As tributes pour in from across the wrestling world following the death of Hulk Hogan, one voice has loudly criticized All Elite Wrestling for remaining silent – former WCW wrestler Glenn Gilbertti, better known as Disco Inferno. Taking to Twitter, Disco questioned AEW’s decision not to acknowledge Hogan’s passing. “So AEW is really staying silent on HH passing today? Did I miss something?” he tweeted.
He later retweeted veteran wrestling announcer David Penzer, who voiced similar confusion: “Not sure why a major wrestling company can’t acknowledge the passing of a fictional character who absolutely changed the business for the better and influenced so many…”
Disco didn’t stop there. He followed up with a pointed post invoking biblical imagery: “Jesus descends from Heaven and says, ‘May He Who Is Without Sin Cast The First Stone’… then you have the worst people on social media lining up to throw rocks at Hulk Hogan’s open casket. Brutal. Guy was an icon.”
AEW President Tony Khan banned Hulk Hogan from his company. During an interview with the Wrestling Observer in 2020, Khan said the following about his decision:
“What he said on the tape, I’ve told people I can’t work with Hulk Hogan. How can I look my Black friends, football players, employees in the face or myself in the mirror after the things [Hulk] said and has never given an adequate apology for? He can’t blame what he said on tape on the dangers of social media.”
RELATED: “I won’t be celebrating the death of anyone” – AEW Wrestler On Hulk Hogan’s Death
NJPW Paid Tribute To Hulk Hogan At The G1 Climax (Video)
Just hours after WWE honored Hulk Hogan on SmackDown, New Japan Pro Wrestling paid their own respects to the wrestling legend during Saturday’s G1 Climax event in Tokyo. Hogan’s NJPW debut came in 1980. He wrestled there until 1985, returned in the early 1990s, and made one final appearance in 2003 when he faced Masahiro Chono.
The tribute featured a solemn in-ring ceremony with NJPW President Hiroshi Tanahashi and legendary referee Tiger Hattori standing beside a framed photo of Hogan. The NJPW roster encircled the ring for a 10-bell salute in memory of the man who helped shape global wrestling in the 1980s.
Hattori, who had a deep personal connection with Hogan, spoke backstage about their long history – which began even before Hogan became a professional wrestler:
“Personally, I can’t believe it. It was too soon, to be honest. Before he became a professional wrestler, I lived in Tampa, Florida for 17 years, and Hogan’s mother happened to live near my house. So I was about 17 when I first met him. I was in my second year of high school or something like that.
So I was teaching amateur wrestling at Hiro Matsuda’s gym. He came there as a student, but after about 6 months he broke his leg. I thought he had disappeared, but then he started coming back. After a while he went to Georgia to make his debut, and then he came back to his hometown of Tampa.
He was definitely outstanding, more than your average wrestler. He was big in size, but I don’t know, I think he was just a little different. He had such great success so it’s sad that he passed away so early, but I have a lot of respect for him as a professional wrestler.
I bet he’s up there again wrestling in heaven. We’ve lost a truly wonderful person. I hope we’ll see another wrestler like him. I want to say thank you for all the great times we had.”
You can watch it below:
ハルク・ホーガンさんの追悼セレモニー
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