The WWE’s tribute to the late, great Hulk Hogan is set to continue on the July 28th episode of Monday Night Raw. Hogan’s son, Nick Hogan, has been spotted backstage at the event in Detroit, Michigan.
Hulk Hogan, Terry Bollea, passed away on July 24th at the age of 71. The company began its tribute to the icon on this past Friday’s episode of SmackDown.
The official Instagram page for Real American Beer, a brand co-founded by Hulk Hogan, posted a photo on Monday afternoon. The picture showed Nick Hogan backstage at Raw, posing with WWE star Jey Uso and business partners Chad Bronstein and Chris Volo.
This marks Nick’s first public appearance since he released a heartfelt and emotional statement about his father’s passing on Sunday. In that statement, he called his father his “best friend and hero.”
It is incredibly fitting that WWE’s Raw tribute to Hulk Hogan is taking place in Detroit. The city was the site of arguably the single most important and iconic moment of his entire career.
On March 29, 1987, in the Detroit suburb of Pontiac, Hulk Hogan faced Andre the Giant in the main event of WrestleMania III. In front of a record-setting crowd at the Pontiac Silverdome, Hogan did the impossible by bodyslamming the undefeated giant. That moment, “the bodyslam heard ’round the world,” cemented Hulkamania as a global phenomenon and created the most enduring image in wrestling history.
A Company-Wide Tribute
Last Friday’s episode of SmackDown served as the first part of WWE’s tribute. The show featured a ten-bell salute, moving video packages highlighting his life and career, and in-person appearances from legends and close friends like Jimmy Hart and Ted DiBiase.
Tonight’s show in the city that hosted his most legendary moment is expected to be another emotional celebration of the life of “The Hulkster.” His son’s presence adds another poignant layer to the evening, as the family, the company, and the fans continue to mourn the loss of a true immortal.