WWE Airs Lengthy Tribute Video To Fallen Star Hulk Hogan With Several HOFers Ringside

By Max Everett
WWE pays tribute to Hulk Hogan WWE

Friday's "WWE SmackDown" kicked off with a tribute to Hulk Hogan after his death on Thursday. 

Hogan suffered a cardiac arrest on Thursday morning in the wake of conflicting updates on his degrading health.

Per the company's custom for honoring those who have passed, "SmackDown" opened with a cluster of backstage figures, talent, and veterans gathered on the entrance ramp for the ten-bell salute – spearheaded by WWE CCO Paul "Triple H" Levesque, who provided both a live speech as well as the voice over for a subsequent vignette covering the impact and the legacy of Hogan and the WWE.

Among the legends stood on the ramp for the tribute were Jimmy Hart, Sgt. Slaughter, Ted Dibiase, and "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan. 

"He captivated millions of people and inspired them around the globe," Levesque said. "We would not be standing here right now, all of us together, if it was not for him."

The six-and-a-half minute video package narrated by Levesque chronicled Hogan's days before and during his initial boom period with WWE, as well as his Hollywood outings away from wrestling, before getting into his infamous run as "Hollywood" Hogan with the NWO in WCW, his Hall of Fame induction, and his subsequent returns and cameos for the company in the years since. 

Hogan last appeared for the company for a promo segment during the Netflix premiere of "WWE Raw" in January, promoting his Real American Beer brand to a relatively acrid response from the crowd in attendance. 

Comments

Recommended