Terry Gene Bollea, better known to the world as Hulk Hogan, has died aged 71 following a cardiac arrest at his home in Clearwater, Florida.
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) confirmed his death on 24 July, though further details were not immediately released. He was pronounced dead at Morton Plant Hospital.
A towering figure both in size and stature, Hogan stood 6-foot-8 and weighed around 300 pounds in his prime. With his signature blond hair, horseshoe moustache, bandannas, and 24-inch “pythons,” he became the face of professional wrestling during the 1980s and early 1990s. His flamboyance and charisma helped transform wrestling from a regional spectacle into a global entertainment juggernaut.
Born on 11 August 1953 in Augusta, Georgia, Hogan was the son of a construction foreman and a dance teacher. He briefly attended the University of South Florida before choosing the ring over the classroom. He began wrestling professionally in 1977 and adopted the name “Hulk” due to comparisons with the comic book character on the television series The Incredible Hulk. In 1979, he joined the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE), taking the alliterative surname Hogan.
Hogan played a central role in the rise of WWE, starring in the inaugural WrestleMania in 1985 and famously facing André the Giant at WrestleMania III. He later joined WCW and shocked fans with his “heel turn,” forming the villainous New World Order (nWo) faction. He was a six-time WWE Champion and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame twice, in 2005 and 2020.
Even after stepping away from regular competition, Hogan remained a cultural icon. In 2024, he made headlines again by appearing at the Republican National Convention, tearing off his shirt to reveal a Trump/Vance T-shirt beneath.
Despite controversies—most notably a leaked sex tape and racist remarks that led to a temporary WWE ban—Hogan’s influence endured. WWE called him “one of pop culture’s most recognisable figures,” and tributes have poured in from across the wrestling world, including from Ric Flair and Triple H, as well as political figures such as Donald Trump Jr. and Senator J.D. Vance.
Hogan is survived by his wife, Sky Daily, and his two children, Brooke and Nick.
A full obituary is expected to follow.
