A Tribute by Sophie Lewis

I just found out Hulk Hogan has died and I’m gutted.
Not in the celebrity-death kind of way.
In the “this man shaped my childhood” kind of way.
In the kind of grief that hits when a living legend, someone who towered over your earliest memories, suddenly vanishes.

Hulk Hogan wasn’t just a wrestler.
He was the wrestler. The man, the myth, the mustached mania.

As a kid, my brothers and I were obsessed. We didn’t just watch wrestling, we lived it.
Week after week, we’d pile onto the sofa, eyes locked to the screen, hearts thumping as Hogan stormed down that ramp in red and yellow, sweatbands flying, theme music booming like it was a war cry.
And then we’d spend the rest of the night body slamming each other on mattresses, shouting “Brother!” at the top of our lungs like tiny steroidal gremlins. Pure chaos. Pure joy.

We even got to see it live a few times.. the lights, the chants, the smell of popcorn and testosterone in the air. It was electric. And Hulk was always the centre of gravity.
He wasn’t just a character. He was a feeling. He stood for something bigger than the show:
Strength. Loyalty. Standing up to the bad guys.
Even when the storyline was ridiculous, even when we got older and realised it was all theatre, it didn’t matter.
Hulk Hogan made it mean something.

He was one of the first men I saw cry and still be strong.
One of the first characters I saw lose and come back swinging.
He taught kids like us that muscle doesn’t mean cruelty. That showmanship can still have heart.
That you can be a hero, even in spandex.

We grow up. The costumes fade. The world gets heavier.
But those memories of laughter, of slamming each other into cushions, of watching Hogan tear off his vest like a goddamn superhero, they stay with you.

So yeah, I’m heartbroken.
Because when Hulk Hogan dies, it’s not just a celebrity loss..
It’s like losing a piece of your own origin story.

Rest easy, Hulk.
You bodyslammed your way into history and into our hearts.

Thanks for the memories, Brother.

We’ll take it from here. ❤️🫂