WWE stars refused to take part in the Hulk Hogan tribute

The recent tribute that WWE paid to Hulk Hogan seems to have not had unanimous support from the locker room. Two weeks ago, during the airing of Friday Night SmackDown, the company organized the 10-bell salute in honor of the late icon, gathering most of the roster at the stage entrance. This was repeated on Monday Night Raw. However, some names caught attention for their absence, such as Roman Reigns, and now reports have emerged about other talents who may have chosen not to be present.

According to Billi Bhaitti on the Dirty Sheets' Wrestling Informer show, figures like Becky Lynch, Paul Heyman, The New Day, and Rhea Ripley reportedly decided not to participate for personal reasons. In these cases, it wouldn't have been a logistical issue, but rather differences with Hogan's legacy and persona.

Becky Lynch, in particular, had already shown her displeasure with comparisons to Hogan, especially when some fans started referring to her as "Becky Hogan". Additionally, Seth Rollins, her real-life partner, has always been publicly critical of Hogan. On the other hand, The New Day have expressed their rejection of Hogan's return to WWE on several occasions following the controversies that marked his career regarding his racism controversy.

There is no public evidence that Paul Heyman or Rhea Ripley have a direct personal conflict with Hulk Hogan that would explain their absence from the WWE tribute. According to reports, their absence was backed by production as a creative decision, rather than an explicit individual rejection.

In Ripley's case, there are no known precedents of friction with Hogan, and in Heyman's case, there have been no statements indicating an open disagreement. Therefore, everything points to the company wanting to control who appeared in the tribute as part of their internal narrative, rather than leaving it up to the talents' personal choice.

While the tribute was well received by much of the audience and several professional colleagues, it is clear that Hulk Hogan's legacy continues to generate divided opinions within the company, even after his passing.