While a boxing match can be grueling, the ring entrances are a chance for the fighters to showcase their personalities and psych themselves up for the fight.
On Friday, Dec. 19, Jake Paul will take on Anthony Joshua in a professional boxing match on Netflix. The event is supposed to be one of the biggest fights of the year, and of Paul's career so far.
It was expected that Paul was going to pull out all of the stops for his ring walk, but he revealed that his ring walk theme would also tie into his attire for the fight. He will be paying tribute to Hulk Hogan, who passed away in July 2025.
Here is more on how Paul is paying tribute to the late wrestler.
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Jake Paul Hulk Hogan tribute
Hulk Hogan rose to prominence in the professional wrestling scene in the 1980s and 90s. He was pitched as the ultimate American hero, often taking down foreign wrestlers in a point of country pride. Hogan is one of the most successfully marketed wrestlers of all time, and even those who didn't follow the industry were aware of the red and yellow colors being symbols of the "Hulkster".
Paul, an American, will be battling Joshua, who was born in the U.K. Choosing Hogan as his inspiration, Paul will channel the pride of all Americans, taking on an English opponent.
Hulk Hogan outfit
Paul released a video to his Instagram account showing how he made his outfit for the fight. The boxer claimed to have found and killed an alligator, which his team then turned into boxing shorts for him to wear.
In the video, Paul was shown wearing yellow sunglasses as well as a Hulkamania jacket with flames on the sleeves. His shorts say "Paul" on the front in the Hulkamania font and are red with yellow accents emulating flames.
Hulk Hogan walkout song
If Paul's video on Instagram is any indication, the tribute to Hogan may not stop with the attire. Over the video, "Real American" was playing. This was Hogan's famed entrance music to let his fans know he was coming to the ring.
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Jake Paul Hulk Hogan connection
Hogan sat ringside for one of Paul's fights, and the two had the chance to interact beforehand. Jake's brother, Logan, is a wrestler in the WWE. The Paul brothers both looked up to Hogan growing up, and Logan learned from him with the WWE. Logan also had Hogan on his "Impaulsive" podcast. After Hogan's passing, Jake shared heartfelt messages about Hogan.
Paul posted, “Always appreciated your kind words and encouragement. Hulk Hogan brought WWE to the masses globally. Rest easy," on his X account after Hogan's passing.
How did Hulk Hogan die?
Hogan died of a heart attack on July 24, 2025. A month later, there were questions over the official cause of death, and his family believed that his death could have been the result of some complications from recent surgeries that Hogan had.