WWE will honor Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 42, son says
Nick Hogan said WWE plans to honor Hulk Hogan's legacy at WrestleMania 42, the first one since the wrestling icon's death.
Wrestling icon Hulk Hogan will be honored at WrestleMania 42, his son Nick told USA TODAY Sports. The 2026 edition of WWE’s biggest event of the year will be the first since Hogan’s death in July 2025 . “WWE is just so incredible,” Nick Hogan said.
“They're just such phenomenal people there, and they have so much love for my dad and my family, and they are doing some really special stuff this year to honor him and to honor his legacy. ” Nick Hogan didn’t specify how WWE will pay tribute to his dad, but it is confirmed the WWE Hall of Famer will be inducted once more, this time for an “immortal moment” — his match with Andre the Giant for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 3. The Hall of Fame class typically gets recognized during WrestleMania.
USA TODAY Sports reached out to WWE for more information. Hulk Hogan died at the age of 71 after suffering cardiac arrest. WWE honored him immediately after his death with a 10-bell salute, tribute videos and words from current stars on the major impact he had on wrestling.
His final appearance with the company came six months before his death, in January 2025 in the Netflix debut of Monday Night Raw . However, it was an infamous appearance; he was heavily booed by the crowd as he appeared and spoke. Despite the controversy that surrounded Hogan − especially in the later years of his life, which hurt his legacy − he was monumental in the building of WrestleMania, an event that catapulted wrestling to the mainstream and put WWE at the forefront of the industry.