Tony Schiavone Eulogizes Hulk Hogan On Behalf Of AEW During Live Collision Broadcast

Tributes have been flowing in for WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan who passed away on July 24 from a cardiac arrest at the age of 71, and on the July 26 episode of "AEW Collision," Tony Schiavone was the latest man to pay tribute to "The Hulkster."

Schiavone said that Hogan was the man who brought professional wrestling to the mainstream in the 1980s, before stating that he was the man who not only put WCW on the cable television map, but also lit the fire under WCW that would ultimately catapult them to their success during the Monday Night Wars, all of which aired on TNT much like "Collision" does today. Schiavone went on to say that for as big and larger than life as many wrestlers are, they are still human, and have family and friends who care about them very much.

He would round off by sending his condolences to Hogan's family, his two children Brooke and Nick, and his wife Sky on behalf of All Elite Wrestling, before saying that if you have ever lost a family member of your own, you will know the pain that they are currently experiencing. Schiavone concluded by saying on behalf of everyone in AEW, "RIP Brother."

Both AEW and Schiavone had actually come under fire in the immediate aftermath of Hogan's death. Schiavone stated on social media that while Hogan was a co-worker, he was never a close friend, before clarifying that "The Hulkster" was simply someone he was friends with during their shared time in WCW, but never got to the point where they could be considered close. As for AEW and its President Tony Khan, the company chose not to post any sort of tribute or message regarding Hogan, with many people on social media pointing out that Khan had banned Hogan from ever attending AEW events due to his racist rant that was caught on camera in 2015, as well as his ex-wife Linda for her opinions on the death of George Floyd in 2020.