Trump and Hogan shared a decades-long relationship rooted in their mutual flair for showmanship and crossover appeal.

Hogan didn't publicly endorse Trump until the convention, citing the assassination attempt against Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, as the reason for his announcement.

The 1988 pay-per-view event, advertised as being held at Trump Plaza in Atlantic City (though it was held at the city’s convention hall), took place during wrestling’s golden era, and Hogan was slated to face off against Andre the Giant.

The WWE Hall of Famer, who died on Thursday at the age of 71, had supported former President Barack Obama in 2008.

One was a businessman turned reality TV star twice elected president. The other was a professional wrestler who became politically active later in life. Donald Trump and Hulk Hogan's paths first crossed at a late 1980s wrestling event at one of Trump’s Atlantic City,

Hogan, who revolutionized the world of wrestling and attracted interest in the sport that was ultimately dubbed "Hulkamania" in the 1980s, appeared at the Republican National Convention in July 2024 to endorse then-presidential candidate Donald Trump .