Sylvester Stallone honors Rocky 3 co-star Hulk Hogan

Hulk Hogan passed away earlier this morning at the age of 71 from a reported cardiac arrest. The late WWE Hall of Famer has received a wide range of reactions from the wrestling world. Hollywood personalities have also begun to give their thoughts on the Immortal One, including Sylvester Stallone.

The two men shared a ring in Hogan's acting debut in Rocky III, in which Rocky Balboa battled a wrestling champion in a charity event. Hogan portrayed the villainous Thunderlips, a World Champion pro wrestler who attempted to upstage Rocky in what was supposed to be a fun exhibition.

In a Facebook post, Sylvester Stallone honored his late co-star.

"I had the pleasure of meeting this brilliant personality and showman when he was 26 years old. He was absolutely wonderful and his amazing skill made Rocky three incredibly special. My heart breaks. I think that he’s gone…" Stallone wrote.

Rocky III was a major factor in Hulk Hogan's rise in popularity, as it hit theaters just before the meteoric rise of Hulkamania.

Hulk Hogan praised Sylvester Stallone's toughness on set

Hulk Hogan has shared a respect with Sylvester Stallone ever since they first met for Rocky III. Stallone had a history of performing his own stunts for a large chunk of his career, and this film was no different.

In an interview with Opie and Anthony back in 2014, Hogan praised Stallone's grit, stating that he gladly took a lot of punishment from the then-26-year-old Hulkster.

"He was like a buck-sixty pounds, I was, like, 320 by then. He got me up, and he was wobbling... He did everything. He did all of his own stunts. I'd powerslam him from corner to corner. Landed on him. When I bounced off him and the blood came out of his mouth, he'd say, 'Oh that's great!'" -Hulk Hogan on Opie and Anthony [0:21-0:45]

While Stallone performed many of his stunts over the years, he recently warned actors on his reality show, The Family Stallone, not to do so. He claimed that an injury sustained during a fight with another WWE legend, Stone Cold Steve Austin, on the set of The Expendables, left him with damage that he's still dealing with today.

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