Following the recent passing of Hulk Hogan, his former WrestleMania opponent, Muhammad Hassan, paid a heartfelt tribute to the late icon. Hassan praised Hogan as a personal hero and “the greatest superstar who’s ever lived,” sharing his positive experiences working with the legend.
A Childhood Hero
On The A2theK Wrestling Show, Hassan reflected on what Hogan meant to him and millions of others growing up. He stated that Hogan’s music still brings a tear to his eye because of the powerful nostalgic memories it evokes.
“He Lived The Role”
Hassan, who teamed with Daivari to face Hulk Hogan and Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 21, said that his in-person experience with Hogan was nothing but positive. He praised Hogan for living his character and always treating his fans with the utmost respect.
“I had grown up watching Hulk Hogan, and Hulk Hogan was a major influence on me and a lot of kids and adults in America at the time. I mean, his music hit and still brings a tear to my eye, because just that the nostalgia and the memories… I had nothing but a great experience with him. I mean, and I’m not going to even touch any of the controversy, because that’s disrespectful to the legend that he was, regardless. But he was never anything but great to Shawn and I, and he was never anything but great for us to work with… It’s how he made you feel. And I think that a lot of fans felt that way about Hulk Hogan. Not only did he really play the role on TV, but he lived the role in his interactions with all of his fans. And you don’t really have a lot of fans who have something bad to say about Hulk Hogan. And for someone who’s tasted a very small piece of what that’s like. It’s something to idolize somebody who can do that, 24/7, with everybody they meet, no matter what mood they’re in, what they’re dealing with, how they’re feeling, to still be able to treat your fans with that level of respect… He was a hero, and I think that his legend is going to be that he molded this business to what it is. And I don’t think there’s any argument there’s a greater superstar who’s ever lived other than Hulk Hogan.”
Hulk Hogan passed away at the age of 71. The WrestleMania 21 tag team match remains one of the final matches Hogan had on the “Grandest Stage of Them All.”
