Hulk Hogan Dies at 71: Wrestling's Biggest Icon Leaves a Complicated Legacy
Hulk Hogan's Death Ends an Era in Professional Wrestling
Few people ever become bigger than the sport they represent. Hulk Hogan—born Terry Gene Bollea—was one of those rare names who did. Early on July 24, 2025, Hogan died of cardiac arrest at his home in Clearwater, Florida. He was 71. Police in the area confirmed there was nothing suspicious, and an era in pop culture ended right there.
Back in the 1980s, professional wrestling was still a carnival curiosity for many Americans. All that changed when Hogan came stomping in, bright yellow boots and all, flexing and ripping shirts to wild cheers. Kids everywhere copied his signature mustache, his booming 'whatcha gonna do?' catchphrase, and the iconic arm-cupping to hear the crowd roar. He headlined no fewer than eight WrestleManias and reigned as WWE world champion six times, making wrestling feel as mainstream as Saturday morning cartoons.
Hogan made wrestling global. Thanks to his massive popularity, the WWE went from small venues to packed stadiums worldwide, beamed out to living rooms across continents. If you had cable in the '80s or '90s, you knew Hulk Hogan. His feuds were legendary—Andre The Giant, Randy Savage, Ultimate Warrior—each storyline raising the stakes for what entertainment wrestling could be, both dramatic and totally over the top.
Controversy and Impact Beyond the Ring
But being a megastar isn't all cheers and applause. Hogan’s later years were marked by moments that many fans found hard to reconcile. In 2015, a leaked sex tape and the use of racist language tanked his reputation. Sponsors and the WWE itself distanced themselves for a while. Hogan apologized, and his slow return was met with mixed feelings from the wrestling world and beyond. The shadow of these controversies stayed, even as millions remembered him for their favorite childhood memories.
He didn't just stick to wrestling either. Hogan dabbled in acting, showing up in everything from 'Rocky III' to his own reality TV show, "Hogan Knows Best." He was part of the pop culture wallpaper—cartoons, action figures, interviews, and endorsements that kept his face everywhere. Even his personal life got tabloid attention: marriages, divorces, and the very public ups and downs with his kids, Brooke and Nick.
Hogan wasn’t shy about politics, either. Recently, he threw his weight behind Donald Trump, showing support at the 2024 Republican National Convention. That move drew both support and controversy, yet again proving that Hogan never blended into the background.
His relationships inside wrestling could swerve just as sharply. Jesse Ventura, another wrestling legend turned politician, never forgave him for what he called a betrayal during failed efforts to unionize wrestlers back in the day. For Ventura, the wounds remained fresh even as tributes from others flooded in.
Those tributes, though, poured in from around the world as the news of Hogan’s death broke. WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, never one for understatement, called Hogan the "consummate performer." Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, among others, described him as a "childhood hero." Under all the complex baggage, the impact Hulk Hogan had—good or bad—can’t be ignored. The arena just got a little quieter.