Image: Hulk Hogan Helps Alexa Bliss Kick Off WWE WrestleMania 2019

WWE kicked off WrestleMania 35 with a familiar face.

WrestleMania host Alexa Bliss welcomed Hulk Hogan to the stage to open the show.

In a beautiful bit of irony, Hogan made light of his appearance at WrestleMania XXX, when he incorrectly called the Mercedes-Benz Superdome the Silverdome, the latter of which was the site for WrestleMania III. He then proceeded to mistakenly identify MetLife Stadium as "MetLife Center."

Bliss and Hogan then posed together on the stage before the WrestleMania card got underway with Brock Lesnar's universal title defense against Seth Rollins.

WWE had excommunicated Hogan in July 2015 after he was recorded making racist comments on his sex tape. The company removed his profile from its website and refrained from mentioning him during official broadcasts.

WWE reinstated Hogan to its Hall of Fame last July and has sporadically used him for special occasions. He was the host for Crown Jewel in November, the promotion's second event in Saudi Arabia. He was also on Raw in January as WWE paid tribute to "Mean" Gene Okerlund following Okerlund's death.