complications from neck surgery for weeks before passing away of cardiac arrest on July 24.

Hart — Hogan’s friend and real-life road manager — tells People that he spoke to Hogan’s camp the night before the wrestling legend’s death and was told that everything was going well. Hart told Hogan’s assistant to pass on a message to Hogan saying that he loved him.

“I called [Hogan] on Wednesday night, and then Thursday morning is when everything took place,” Hart said. “So just…just overnight it all happened, but it was so positive the day before.”

During Hogan’s health battle, he was in and out of the hospital. Hart notes that he was not able to visit his friend because they were trying to protect Hogan from infection.

“It just hits so fast,” Hart said. “It was like, ‘Oh my God.’ We thought he was doing so well, you know? We didn’t go to see him at the house and didn’t go to see him at the hospital, because we wanted to make sure that he didn’t get any infections or anything else, like if anybody had a cold or brought anything in. So, that’s what we all did.”

The last time Hart saw Hogan in person was prior to his surgery, when Hart says Hogan was doing great as they interacted with fans.

“Hart, 81, last saw Hogan about a month ago, before the WWE star had neck surgery,” People wrote. “Before then, Hart said he watched wrestling with Hogan three times a week most weeks on Monday, Tuesdays and Fridays, and the friends also did karaoke together with Hogan’s son Nick Hogan on Monday nights at the family’s Hogan’s Hangout bar in Clearwater, Fla.”

WWE paid tribute to Hogan on SmackDown last Friday with Hart among the legends who attended the show. “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase, Sgt. Slaughter, Jim Duggan, Gerald Brisco, and Brian Blair were also at SmackDown for the tribute.

NJPW holds ceremony honoring Hulk Hogan

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Shortly after WWE’s tribute to Hulk Hogan on SmackDown, another promotion on the other side of the world honored him with their own 10-bell salute.

NJPW — where Hogan was a superstar in the 1980s along with the success he had in the United States — held a memorial ceremony for Hogan prior to the start of Saturday’s G1 Climax event in Tokyo. Company president Hiroshi Tanahashi and former referee Tiger Hattori stood in the ring with a picture honoring Hogan. The roster surrounded them at ringside for a 10-bell salute.

Backstage, Hattori spoke about his history with Hogan — which dates back to before Hogan even entered the wrestling business.

“Personally, I can’t believe it. It was too soon, to be honest,” Hattori said about Hogan’s death. “Before he became a professional wrestler, I lived in Tampa, Florida for 17 years, and Hogan’s mother happened to live near my house. So I was about 17 when I first met him. I was in my second year of high school or something like that.

“So I was teaching amateur wrestling at Hiro Matsuda’s gym. He came there as a student, but after about six months he broke his leg. I thought he had disappeared, but then he started coming back. After a while he went to Georgia to make his debut, and then he came back to his hometown of Tampa.”

Hattori remembered Hogan as a wrestler he had a lot of respect for.

“He was definitely outstanding, more than your average wrestler. He was big in size, but I don’t know, I think he was just a little different,” Hattori said. “He had such great success so it’s sad that he passed away so early, but I have a lot of respect for him as a professional wrestler.

“I bet he’s up there again wrestling in heaven. We’ve lost a truly wonderful person. I hope we’ll see another wrestler like him. I want to say thank you for all the great times we had.”

Hogan first wrestled for NJPW in 1980 and competed for the promotion until 1985 before returning in the early 1990s. He returned again in 2003 for his final NJPW match, facing Masahiro Chono.

The 71-year-old Hogan died on July 24 of cardiac arrest after weeks of complications stemming from a neck fusion surgery.

WWE SmackDown live results: Hulk Hogan tribute

Posted on by Marc Quill

With SummerSlam fast approaching, Cody Rhodes will appear tonight on WWE SmackDown inside Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. He’ll continue the build to his upcoming Undisputed WWE Championship street fight against John Cena ahead of the August 2-3 PLE.

Rhodes made the match official during a contract signing last week after it turned into a brawl with Cena, who tried to back out of the SummerSlam match until Rhodes retaliated and put Cena through a table to send a message.

The Wyatt Sicks’ Dexter Lumis and Joe Gacy will have their first defense of the WWE Tag Team titles against Andrade and Rey Fenix, who won a fatal four-way bout on last week’s SmackDown to earn a shot on tonight’s show.

Alexa Bliss will be in action to take on Roxanne Perez, ahead of her and Charlotte Flair teaming up to take on Perez and Raquel Rodriguez for the Women’s Tag Team titles at SummerSlam. Last week, Bliss helped her partner Flair pick up the win against Rodriguez in singles action.

Randy Orton, Jelly Roll, Drew McIntyre, and Logan Paul are all scheduled for tonight’s show in advance of their tag match at SummerSlam.

WWE has also announced that tonight’s SmackDown will pay tribute to the late Hulk Hogan, who passed away yesterday at the age of 71. Several legends are expected to be in attendance.

Join us for live coverage starting at 8 p.m. Eastern time.

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Following the WWE signature open, we went inside to the Rocket Arena to see the entire SmackDown locker room stood on the stage, with a memorial graphic for Hulk Hogan. Paul “Triple H ” Levesque talked about Hogan’s legacy as he then asked for a ten-bell salute in Hogan’s memory. We then got a video tribute for Hogan’s career.

– Once we got back from the break, Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett briefly talked about Hogan some more before being interrupted by Logan Paul.

Logan Paul hosts live edition of Impaulsive TV

The so-called “Maverick” opened things with his Impaulsive TV set inside the ring. He asked why the Cleveland fans weren’t chanting for their hometown hero. Paul said that Cleveland did raise him, but it didn’t make him. In fact, he supposedly “made” Cleveland. Paul said that he and the crowd inside the Rocket Arena had nothing in common, because while he made it out, he didn’t. Paul talked about how tonight was about giving back to the community, by way of holding a special live edition of his Impaulsive TV show. Paul disparaged Jelly Roll for a bit before the man himself interrupted him.

Jelly said that the only thing Paul inspired was “little asshole kids filming themselves to be assholes”. He noted that Cleveland did not like Paul at all, as the Impaulsive TV host got him to shut up. Paul put himself and Drew McIntyre over as two of the most impressive stars in WWE right now. He asked Jelly Roll just who the hell he thinks he is. Jelly responded that he was the guy that was going to put Paul in a bodybag and ship him back to West Lake.

Jelly called Paul a “silver spoon kid” as he said that he was getting in the ring not just for himself, but for those who had been ever picked on by high school jocks. Jelly talked about how he was a WWE fan for his entire life, and how the company represented him and “every single one of us”. Jelly discussed how his story has inspired millions of millions of people as he called Paul “soft as Charmin” and a “Prime-peddling punk-ass bitch.”

Drew McIntyre entered the ring as he and Paul outnumbered Jelly Roll. At this point, Jelly said that he didn’t come alone as Randy Orton walked down the ramp to even the odds. Once Orton entered the ring, we got a fight right off the bat. McIntyre got the upper hand on Orton with a rake to the eye as he went after Jelly Roll. In the ring, McIntyre asked Paul to go after Jelly. Orton pulled McIntyre out of the ring, which allowed Jelly to fight back with elbows and a shoulder block.

Paul kicked Jelly in the midsection as he loaded up his fist for his signature punch. Jelly recovered and delivered a Black Hole Slam, which sent Paul scurrying.

I’ve been clear in the past about how how this feud wasn’t working for me at all, but I have to give some credit to Jelly Roll, as his work at the Performance Center has seemingly paid off. Other than that, the tag match at SummerSlam is still something I’m not looking forward to very much.

**********

– We got a video from Andrade & Rey Fenix discussing their chances against The Wyatt Sicks in their WWE Tag Team Championship match tonight.

Alexa Bliss (w/ Charlotte Flair) vs. Roxanne Perez (w/ Raquel Rodriguez)

Bliss went for consecutive early roll-ups on Perez,, to no avail. Perez slammed Bliss’s head down on the mat to gain a momentary advantage as she then slapped Bliss in the face. That seemed to anger Bliss, who threw Perez in the corner as the action spilled outside. Bliss dove onto Perez on the outside, as Charlotte Flair and Raquel Rodriguez stared one another down to take us to the break.

We returned with Bliss mounting a comeback on Perez as she unleashed her flurry of offense, topped off by a dropkick on the button. She blasted Perez with her flipping neckbreaker and lined up for the Sister Abigail DDT. Perez raked Bliss in the eye, which allowed Rodriguez to interfere with a strike to Bliss. Perez headed up top for the moonsault and connected. The cover, but Bliss kicked out as Flair threw Rodriguez over the timekeepers’ area.

Rodriguez recovered and kicked Flair in the face outside the ring. Bliss had Perez dead to rights with the Twisted Bliss, but she leapt outside to take out Rodriguez instead. As Bliss tried to enter the ring, Perez rolled her up and did the classic heel trick of holding the ropes for leverage to pick up the sneaky win.

Roxanne Perez def. Alexa Bliss via pinfall

A fine match and the cheating victory by Roxanne does make the “series” even between the SummerSlam opponents in singles action ahead of next week’s Women’s Tag Team Championship match.

**********

– After Cathy Kelley interviewed Jade Cargill, Chelsea Green appeared and talked trash about Cargill. Unbeknownst to Green, Cargill was behind her and attacked her as she dragged her to the ring and we got an impromptu match.

Jade Cargill vs. Chelsea Green

The match began before the break with Cargill hitting her pump kick on Green. As we resumed SmackDown, Cargill continued her dominance with splashes in the corner, followed by a one-handed chokeslam. On the apron, Alba Fyre provided a momentary distraction, which allowed Green to hit a jumping neckbreaker for a near-fall.

Green tried to deliver the Un-Pretty-Her, but Cargill reversed and finished this short match off with Jaded.

After the match, the Secret Her-vice pounced with the attack on Cargill until WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton ran in to make the save. The two SummerSlam opponents cleared the ring of Alba Fyre and Piper Niven in short order. We then got a tense staredown between Cargill and Stratton, as the latter held the WWE Women’s Title in her hands momentarily.

A short one, and likely meant to set up a tag match for Cargill and Stratton versus the Secret Her-vice next week on the go-home-to-SummerSlam edition of SmackDown.

Jade Cargill def. Chelsea Green via pinfall

**********

– Backstage, Charlotte Flair attempted to give words of encouragement to Alexa Bliss after her match. She stated that they could become true friends if they won the WWE Women’s Tag Titles at SummerSlam.

Cody Rhodes addresses SummerSlam and John Cena

With a new track jacket and the crowd’s cheers, Cody Rhodes walked down to the ring. He started by talking about how Hulk Hogan’s death elicited complicated emotions, but that his contributions to WWE and sports entertainment could not be ignored.

Rhodes shifted gears by discussing the violence that was to come at the Street Fight at SummerSlam. He said that doing the right thing sometimes don’t look like the right think and that what he did to John Cena last week was just a taste of what’s to come. Rhodes said that he didn’t want to the John Cena who is counting the days before he left, but he wanted to fight the “real” John Cena. That’s because Rhodes wanted to fight the very best to prove that he can be the very best. He dared Cena to come to his last SummerSlam like it is his first. Rhodes wanted all the “hustle, loyalty, and respect” so he and Cena could beat it out of each other.

The reason Rhodes wanted to fight against the “real” John Cena was because he wanted to know if that story that he was on was real, and that the only person who had the answer to that question was Cena himself. “I’ll see you next week,” said Rhodes to conclude his promo.

Just your standard Cody Rhodes promo to sell the SummerSlam match against John Cena, but he at least delivers these promos well and it helps build excitement ahead of next week.

**********

– Jacob Fatu addressed last week’s events that involved Solo Sikoa’s attempted frame-up of him. Fatu warned Sikoa that he was going to dogwalk his ass at SummerSlam inside the steel cage. The Miz walked up behind Fatu and claimed that he was the “main character” and he got himself a match against Fatu cleared tonight. Miz brazenly slapped Fatu across the face before he walked off.

– Aleister Black and Damian Priest traded barbs about one another in a video promo ahead of their showdown on next week’s SmackDown.

The Miz vs. Jacob Fatu

Fatu rocked Miz with his running spinning elbow as he lived up to his boast prior to this match and began to indeed “dogwalk” Miz early on. Miz avoided a running hip charge from Fatu, but couldn’t avoid a strike that left him stunned in the corner. Before Fatu could continue his charge, Solo Sikoa and his M.F.T.s walked down in unison, which allowed Miz to take charge with a blow to Fatu’s knees. Miz then jettisoned Fatu into the ring post, which sent him outside the ring. The M.F.T.s looked on at their fallen rival as we headed to a break in the action.

SmackDown returned from the break with Fatu fighting back against Miz, flooring him with a clothesline followed by the running senton. In the corner, Fatu teed off on Miz with repeated headbutts. Fatu knocked Miz out with the hip attack as the M.F.T.s pulled Miz out of the ring. This prompted Fatu to respond with a dive to the outside, which took out nearly the entire group.

In the ring, Fatu finished Miz off with the pop-up Samoan Drop. However, the Samoan Werewolf did not have any time for a celebration, as he got immediately ambushed by the M.F.T.s. Jimmy Uso evened the odds as he emerged with a steel chair. He cleared past Tama Tonga and J.C. Mateo with the chair. However, Tala Tonga withstood Uso’s attack and took him down. Fatu recovered and managed to fend off the M.F.T.s one by one, which left Sikoa alone in the ring and prone in the corner.

Fatu trapped Sikoa with a chair wrapped around his neck and looked to deliver a vicious hip attack, but Tala Tonga entered the fray and floored Fatu with a clothesline. Chokeslam by Tonga, was soon followed by Sikoa delivering the Samoan Spike to Fatu. The M.F.T.s stood tall in the ring as the United States Champion trashtalked his SummerSlam foe.

It was nice to see the Miz back in action for this match, and I think it was imperative for Sikoa and the M.F.T.s. to get their heat back since last week, they were the ones on the receiving end of the humiliation from Fatu and Jimmy Uso.

Jacob Fatu def. The Miz

**********

– The Street Profits and #DIY had a disagreement backstage, as Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa said they had a plan for the Wyatt Sicks later on in our main event.

– Backstage, Zelina Vega confronted Giulia until Kiana James appeared as the Women’s United States Champion’s “official representation”. We learned that Giulia would be defending her U.S. Championship next week against Vega.

SummerSlam Saturday Card

  • Gunther vs. CM Punk (World Heavyweight Championship)
  • Raquel Rodriguez & Roxanne Perez vs. Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss (Women’s Tag Team Championship)
  • Roman Reigns & Jey Uso vs. Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed
  • Tiffany Stratton vs. Jade Cargill (WWE Women’s Championship)
  • Sami Zayn vs. Karrion Kross

SummerSlam Sunday Card

  • Street Fight: John Cena vs. Cody Rhodes (Undisputed WWE Champipnship)
  • Dominik Mysterio vs. AJ Styles (Intercontinental Championship)
  • Steel Cage Match: Solo Sikoa vs. Jacob Fatu (United States Championship)
  • No DQ, No Countout: Becky Lynch vs. Lyra Valkyria (Women’s Intercontinental Championship)
  • Triple Threat: Naomi vs. IYO SKY vs. Rhea Ripley (Women’s World Heavyweight Championship)

WWE Tag Team Championship Match: The Wyatt Sicks (Joe Gacy & Dexter Lumis) vs. Andrade & Rey Fenix

Fenix started off on the offense against Gacy as he and Andrade looked to be in chemistry early on. The two had Gacy and Lumis draped across the middle rope as they hit the double team kick barrage on the champs.

Andrade went right away for the Three Amigos, as things picked up immensely with Lumis pulling Fenix off the top rope. This allowed Gacy to hit his signature handspring-into-lariat against Fenix, which took us to the final commercial break of the evening.

We returned to our main event with Fenix connecting on a superkick against Lumis, who was the legal man for the Wyatt Sicks. Andrade got the hot tag as he was a house of fire against both Lumis and Gacy. He nailed Gacy in the corner with the running Meteora, but that only got the two. Andrade looked for The Message, but Gacy reversed, as Lumis tagged in and got his helping of a double team attack on Andrade. Fenix tried to interject, but he got thrown aside.

Andrade countered the assisted powerbomb of the Wyatt Sicks with double knees. Fenix leapt to the outside to eliminate Lumis at ringside. This allowed Andrade to deliver The Message on Gacy. One, two…. Nikki Cross pulled the referee out of the ring to cause the disqualification.

Erick Rowan entered the ring and began to lay waste to Andrade. Fraxiom and The Motor City Machine Guns tried to interject, but also got waylaid by the massive Rowan. The two teams recovered as the fight continued to break down,. The Street Profits joined the fray and took out Rowan. #DIY walked down the ramp with SmackDown GM Nick Aldis in tow.

In the ring, the Street Profits took turns in taking flight to eliminate everyone outside the ring.

Nick Aldis addressed the situation as he declared that at SummerSlam, the entire SmackDown tag team division will compete in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match. We ended the night in total bedlam with everyone brawling in and out of the ring as referees and security officials failed to contain the chaos caused by SmackDown’s tag division.

Rey Fenix & Andrade def. The Wyatt Sicks via Disqualification

**********

A wild, wild ending to our main event for the night, with an equally-chaotic match being set up for SummerSlam in the process. The SmackDown tag division shined with their TLC match on an episode of SmackDown a few months back, so them getting PLE time to run it back (with the added element of the Wyatt Sicks thrown in) should make for an entertaining bout.

Overall, a strange SmackDown that seemed to be more about setting the stage for the go-home show next week than anything else, on top of the Hulk Hogan tribute at the beginning that made for an unusual night of wrestling action.