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HULK Hogan has been laid to rest in a private funeral with WWE legends, celebrities, and his family attending.
Mourners appeared to be wearing a touching nod to the wrestling icon as his casket was taken into a Clearwater, Florida, church on Tuesday.
Hogan died on July 24 aged 71 from a heart attack, but medical records showed he had a history of leukaemia.
Wrestling icon Triple H and his wife and former WWE exec Stephanie McMahon attended, while celebrities like singer Kid Rock and comedian Theo Von were also present.
Hogan’s ex-wife Lina, who he was married to from 1983 to 2009, was the only member of his family seen going in or out of the service.
Photos from the funeral saw pallbearers wearing yellow boutonnieres – the same colour as Hulk’s iconic wrestling outfit.
The private service was held at the same church where Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, was baptised in 2023.
The service was heavily patrolled by church security and Largo police officers, including K-9 dogs.
President Donald Trump paid tribute to the wrestler by posting a photo to his social media of the pair arm wrestling.
He said: ‘‘They are having the “Hulkster’s” funeral today, and I thought everybody would enjoy seeing this picture.’’
Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered flags flown at half-staff at all official buildings last Friday, which he declared Hulk Hogan Day in Florida.
Hogan was perhaps the biggest star in WWE’s long history, known for both his larger-than-life personality and his in-ring exploits.
He was the main draw for the first WrestleMania in 1985 and was a fixture for years, facing everyone from Andre The Giant and Randy Savage to The Rock and even WWE co-founder Vince McMahon.
Hogan had been dealing with significant health issues for months when he went into cardiac arrest at his $11.5 million mansion in Clearwater.
He had a neck surgery in May, and was rushed to the hospital afterwards over complications with his recovery.
In June, he suffered a series of health issues that left him reportedly unable to feel his legs or walk with a cane.
Hogan was also a celebrity outside the wrestling world, appearing in numerous movies and television shows, including Hogan Knows Best, a reality show about his life on VH1.
Hogan’s body will be cremated.
His daughter Brooke Bollea Oleksy, better known by her stage name Brooke Hogan, memorialised her father in a recent social media post.
‘‘I am so grateful I knew the real version of him. Not just the one the world viewed through a carefully curated lens, she wrote on Instagram.’’
Just days before his death, Hogan and Brooke shared a short but emotional conversation, per the National Enquirer.
‘‘It was a tearful conversation, albeit a short one,’’ a source told the outlet.
‘‘Brooke told her dad how much she loved him, how much she missed him. Hulk said he loved her, and he was sorry.’’
Instantly recognisable in trademark bandana and shaggy, blond handlebar moustache, Hogan had long been a larger-than-life icon for middle America. Hogan became such a big star that he was able to transcend wrestling and starred in the movie Rocky III with Sylvester Stallone. – Sun
Online Reporter