Hulk Hogan laid to rest in private Florida funeral as Triple H, Kid Rock join family to celebrate his life

CLEARWATER, FLORIDA: WWE legend Hulk Hogan, born Terry Gene Bollea, was laid to rest on Tuesday, August 5, in a private funeral service at Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park & Funeral Home in Clearwater, the Florida city where he had been living with his wife, Sky Daily.

The service took place less than two weeks after his death from a heart attack at the age of 71. The ceremony, attended by close family and friends, was described as intimate.

Wrestling Icon Hulk Hogan laid to rest in private Florida funeral

Photos published by The Daily Mail show the pallbearers dressed in black suits, each adorned with a striking yellow rose pinned to their lapels. The floral choice appeared to be a subtle tribute to Hogan’s iconic wrestling persona, known for his bold yellow-and-red ring attire.

Hogan, a towering figure in professional wrestling and pop culture, died on July 24 from an acute myocardial infarction, commonly referred to as a heart attack.

Medical documents obtained by PEOPLE also revealed previously unknown health struggles, including leukemia and atrial fibrillation, a condition that causes irregular heartbeats. Despite the unexpected nature of his death, his cremation had been planned, the records indicated.

News of Hogan’s death came as a shock to his loved ones and fans, especially in light of his wife Sky Daily’s recent public reassurances about his condition. Just days earlier, on July 18, Daily dismissed speculation about his health in an Instagram Story, stating, “No, he’s definitely not in a coma,” as reported by PennLive.

She highlighted that his heart was strong and there had been no incidents involving oxygen deprivation or brain damage, calling such rumors completely false. At the time, she noted that Hogan was still in recovery from a significant medical procedure, a four-level Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF) but assured followers he was healing well.

Family and friends gather to honor late WWE legend 12 days after his death

Photos obtained by TMZ show that several notable figures attended the funeral, including Triple H (Paul Michael Levesque), Stephanie McMahon, two of WWE’s most prominent names, were seen arriving on a private plane.

Hogan’s wife Sky Daily, ex-wife Linda Hogan, musician Kid Rock, comedian Theo Von, WWE executives Vince McMahon and Ric Flair, former wrestler John Laurinaitis, wrestling legend Jeff Jarrett, and former NBA star Dennis Rodman were also among those in attendance.

It remains uncertain which of Hulk Hogan’s family members were present at the private service. Notably absent was his daughter, Brooke Hogan, who shared that her father “hated the morbidity of funerals” and had expressed he didn’t want one. Instead, she chose to honor him in a private beachside tribute with her family, writing, “Every wave reminded me of being your beach baby.”

He is survived by his third wife, Sky Daily, who was home at the time of his death, as well as his two former wives, Linda Hogan, who divorced him in 2009 after 23 years of marriage, and Jennifer McDaniel, whom he was married to for nearly 11 years before their 2011 split.

Hogan shared two children with Linda, Nick Hogan, 35, and Brooke Hogan, 37. Notably, just three days before the funeral, Nick made an appearance at WWE’s SummerSlam event on August 2, where the organization paid tribute to his late father.

Trump pays tribute to Hulk Hogan with throwback photo

President Donald Trump paid tribute to late wrestling icon Hulk Hogan on Tuesday, August 5, by posting a nostalgic photo on his Truth Social account, commemorating the day of Hogan’s private funeral in Clearwater, Florida.

The image, an old snapshot of Trump and Hogan mid–arm-wrestling match, was shared with a caption reflecting the day’s significance, “They are having the ‘Hulkster’s’ funeral today, and I thought everybody would enjoy seeing this picture,” Trump wrote.

The post went live as Trump was delivering remarks following the signing of a new executive order.

The two became close during the wrestling boom of the 1980s, when Trump hosted several WWE (then WWF) events at his Atlantic City casinos long before Trump entered the presidential arena.