Hulk Hogan Mourns Death of Fellow WWE Star and Dwayne Johnson's Father Rocky Johnson

On Wednesday, January 15, 2020, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s father Rocky Johnson sadly passed away at the age of 75. Many celebrities reacted by sending the condolences to the “Jumanji: The Next Level” star and one such person was Hulk Hogan.

The legendary wrestler was one of the people who had a strong relationship with Rocky. He took to Twitter to mourn the loss of his friend and fellow wrestler.

"So sorry for the loss of Rocky Johnson. A great man, a great friend and I will always remember he was one of only a few that was kind and helpful when I first broke in. RIP Rocky. I love you my brother HH."

Hulk Hogan at 'Hit A Home Run With Content Creation And Streaming' on March 15, 2015, in Austin, Texas | Photo: Heather Kennedy/Getty Images

Rocky’s rise to fame

When Hogan first joined professional wrestling, it was Dwayne’s father who assisted him. Rocky first made his debut in 1966 before making his way to the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) in the 1970s.

The iconic wrestler won regional titles in the singles and tag team divisions, but he never won the main NWA Heavyweight Championship. In 1983, the star joined the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) where he made an even bigger name for himself.

Making history by winning championship

While partnering up with Tony Atlas, later in the year, the pair won the tag team championship. The two made history as the first African Americans to win the title.

However, six months later the duo lost the title. Dwayne’s father eventually moved on from the WWE and only retired from wrestling in 1991.

Hogan and Rocky once met in the ring

Hogan and Rocky only crossed paths in the ring once during their shared time in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). The two fought against each other in February 1984 during a $30,000 18-man battle royal in St. Louis, Missouri.

Hogan wasn’t the only person Rocky gave a helping hand. His son found himself partaking in the sport after being trained by the legend.

His Hall of Fame induction

The actor honored his father by going by the wrestling name “The Rock.” In 2008, the living legend, who was known as "The Soul Man," was given an induction into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Vince McMahon mourns Rocky

Another wrestling icon that sent out his condolences for the death of Rocky was Vince McMahon. The WWE CEO shared a photo of the late star and shared his sadness over losing Dwayne’s father.