Former Chairman of WWE, Vince McMahon, has paid tribute to Hulk Hogan, who died on Thursday morning.
Breaking a months’ long silence on social media, McMahon said of Hogan’s passing, “The world lost a treasure today.”
McMahon described Hogan, real name Terry Bollea, as “the greatest WWE Superstar of ALL TIME,” and added that he was the first performer to transition from being a wrestling star into a “global phenomenon”.
In full, McMahon stated:
The world lost a treasure today. Hulk Hogan was the greatest WWE Superstar of ALL TIME, someone who was loved and admired around the world. He was a trailblazer, the first performer who transitioned from being a wrestling star into a global phenomenon.
His grit and unbridled thirst for success were unparalleled – and made him the consummate performer. He gave everything he had to the audience whom he appreciated, respected and loved.
He leaves us with one of his favorite expressions, “Train, take your vitamins and say your prayers.”
Today, we pray for him.
The relationship between McMahon and Hogan was one of the most significant in wrestling history. In the early 1980s, McMahon chose Hogan to be the face of his national expansion, a partnership that launched the “Hulkamania” phenomenon and propelled the then-WWF into the mainstream.
Hogan headlined seven of the first eight WrestleMania events.
Their professional relationship soured in the early 1990s, leading to Hogan’s departure. He joined rival promotion World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1994, where he famously turned heel to form the New World Order (nWo), directly competing with McMahon’s WWF in the “Monday Night Wars.”
Hogan returned to WWE in 2002 after McMahon’s company acquired WCW.
— Vince McMahon (@VinceMcMahon) July 24, 2025
