WWE legend Hulk Hogan's life honoured before stars kick off SmackDown on Friday night

The wrestling world is in mourning as WWE stars pay their respects to the late Hulk Hogan, who passed away suddenly at the age of 71.

Hulk Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, spent his last days confronting serious health issues and reconciling with estranged family members before succumbing to cardiac arrest. The legendary wrestler died on Thursday morning following a cardiac arrest at his Clearwater home in Florida.

Major Nate Burnside from the Clearwater Police Department stated during a press briefing: "The Clearwater Police Department is conducting a medical investigation, which is standard in these types of cases. There are no signs of foul play or suspicious activity related to this call for service at this time."

Prior to his passing, Hogan had multiple hospital visits. In June, he underwent a significant neck surgery known as a four-level Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion.

His wife, 45 year old Sky Daily, informed fans via Instagram that he was recovering from the "intense surgery with a long and layered healing process", reports the Mirror.

WWE paid a heartfelt tribute to Hogan during the first live event since his death, with a moving memorial segment before SmackDown commenced on Friday night. Wrestling icon Triple H, now serving as the company's chief content officer, honoured his former peer ahead of a traditional 10-bell salute in remembrance of Hogan.

Triple H, also known as Paul Levesque, emotionally declared: "Ladies and gentleman, yesterday we lost one of the biggest and most globally recognized icons in the world."

WWE personalities were visibly moved during the 10-bell salute, with Hogan's former manager Jimmy Hart seen shedding tears. Stars such as Randy Orton, Logan Paul, Charlotte Flair, and Cody Rhodes were spotted honouring Hogan on stage, according to MailOnline.

SmackDown aired a touching tribute to Hogan, showcasing a montage of his finest WWE moments accompanied by heartfelt comments from his wrestling colleagues.

Hogan, who catapulted wrestling into the mainstream limelight during the 1980s, was believed to have a net worth of about £18 million at the time of his passing.

He leaves behind his third wife Sky, daughter Brooke and son Nick, 34, from his first marriage to Linda Claridge, along with two grandchildren. Hogan's tumultuous private life frequently grabbed the headlines just as much as his wrestling fame did.

After a well-publicised divorce from Claridge in 2009, he wed Jennifer McDaniel in 2010, a union that concluded in 2021.