‘No one like him’: Sylvester Stallone recalls Hulk Hogan’s iconic impact while sharing untold ‘Rocky III’ stories

Sylvester Stallone continues to pay tribute to his late friend and co-star Hulk Hogan, the WWE wrestling legend, who passed away on Thursday, July 24, 2025, at the age of 71.

On Thursday, immediately after the news of Hulk’s passing, Sylvester Stallone penned a tribute on his Instagram. He shared a photo of the two of them together in Rocky III, and captioned it:

“I had the pleasure of meeting this brilliant personality and showman when he was 26 years old. He was absolutely wonderful, and his amazing skill made Rocky three incredibly special. My heart breaks. I think that he's gone.”

In a recent interview with Harvey Levin of TMZ, Sylvester spoke about Hulk Hogan’s legacy and how sad it was to lose the legend.

“It's truly a tragic loss. You're losing some of these irreplaceable human beings. Like, you'll never see a man like him come down the pike again. So, I just hope everyone really covets the memory, appreciates the visual of this icon and probably the greatest wrestling icon you'll ever see.

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More details on Sylvester Stallone’s interview with TMZ

In the interview shared with TMZ, Sylvester Stallone spoke about meeting Hogan for the first time and his impression of the wrestling star at the time.

“He just came in, and you knew that this guy had a glow about him. He was a force to be reckoned with.”

The veteran actor added:

“He was just at the beginning of his career. He hadn't quite come into his own yet, so we got him at a point where he was so enthusiastic, and I remember he was immense. He was probably about 315 pounds, but very smart.”

He continued.

“He had this deep, calming voice, and he was willing to do anything that would make the show better.”

Sylvester Stallone also revealed that the Hulk wasn't going to be cast for the role at first because of his size, but he convinced those behind the scenes that Hulk Hogan was perfect for it.

“Now, at first, no one wanted him because he was too big, but I said that’s the whole point, it’s like David and Goliath. The bigger the better, so he showed up in magnificent shape.”

Sylvester Stallone also shared insights on how their stunts went during their acting time together.

“We started to roll around, and he would literally pick me up and drop me to the ground, and I thought, 'I’m going to be literally a pulp by the time I land,' And yet, he would always break the fall. He would do things that you wouldn’t see, like a magician.”

He went on:

“I’ll say, I’ve had a lot of punches thrown at me. No one was more accurate and precise than him. It was extraordinary for a man that size."

Towards the end of the interview, Sylvester Stallone shared a story about the injury he suffered in Hogan’s hands. Pointing to his shoulder area, he shared:

“I hit the corner, and the whole point is for him to run towards me and go boom, hit me hard, and I fall down, which naturally I would. Instead, he decided about halfway across the ring that he’s going to jump up, and I go, ‘Are you kidding me?’ It looked like the white whale from Moby Dick, he came down and hit me with his shin bone right here.”

He then stated:

“I went face forward and literally laid on the canvas, and people go ‘Sly you okay?’ I said I don't want to get up. My collarbone is sticking straight up, and I don't wanna see that.”

Sylvester Stallone revealed that Hogan was “mortified” about the whole event and apologized several times.

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Hulk Hogan is survived by his wife and children.