Dennis Rodman’s “Final Rebound” Helped Guide Hulk Hogan’s Casket at Funeral

Comedian Theo Von opened up on his podcast about attending the funeral of wrestling icon Hulk Hogan, calling it a surreal and emotional experience that brought back a flood of childhood memories.

The ceremony, held at Indian Rocks Baptist Church in Largo, Florida, featured a who’s who of wrestling legends—and even a moment from Dennis Rodman that left Von speechless. Von, who attended the service with musician Kid Rock, painted a vivid picture of the emotional gathering:

“You walk in, and there’s a lot of people in there, you know, Hacksaw was in there, Mountie, Brutus The Barber Beefcake, Jimmy Hart was in there. Ric Flair was in there, Dennis Rodman was in there.”

One particular moment stood out during the ceremony. As Hogan’s casket was being wheeled out, Von said it appeared to wobble slightly—until Rodman stepped in.

“As they were pushing the casket out, it kind of shook, like, wobbled a little bit, and he [Rodman] kind of stopped it, which was kind of crazy. He was like, you know, like, one last rebound… he kind of just helped tow the line there and just kind of keep the Hulk headed to heaven.”

For Von, who grew up idolizing professional wrestlers, the event felt like walking through a living time capsule.

“It’s kind of crazy because you’re walking, you know, for me, I was walking through a lot of my childhood, just the moments of all these wrestlers. And some of them in wheelchairs, and some of them in, you know, some of them got someone chain mail and s–t, or fake spines… you know, people in there, so many missing parts. It’s just a damn Jim McMahon Build-A-Bear over there.”

Reflecting on his childhood love for wrestling, Von made it clear just how much the business meant to him and his friends.

“There was nobody bigger to us than professional wrestlers. Imma say that right out loud. And imma say that our love for professional wrestlers was bottomless, bro, point blank, homie. We just loved them, dude.”

He even recalled how he and a childhood friend would physically hold each other’s eyes open to stay awake for Saturday Night’s Main Event.

“We would hold each other’s eyes open. I would hold his open, and he would hold mine open… and we would just wait there until they came on the screen. The wrestlers, Ultimate Warrior, Ravishing Rick Rude.”

Von then spoke on how Hulk Hogan himself had given him something bigger than entertainment—hope.

“All that stuff that I felt as a child… all that would go away, man, when that wrestling came on. Like when Hulk Hogan came on there, it just gave me something. I literally gave me something to look up to. I would sit there and look up at the screen… it just made you feel kind of like… something’s possible.”

He ended by sharing a poignant moment from the service involving Hogan’s son, Nick.

“He believes that his father’s watching over him, and then he kind of said he kind of did, like, a bit of an impersonation of his dad, and he’s like, ‘Whatcha gonna do when the Hulkster is watching over you?’ And I thought, that was pretty cool.”

Theo Von’s heartfelt reflections served as a reminder of how deep the connection runs between pro wrestling and the generations of fans it touched—especially when it came to the larger-than-life legacy of Hulk Hogan.

Did Hulk Hogan have that kind of impact on you growing up? Let us know in the comments.