Terry Bollea, known worldwide as retired WWE superstar Hulk Hogan, died Thursday at age 71. The most widely recognized and well-known professional wrestler in history, Hogan rose to fame as a pop culture icon with the advent of “Hulkamania” leading the explosive national expansion of the World Wrestling Federation in the 1980s. He suffered cardiac arrest in his home in Clearwater, Florida, before being rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to TMZ.
Hogan’s in-ring career spanned 35 years from 1977 to 2012. He started as the consummate babyface (good guy) with WWE where he won the heavyweight championship six times while leading an industry revolution that saw wrestling become truly mainstream for the first time in its history. His combined WWE championship reign of 2,184 days is second-longest in history only behind Bruno Sammartino (4,040).
Hogan headlined and main evented eight of the first nine WrestleManias and became the first man to win consecutive Royal Rumble matches (1990-91). His infamous bodyslam of Andre the Giant (“the bodyslam heard around the world”) at WrestleMania III in 1987 remains one of the industry’s most iconic moments, and their subsequent match on “WWF The Main Event” on Feb. 5, 1988, to this day holds wrestling’s United States television ratings record, bringing in 33 million viewers.
Hogan infamously moved to World Championship Wresting (WCW) in 1994 and ultimately became a heel (bad guy) for the first time, reinventing himself as “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan, the leader of the New World Order faction in 1996. He went on to win six more heavyweight championships in WCW while helping lead WCW and its upstart “Monday Night Nitro” television program to 83 straight weeks of head-to-head victories over WWE’s flagship “Monday Night Raw” show.
Returning to WWE after it purchased WCW, Hogan won his final heavyweight championship with the company in 2002. The last of his most notable WrestleMania matches came in a highly anticipated showdown against Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson at WrestleMania X8 that year, a bout many consider to be among the most iconic in professional wrestling history.
Inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005 and again in 2020 as part of the nWo, Hogan long explored pursuits outside wrestling. His popularity exploded nationally in the 1980s and 1990s as Hogan was seen as a role model for children and adults. He referred to his fans as “Hulkamaniacs,” demanding they train and stay fit, say their prayers and eat their vitamins. He could be found everywhere from lunch boxes and action figures to cartoons and late night talk shows.
Hogan appeared in several films during that time, including “Rocky III” and “No Holds Barred,” and upon his retirement, he starred in the reality TV show “Hogan Knows Best” alongside his family.
“The world lost a treasure today. Hulk Hogan was the greatest WWE Superstar of ALL TIME, someone who was loved and admired around the world. He was a trailblazer, the first performer who transitioned from being a wrestling star into a global phenomenon,” said former WWE chairman Vince McMahon in a statement on social media.
“His grit and unbridled thirst for success were unparalleled – and made him the consummate performer. He gave everything he had to the audience whom he appreciated, respected and loved. He leaves us with one of his favorite expressions, ‘Train, take your vitamins and say your prayers.’ Today, we pray for him.”
Hogan has become the centerpiece of scandals and controversies over recent years. He was caught using racial slurs on a sex tape that was made public — 10 years ago to the day of his death — leading Hogan to subsequently receive a $140 million judgment in 2016 against Gawker, which published portions that media. Hogan was fired by WWE but ultimately brought back to the company years later. His involvement in politics has been a hot-button issue as well, dividing fans.
Hogan recently reaffirmed a part-time role with WWE as a brand ambassador. Making a brief appearance during the debut of WWE’s “Monday Night Raw” on Netflix this January, Hogan was vociferously booed by the Los Angeles audience to the point that he did not make planned subsequent appearances. Some current WWE superstars had been outspoken about not wanting Hogan involved with the company.
Hogan in April launched Real American Beer, a company he co-founded. He was also serving as commissioner for startup amateur wrestling promotion Real American Freestyle, which is set to hold its first event later this year.
