Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is remembering his late friend and “childhood hero,” Hulk Hogan.
One day after Hogan’s death, Johnson took to Instagram to pay tribute to the famous wrestler, whose real name is Terry Bollea.
In his post, he shared a video of the time he faced off against Hogan at WrestleMania X8 in 2002, which is often hailed as one of the most iconic matches in history.
In the lengthy caption, Johnson recalled not only their famous fight, but also how he started out as a “lucky kid” who got to meet Hogan.
Johnson recounted going to see Hogan’s matchup against Paul “Mr. Wonderful” Orndorff at Madison Square Garden in 1984. During the fight, Johnson said Hogan threw his headband into the crowd, and he was the one that caught it. After the match, he exchanged some words with his idol when he tried to return it.
“You were shocked and so happy after the match because you told me that was your very last headband and if it weren’t for me, you’d have no way of getting that exact one made again,” he said. “You promised me that you would get more made and give me a Hulkster headband of my own as a thank you gift.
“A month later in Madison Square Garden, you did just that,” Johnson added. “You kept your word, with a handshake and a ‘thanks kid.’ And that meant the world to that little 12 year old boy.”
Flashing forward to when he was 29, Johnson recalled WrestleMania X8 in Toronto.
“I’m standing in the middle of the ring and facing you — one of my wrestling heroes in the main event of WRESTLEMANIA,” Johnson wrote. “The match was to decide who would go down in history, as The Greatest of All Time. When you kick out of my Rock Bottom finisher — just listen and FEEL that crowd go ELECTRIC…all for you.”
“I’ve never felt anything like that in my entire wrestling career. It takes two to tango, but that historic crowd reaction was all for you,” he added. “You may have ‘passed the torch’ to me that night, but you, my friend…. … you ‘drew the house.'”
He called the icon the “greatest of all time” before he wrapped up his post.
“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… Thank you, for the house. RIP Terry Bollea aka Hulk Hogan 🕊️,” he wrote.
On July 24, Hogan died after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest, local authorities in Clearwater, Florida, said. He was 71.
The icon is survived by his children, Brooke and Nick, and his wife, Sky Daily. He died “surrounded by his loved ones,” according to an official statement shared to Hogan’s social media accounts July 24.
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