The world of professional wrestling and entertainment is mourning as one of the greatest legends has passed away. Hulk Hogan, born Terry Gene Bollea, passed away on July 24, 2025, at 71 years old, from a sudden cardiac arrest at his Clearwater, Florida, residence.
Hogan’s untimely death has left fans all over the world shocked, especially considering that this came after recent public statements by his wife, Sky Daily, denying rumors that he was not well. In June of 2025, she had vehemently rejected reports that Hogan was on his “deathbed,” asserting that he had a healthy heart following a recent neck surgery and was “doing better than ever.” His death a month later serves to underscore the propensity for unexpected and quiet cardiac occurrences to recur even in the ostensibly invincible.
Hulk Hogan was more than just a wrestler; he was a global phenomenon. Legendary in the 1980s and 1990s, Hogan became the icon of professional wrestling, leading the WWE (once WWF) into a cultural behemoth. With that trademark handlebar mustache, ripped yellow tank tops, and that unmistakable rallying call of “Whatcha gonna do when Hulkamania runs wild on you?”, Hogan became a name on everyone’s lips in America and across the globe.
His mythic bouts with rivals like Andre the Giant, Macho Man Randy Savage, The Ultimate Warrior, and later The Rock brought professional wrestling into the mainstream. Hogan appeared in eight of the first nine WrestleMania events, a record which remains intact.
All in all, he was six-time WWF Champion and six-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion, and one of the most productive and recognizable champions in pro wrestling history.
Hogan’s charm also went beyond the wrestling universe. He appeared in a series of low-budget movies, including No Holds Barred, Mr. Nanny, and Suburban Commando, and even had a reality show, Hogan Knows Best, that aired on VH1 during the mid-2000s. Though his acting career never attained the same level of fame as he enjoyed as a wrestler, it contributed to his enduring popularity with various generations.
He also made frequent appearances on talk shows, awards shows, and commercials so that Hulkamania was a full-blown cross-media phenomenon.
Despite his own celebrity and larger than life persona, though, Hogan’s own career was not controversy free. After a leaked tape with racist remarks in 2015, WWE cut their business with him and removed all references to him from their website. Hogan later issued an apology, and WWE reinstated him to the Hall of Fame later on, though the scandal put its own permanent mark on his own reputation.
Additionally, he suffered many health battles because of the physical toll all these years. For the last two decades, Hogan went under multiple surgeries, including his back and knees as well as his neck, which left him in constant pain and sometimes reliant on a cane. Lately, his health issues were surfacing again online, yet he appeared public and at conventions in front of fans.
Hogan wedded Sky Daily, a yoga instructor, in September 2023 in a small ceremony. He had two kids, Brooke and Nick Bollea, with his former wife Linda Claridge. Brooke, who enjoyed a brief career in music and reality television, went on social media and paid tribute to her dad in a sincere post, calling him her “hero, protector, and the strongest man she ever knew.”
Tributes poured in from across the wrestling and entertainment community. Other icons like Ric Flair, Triple H, and Stone Cold Steve Austin were left shocked and dismayed by the news, with WWE releasing an official statement calling Hogan “the most iconic figure in the history of sports entertainment.”
Even non-wrestling celebrities like actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson attributed Hogan as a “trailblazer who made it possible for guys like me to dream bigger.”
The passing of Hulk Hogan marks the end of an era a period when larger-than-life heroes awed audiences with their power, charm, and unbreakable will. Even though his life was filled with ups and downs, there is no denying that Hulk Hogan transformed the world of professional wrestling irretrievably.
As the world says goodbye, they remember not just the wrestler, but also the spirit of Hulkamania a belief in hard work, self-determination and the power to overcome any challenge.
Rest in peace, Hulkster. You slammed giants, inspired millions, and ran wild like nobody else ever could.
Wrestling Icon Hulk Hogan Dies at 71 from Cardiac Arrest at Florida Home
