Vince McMahon, Triple H, Kid Rock attend Hulk Hogan’s funeral

Notable names were among the crowd at Hulk Hogan’s funeral on Tuesday.

Ric Flair revealed in a social media post that Kid Rock, Triple H, Vince McMahon, and Dennis Rodman were in attendance along with himself at Hogan’s private funeral service at the Indian Rocks Baptist Church in Largo, Florida.

“Even In Heaven, He Sold Out Again. The Most Beautiful Funeral I’ve Ever Attended! EVERYONE Was There. From @KidRock, To @TripleH, To @VinceMcMahon, To @dennisrodman. The Whole World Showed Up To Pay Respect To The Greatest Of Them All! Rest In Peace Hulkster!,” he wrote.

Page Six additionally reported that Stephanie McMahon, Bam Magera, and comedian Theo Von were also in attendance. TMZ has pictures of John Laurinaitis, Jeff Jarrett, Linda Hogan, and Hogan’s wife Sky entering the service.

Hogan died on July 24 after suffering cardiac arrest following complications from neck fusion surgery back in May. Page Six also revealed that he was suffering from leukemia. Tributes have poured across pro wrestling in the weeks following his death, with WWE paying tribute on Raw, SmackDown, NXT, and this weekend’s SummerSlam event, which was attended by Hogan’s son Nick.

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

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:

Vince McMahon, WWE stars interviewed for Fox’s ‘The Real Hulk Hogan’ documentary

A Hulk Hogan documentary will air on Fox next week. 

TMZ announced that they will air their documentary titled ‘The Real Hulk Hogan’ next Tuesday, August 12 at a 9 pm ET. Notably, in their announcement it was said that an interview with Vince McMahon will be part of the documentary, along with interviews from current WWE stars.

The full list of interviews include Sylvester Stallone, Vince McMahon, Mick Foley, Bill Goldberg, Jimmy Hart, Alexa Bliss, Jacob Fatu, and Charlotte Flair.

If new, this would mark the first time McMahon has made public comments since he resigned from TKO in January of 2024. He has only released statements through social media since then. Hogan died on July 24 at the age of 71 from cardiac arrest following complications from neck fusion surgery.

Another documentary on Hogan’s life, titled ‘The Life of Hulk Hogan’ aired on Fox Nation last week with interviews from Goldberg and The Hardys. A Netflix docuseries has also been in the works since 2024, with no release date set.

Bret Hart says Hulk Hogan was a ‘roadblock’ in his career

Bret Hart doesn’t mince words about Hulk Hogan.

On The Ringer Wrestling Podcast, the WWE Hall of Famer said that Hogan’s legacy in the industry can’t be denied. But while stars like Roddy Piper helped Hart reach a new level of popularity, Hart accused Hogan of looking out for one person: himself.

“Hulk Hogan never did that for anybody. He never looked out for anyone but himself,” Hart said.

Hart recalled while Hogan got to face top heels in the 1980s like Paul Orndorff and Piper, he didn’t get the same level of talent when he won the WWE Championship in 1992. And he didn’t feel that Hogan was all that welcoming when he became champion and instead had it out for him.

“I always thought the day I won the belt Hulk Hogan would come up to me and pat me on the back and tell me how glad he was I was the guy that they picked to pull the sword out of the stone for him. And unfortunately, that’s not how it was,” Hart recalled. “The second I won the belt, I was the enemy. And I had what he wanted, and we were never really friends again after that.”

“When I was a little kid, you go to school, elementary school, there’s just always some kids that are bullsh******, that just tell bulls***. Classic bulls*******. That’s just the way they are…but I think Hulk Hogan was a bullsh*****,“ he added.

Hart accused Hogan of being a roadblock in his career and thought Hogan held him down while they were both in WCW in the late 90s.

“I will always shake my head and wonder why he was such a roadblock for me. He wouldn’t do anything for me. And he made sure, and I know this as a fact, he made sure that when I was in WCW he made sure that they didn’t do anything with…’Don’t do anything with him. Just leave him. Have him sit on the bench in the dressing room.’” he said.

Hogan passed away last month at the age of 71 following cardiac arrest. Tributes have poured across the industry, though some have questioned the tributes in light of comments Hogan’s past comments.

WOR: Cody Rhodes talks to Bill Simmons, WWE SummerSlam preview, Hulk Hogan

Dave Meltzer and Garrett Gonzales are back with the Friday edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, talking about all the big news from today’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

Here were some of the things we discussed:

  • Cody Rhodes’ appearance on The Bill Simmons Podcast
  • AEW Collision highlights and rating
  • AEW Dynamite ratings
  • WWE Unreal
  • AAA & CMLL war
  • WWE SummerSlam
  • Hulk Hogan questions

Click here to listen (sub needed) or watch on YouTube

Fight Game: WWE SummerSlam preview

John LaRocca and Garrett Gonzales are back to discuss the latest happenings in the world of pro wrestling.

We kicked off the show with our Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down winners and losers of the week before getting to our big topic of the show which was the media response to Hulk Hogan’s passing.

We also talked about the following:

  • WWE Unreal
  • Jon Moxley vs. Hangman Page
  • MJF vs. Mark Briscoe
  • AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door matches
  • WWE SummerSlam preview

FIRST TIME SUBSCRIBERS GET 50% OFF – Exclusive Subscriber only Podcasts

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August 4, 2025 Observer Newsletter: The social fallout from Hulk Hogan’s death, WWE SummerSlam preview & Unreal review

Image: WWE

It’s Friday and that means a brand-new Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

This week, Dave Meltzer covers the social fallout from the death of Hulk Hogan which has been a mixed bag of fond remembrance for his career and admonishment for his racial comments.

Dave also previews this weekend’s first-ever two-night WWE SummerSlam in addition to a full review of WWE Unreal on Netflix.

All that, plus all the latest news and happenings from AEW, TNA, CMLL and the rest of the wrestling world.

Click here to read as reading is your friend.

‘Hulk Hogan Day’ to be recognized in Florida, flags to fly at half-staff

The state of Florida will recognize the late Hulk Hogan with his own day on Friday.

Announced by Governor Ron DeSantis on Thursday, this Friday, August 1st will be “Hulk Hogan Day” with both the United States and Florida state flags to be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset at both the state capitol in Tallahassee and government buildings in Pinellas County.

Hogan passed away last Thursday while in his Clearwater, Florida, home after the 71-year-old suffered a heart attack. He was essentially a lifelong resident of the state, moving to Port Tampa when he was nearly two years old. After graduating high school, he briefly attended the University of South Florida before dropping out.

Hogan’s first wrestling training began in Florida with Hiro Matsuda and he made his in-ring debut in Fort Myers in 1977. Hogan also owned restaurants in the state through the years including Hogan’s Hangout in Clearwater, Beach.

WOL: Lance remembers Gerry Morrow, Hogan death, Dynamite

Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Lance Storm returns with tons to talk about including lots of memories of the late Gerry Morrow, funny stories and thoughts on working, the death of Hulk Hogan and undisclosed medical issues, the Dynamite report, and tons more! A fun show as always so check it out~!

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

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 SmackDownRaw, and NXT following his death.

Hulk Hogan documentary on Fox Nation gets debut date

The first of several expected documentaries on the life of the late Hulk Hogan will debut Thursday night.

Announced earlier in the day, “The Life of Hulk Hogan” will begin on the Fox Nation streaming service and will feature interviews with Bill Goldberg and Jeff & Matt Hardy. Hosted by Fox News anchor Brian Kilmeade, the documentary promises “a behind-the-scenes look at the larger-than-life character who transformed the world of wrestling.”

The documentary is available now with a 30-minute runtime.

From the media release:

“The documentary traces Hogan’s unparalleled rise from gritty gyms to glitzy and packed arenas around the world, showcasing the embodiment of an All-American Superhero.”

While the service is a paid one, free trials are available.

It was revealed last week that a Netflix docuseries has been in the works on Hogan since 2024 — a co-production with the streaming service, Hogan and WWE. On Thursday, it was reported that a long-discussed Hogan movie by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon is no longer in development.

Hogan (Terry Bollea) passed away suddenly last Thursday in Florida at the age of 71 due to cardiac arrest.

Hulk Hogan’s official cause of death revealed

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

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

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.

Linda Hogan reacts to death of former husband Hulk Hogan

Linda Claridge — the first wife of Hulk Hogan (Terry Bollea) — is remembering her former husband as the love of her life.

In a comment on her Instagram page, Linda shared how heartbroken she is over Hogan’s death. The two met when they were young and spent decades together before a contentious divorce that Linda filed for in 2007 and was settled in 2009.

“I had no idea he would pass away this soon. We all really thought he would make a come back! Big surprise. We are all devastated,” Linda wrote. “It’s hitting me so hard. I loved Hulkster more than he loved me. It hurt when he cheated. But he was sooo famous. I sort of [understood] but it was crushing. It hurt. I [never] got over him or started a real relationship w anyone .. I missed HIM! I’ve been weeping all day. The finality. It’s just shocking. We spent every minute together for so many years. I’ve known him since he was 28 yrs old! I was 22. I still love him. Even tho I never spoke or saw him, Nick did .. and Nick would tell me things and vice versa. Just news about life. I still felt .. although broken .. we still were a family. It’s so hard to know he’s just gone. I tried to stay strong for Nick .. but I’m melting down now. It’s very sad. I love you Hulkster. You were my man. The only man for me. RIP”

Back in March of this year, Linda described her family situation as “the worst mess” and said her daughter Brooke had not spoken to her in years. The family — Hulk, Linda, Brooke, and Nick — starred together in the VH1 reality show “Hogan Knows Best” in the mid-2000s.

At the time of his death, Hogan was married to Sky Daily, his third wife. Hogan passed away at 71 years old on July 24 after experiencing complications from neck surgery.