The day after Hulk Hogan passed away, Triple H made a prominent appearance at the 10th annual memorial service on Smackdown. Fans were expecting to see him again on RAW, but he was noticeably absent. Instead, WWE aired a recorded message from Triple H, leaving many wondering why he was absent from the memorial service. Triple H decided to skip the RAW memorial service, believing it would be inappropriate to return so soon after the Smackdown memorial service. He felt it was necessary to allow a new group of people to have the opportunity to remember and pay tribute to Hulk Hogan. Although he was backstage in a gorilla pose, his decision to withdraw came out of respect for the event.
The real reason behind Roman Reigns’ absence from the Hulk Hogan memorial was to protect his character. WWE officials believed that Reigns’ participation would break the illusion of his character, especially when standing next to other WWE stars like CM Punk. The decision was made to maintain the integrity of his character while still honoring Hogan. Roman Reigns was not the only one absent from the memorial. Rhea Ripley, Paul Heyman, and Chelsea Green were also present on RAW but did not attend the memorial. This collective absence has sparked debate among fans about WWE’s decisions regarding the memorial. Hulk Hogan’s son Nick Hogan took to the stage at the 10th bell. Along with his wife and close friends, including Eric Bischoff and Bruce Pritchard, Nick gave an emotional tribute to his father. He spoke about not only the loss of his father, but also the loss of his best friend.
During this challenging time, WWE has been a huge support for Nick Hogan. The organization has stepped in to ensure that he feels the love and support of the wrestling community during this difficult time.