Terry Gene Bollea, known globally by his ring name Hulk Hogan, has passed away at the age of 71. He was found unresponsive at his home in Clearwater, Florida, on Thursday morning. First responders arrived after receiving a call regarding a cardiac arrest, according to TMZ.
Hogan wasn’t just a wrestling star—he was the wrestling star for an entire generation. Bursting onto the scene in the late 1970s and rising to superstardom through the 1980s and ’90s, Hogan became the face of professional wrestling. With his signature yellow and red gear, handlebar mustache, ripped shirt, and booming “Whatcha gonna do when Hulkamania runs wild on you?”, he was larger than life.
He first gained fame in the WWF (now WWE), where he won the WWF Championship five times and headlined eight of the first nine WrestleMania events. His battles with the likes of André the Giant, “Macho Man” Randy Savage, and The Ultimate Warrior are etched in wrestling history.
In the mid-1990s, Hogan reinvented himself as a villain with the formation of the New World Order (nWo) in WCW, shocking fans and giving a major boost to the Monday Night Wars era of wrestling. That move helped reshape the industry once again, proving his staying power across decades.
Beyond the ring, Hogan crossed over into mainstream entertainment. He starred in movies like Suburban Commando and Mr. Nanny, made countless TV appearances, and even had his own reality show, Hogan Knows Best, in the 2000s.
Despite personal ups and downs, Hogan remained a beloved and controversial figure, always finding his way back into the hearts of wrestling fans. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame twice—once in 2005 as a solo wrestler and again in 2020 as part of the nWo.
The wrestling world and fans everywhere are mourning the loss of a true icon—one who defined an era and became a symbol of strength, charisma, and entertainment.
