A year after Hulk Hogan’s death, Nick Hogan is opening up about what came next: stepping into his father’s business world, building a new wrestling-themed destination near Madison Square Garden, and offering a careful update on where the Hogan family stands today.
Nick recently spoke about the challenges of the past year and the sense of purpose he found in continuing the projects he had already been working on with his father. He also shared positive words about his sister Brooke, their mother Linda, and the future of Hulk Hogan’s SLAM Sports Bar.
But behind the optimism is a more complicated family history, one marked by years of distance, disagreements, and unfinished conversations. That context gives Nick’s reflections a deeper meaning as he works to preserve the legacy his father spent decades building.
He Was Already Prepared To Carry on Hulk Hogan’s Businesses
Nick says taking over his father’s ventures was not an overnight responsibility because he had already been deeply involved before Hulk Hogan died.
Hulk Hogan died on July 24, 2025, at age 71. Before his death, Nick had already been working alongside him on several ventures, including Real American Beer, Real American Freestyle, retail stores, and restaurants.
That experience made the transition after Hulk’s death smoother than many might have expected.
“I was just already in a position to continue that leadership,” Nick said to TV Insider. “The transition from him to me, continuing on all of these ventures that he started was really smooth because I was already involved.”
Nick also added that he understood how his father approached business decisions, from protecting the brand to solving problems and staying focused on what mattered most.
The connection was personal as well as professional. Hulk served as Nick’s best man when he married Tana Lea, and both of Nick’s parents attended the wedding. Nick added that his father understood who he was trusting to carry things forward.
The Sports Bar Project Bringing Hulkamania Back to Madison Square Garden
View this post on Instagram
Nick’s biggest current project is Hulk Hogan’s SLAM Sports Bar, a wrestling-themed venue near Madison Square Garden that could announce its opening date soon.
The planned destination is designed to be more than a traditional sports bar. SLAM will include wrestling memorabilia, hyperrealistic statues created from molds of Hulk Hogan’s hands and face, a podcast studio, and live sports-entertainment programming.
In his conversation with TV Insider, Nick said the goal is to welcome both wrestling fans and people who want a place to enjoy major sporting events.
“This is going to be a sports bar that caters to everybody to have a great time there and feel welcome there,” he said.
Construction was still underway when Nick spoke about the project, but he expected an opening-date announcement within weeks. He described the launch as potentially including a major week of grand-opening events.
Save this article
Enter your email address and we'll send it straight to your inbox.
“Keep your eyes on SLAM,” Nick added. “We believe it is going to be that big.”
The location carries special meaning because Madison Square Garden played a major role in Hulk Hogan’s rise and the explosion of Hulkamania.
Nick also pointed to WWE’s continued connection to his father’s legacy. He said the company honored Hulk during WrestleMania weekend with a Hall of Fame tribute and a surprise statue reveal, and he hopes SLAM can become a gathering place when WWE events return to New York.
The Hogan Family Is in a Better Place After Years of Tension
Nick described his family as being in “a really good place,” but that statement comes after years of complicated relationships behind the scenes.
When discussing Brooke, Nick spoke with pride about the life she has built.
“I’m so proud of Brooke,” he said. “She’s just a phenomenal interior decorator. She has got this business that she started and she just did a new TV show, Rock the Block, and she was fantastic on that.”
He added that Brooke had welcomed twins, gotten married, and was doing well. Nick also said his mother Linda was thriving and that his entire family had supported the work he was doing.
The history between the Hogan family members, however, has been more complicated. Brooke has previously said that her distance from each parent developed separately, with different issues affecting each relationship.
In the final years of Hulk’s life, Brooke described a respectful but painful disconnect between them.
Her husband, Steven Oleksy, attempted to help rebuild communication between father and daughter, but they did not reconcile before Hulk’s death.
Related: 8 Things You Must Never Do for Family, No Matter How Much You Love Them
A Wrestling Return May Not Be off the Table
Nick ended his conversation with a comment that immediately caught the attention of wrestling fans.
When asked about the possibility of stepping into the ring, Nick pointed to his recent physical preparation and suggested future opportunities could exist.
“I didn’t get in shape for no reason, so we’ll see,” he said. “I’m definitely feeling good right now, and I think that there’s going to be some really unique opportunities in the future, and especially being right there at Madison Square Garden. Something may happen, you never know.”
For now, no match, promotion deal, or return timeline has been announced. Nick’s comments suggest possibility rather than a confirmed plan.
Whether every family issue has truly been resolved remains private. But near Madison Square Garden, Nick is moving forward with the part of Hulk Hogan’s story he can influence: keeping the legacy alive in a place built around the world his father helped create.
For a family carrying both memories and unanswered questions, that may be the most complicated part of inheritance: deciding what to preserve, what to rebuild, and what to leave in the past.
If you’ve navigated an unresolved relationship with a parent before losing them, did it change how you thought about carrying their memory forward?
