AEW announcer and former WCW broadcaster Tony Schiavone took time during Saturday’s live episode of AEW Collision to pay a heartfelt tribute to the late Hulk Hogan, who passed away on Thursday at the age of 71. Schiavone, who was the lead voice of WCW during Hogan’s transformative run with the company, shared his thoughts on the icon’s passing and his immense legacy.
“We Forget They Are Just Like Us, Human”
Schiavone began his tribute by speaking about the man behind the larger-than-life persona, reminding the audience of the human loss that the family is experiencing. He expressed his condolences and touched on the intense pain of losing a loved one.
Tony Schiavone did a great tribute to Hulk
Hogan on #AEWCollision— Wrestling News (@WrestlingNewsCo) July 27, 2025
“Sometimes we take a look at these stars that are bigger than life and we forget they are just like us, human. And we forget that they have families that care about them,” Schiavone said. “Our condolences go out to Hulk’s family, to his children Brooke and Nick, his wife Sky. And if you’ve never lost a member of your family, you have no idea what the pain they are going through right now. And believe you me, it is intense.”
Honoring a Legacy on TNT
Schiavone then spoke directly to Hogan’s professional legacy, crediting him with two of the most significant boom periods in wrestling history. He specifically highlighted Hogan’s role in putting WCW on the map on the TNT network, drawing a direct line from Hogan’s past success to AEW’s present.
He credited Hogan with taking pro wrestling into the mainstream in the 1980s and for putting WCW on the cable map in the 1990s on the same cable network AEW airs on, TNT.
The tribute concluded with a simple, yet powerful, message, using one of Hogan’s own signature phrases. “From all of us here at All Elite Wrestling, RIP, brother,” Schiavone said.
The Man Who Built Two Empires
Hulk Hogan’s impact on the wrestling business is unparalleled. In the 1980s, as the face of the World Wrestling Federation, his “Hulkamania” persona led the “Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Connection,” transforming the industry into a global pop culture phenomenon. He was a multi-time WWF Champion and headlined seven of the first eight WrestleMania events, becoming a real-life superhero to an entire generation of fans.
In 1996, Hogan would revolutionize the business once again by turning his back on the fans and joining WCW as the villainous leader of the New World Order (nWo). As “Hollywood” Hogan, he led the most influential faction in wrestling history, making WCW Monday Nitro on TNT the number one wrestling show in the world for 83 consecutive weeks and igniting the “Monday Night Wars,” the most successful period in the history of the business. Tony Schiavone was the lead announcer for WCW during this entire run, calling many of Hogan’s most iconic moments.
