Dwayne Johnson Honors Hulk Hogan: A Hero Remembered, A Ring Reunited

The Rock shares emotional tribute to his childhood icon and WrestleMania rival, calling their legendary 2002 bout “the greatest feeling” of his wrestling career.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has paid an emotional tribute to Hulk Hogan, the wrestling icon who passed away on July 24 at the age of 71 from cardiac arrest. Reflecting on both a childhood dream fulfilled and a career-defining moment, Johnson honored the man he once idolized — and later stood toe-to-toe with in the ring.

Hogan, widely recognized as the face of professional wrestling’s mainstream rise in the 1980s, died at his home in Clearwater, Florida. The news rocked the wrestling and entertainment worlds, prompting an outpouring of tributes from fans, colleagues, and fellow legends like Johnson.

Taking to social media Friday, Johnson remembered Hogan as his “childhood hero,” reminiscing about the moment in 1984 when he, just a boy at the time, caught Hogan’s iconic red and yellow “Hulkster” headband in the crowd at Madison Square Garden.

“After your match with Mr. Wonderful [Paul Orndorff], I gave it back to you in the locker room,” Johnson wrote. “You were so shocked and happy — said it was your last one and that you’d have no way of getting it made again. You promised me you’d get more and gift me one of my own. And a month later, you did. That meant the world to that little 12-year-old boy.”

Fast-forward 17 years, and that young fan had become one of wrestling’s biggest stars himself. In 2002, Johnson stood across from Hogan on one of wrestling’s grandest stages: the main event of WrestleMania X8. Their faceoff marked not only a clash of eras, but a symbolic torch-passing moment for the WWE.

“I’ve never felt anything like that in my entire wrestling career,” Johnson said of that match. “Just 17 years after catching your headband, there I was, standing in the ring with my hero.”

Sharing vintage footage of the historic match playing on an old TV screen, accompanied by nostalgic music, Johnson called Hogan “the greatest of all time” and closed his heartfelt tribute with a signature phrase: “From deep in my bones, and on behalf of this wild and crazy world of professional wrestling that we love, I say to you now, and forever… thank you for the house, brother.”

Like Hogan, Johnson became a global household name, first dominating the wrestling ring as The Rock, then crossing over to Hollywood superstardom in blockbuster franchises like Fast & Furious, Jumanji, Black Adam, and Moana. He’s now preparing for a return to his grappling roots, playing MMA fighter Mark Kerr in Benny Safdie’s upcoming biopic The Smashing Machine.

While both men defined separate eras, their bond bridged generations. Johnson’s tribute was not only a personal reflection, but a message shared by millions: Hulk Hogan wasn’t just a superstar — he was a hero.

Rest in power, Hulkster.