Hulk Hogan, 69, looked like he was in good spirits on Friday when he was photographed walking just days after false rumors claiming he was paralyzed from back surgery made headlines. The legendary professional wrestler wore a black and white graphic T-shirt, jeans, and black sneakers as he used a walking stick to leave the DMV in Clearwater, FL.
He flashed a smile to cameras as he rocked a signature black bandana around his famous blond locks and showed off his recognizable mustache. He also had sunglasses on top of his head, wore a cross necklace, and carried his phone. He also reportedly stopped for a minute to wave to a fan nearby while his son Nick Hogan walked beside him while holding what appeared to be a license and DMV paperwork.
Hulk and Nick’s latest outing is the first time they’ve been publicly seen since Hulk’s rep confirmed that “everything is OK with him” to Entertainment Tonight following his surgery on Tuesday. “Hulk is someone with a lot of humor.” WWE pro Kurt Angle sparked the paralyzed rumors just two days before, when he claimed Hulk couldn’t feel below his waist, during an episode of his podcast.
“Hogan had his back surgery again,” he said on Sunday’s episode of The Kurt Angle Show. “He had the nerves cut from his lower body. He can’t feel his lower body. So let’s use his cane to walk around. I thought he was using the cane because he had pain in his back. He doesn’t have any pain. He has nothing at all. He can’t feel anything.”
He went on to claim that Hulk’s post-op condition was “pretty serious,” since he “can’t feel his legs” and “has to walk with a cane” and expressed his empathy for him. “I really feel for Hogan. He put his heart and soul into the business and ate him up,” he said.
Before Hulk’s surgery made recent headlines, he appeared on WWE Raw at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA on Jan. 23. He kicked off the show’s 30th anniversary celebration by making his way to the ringside and giving a classic Hogan-style introduction. The move made the fans go wild and was one of the highlights of the event.