Hulk Hogan, wrestling icon and pop culture titan, dies at 71

Bernadette Soriano

Terry Gene Bollea, better known worldwide as Hulk Hogan, died on Thursday, July 24, 2025 (Thursday evening, Philippine time) at age 71, leaving behind a seismic legacy in both professional wrestling and pop culture.

NBC Los Angeles confirmed Hogan’s death at his Clearwater, Florida home, with emergency dispatch citing cardiac arrest as the cause.

The wrestling legend, once synonymous with the red-and-yellow spectacle of “Hulkamania,” was reportedly surrounded by family at the time of his passing.

Sources say paramedics responded to a medical call early Thursday, where Hogan was transported from his residence via stretcher following a 911 cardiac event.

Hogan had previously undergone neck surgery in May 2025, and although his wife Sky publicly denied rumors of critical decline, his condition was reportedly volatile in recent weeks.

A six-time WWF Champion, Hogan’s charismatic ring presence, iconic bandana, and tank-top-tearing entrances helped vault wrestling into global mainstream appeal.

After defeating the Iron Sheik in 1984, Hogan launched “Hulkamania,” a movement that rebranded pro wrestling from niche sport to family entertainment.

Hogan’s polarizing 1996 heel turn, which birthed the revolutionary New World Order (NWO), redefined his career and ushered in wrestling’s edgier “Attitude Era.”

He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame twice — first as an individual in 2005, and again in 2020 as part of the NWO stable.

In 2015, Hogan was briefly removed from the WWE Hall of Fame after racist comments surfaced from a leaked, secretly recorded video; he later won a major lawsuit against Gawker for the incident.

Despite controversy, Hogan remained a magnetic cultural figure, starring in films like Rocky III, Suburban Commando, and Mr. Nanny, and headlining the VH1 reality series Hogan Knows Best.

His WrestleMania showdowns, from body-slamming Andre the Giant at WM 3 to dueling with The Rock at WM X8, remain etched in sports entertainment history.

In April 2025, Hogan launched Real American Freestyle, an amateur wrestling league set to debut its first event this August 30, 2025 on Fox Nation.

He most recently stunned audiences as the centerpiece of the 2024 Republican National Convention, drawing both admiration and debate for his trademark theatrics.

Wrestling insiders say Hogan’s physical toll was unmatched, with the icon himself claiming he had “no original body parts left” after decades of punishing matches and surgeries.

As news of his death spreads, fans, athletes, and industry veterans worldwide are paying tribute to the man who turned body slams into bedtime conversation.

Hulk Hogan didn’t just define a generation; he body-slammed his way into the DNA of American entertainment.