Hulk Hogan, WWE Hall of Famer, Dies At Age 71

Legendary professional wrestler and WWE Hall of Famer Terry "Hulk Hogan" Bollea died Thursday at the age of 71.

Hogan's manager, Chris Volo, confirmed the news to NBC Los Angeles (h/t NBC New York).

TMZ Sports was the first to report on Hogan's death, noting that paramedics were called to his home in Clearwater, Florida, early Thursday morning to address a cardiac arrest situation.

Hogan had reportedly been recovering from neck surgery he underwent in May, and although rumors and speculation were rampant regarding the severity of his condition, Hogan's wife, Sky, denied rumors of Hogan being in a coma to TMZ Sports, calling him "strong."

WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair and his daughter, current WWE Superstar Charlotte Flair, were among those to honor Hogan on social media after news of his passing went public:

Arguably the most recognizable and popular star in pro wrestling history, Hogan was the driving force behind WWE's rise to prominence in the 1980s.

In January 1984, Hogan won the WWE Championship for the first time, beating The Iron Sheik. That marked the start of the Hulkamania craze, and it led directly to the creation of WrestleMania just over one year later.

Hogan and actor Mr. T headlined the first WrestleMania against "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff at Madison Square Garden in New York City in 1985, and the event was such a success that it became an annual fixture.

Before departing WWE in 1993, Hogan competed in the main event of eight of the first nine WrestleManias, and he held the WWE Championship on five occasions.

That included his match against Andre the Giant at WrestleMania 3 in front of an announced crowd of over 93,000 fans.

Hogan parlayed his popularity in pro wrestling into a successful acting career in Hollywood, as the pop culture icon starred in several memorable films, including No Holds Barred, Suburban Commando, Mr. Nanny and Thunder in Paradise.

He played the role of Thunderlips in Rocky III in 1982 as well, prior to his run with WWE.

In 1994, Hogan shocked the wrestling world by jumping ship to WWE's top competitor in the form of Ted Turner-owned WCW.

Hogan started his tenure at WCW as the same red-and-yellow-clad babyface he was during his time in WWE, but a drastic change was made in 1996.

After fans started to tire of Hogan's character, he shook pro wrestling to its very core at Bash at the Beach 1996 by turning heel and aligning himself with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall to form the New World Order or nWo.

Hogan started going by the moniker "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan after becoming a villain, and his turn is a big reason why WCW Nitro beat WWE Raw in the Monday Night War ratings battle for 83 consecutive weeks from 1996 to 1998.

All told, Hogan was a six-time World Heavyweight Champion in WCW, spending much of his time in the promotion with the title in tow.

After WWE purchased WCW in 2001, Hogan returned to WWE in 2002 as the leader of the nWo, but the fans quickly turned him babyface, as they supported him during his iconic match against The Rock at WrestleMania 18.

Hogan became WWE champion for the sixth and final time in 2002, and after departing WWE in 2005, he returned for one more run as an active competitor from 2005 to 2006.

He left WWE again in 2007 and followed that up with a lengthy run in TNA as an on-screen authority figure and part-time wrestler before returning to WWE once again in 2014 in an ambassador role.

For all of his in-ring success, Hogan wasn't without some controversy outside of it. WWE parted ways with him in 2015 after audio of Hogan making anti-Black remarks was released by the National Enquirer.

Hogan was removed from the WWE Hall of Fame as part of his punishment, but he was reinstated upon his return to the company in 2018.

The Hulkster last appeared on WWE programming on the Jan. 6, 2025, episode of Raw, which was the first episode of Raw on Netflix.

Hogan, who discussed the partnership between WWE and his Real American Beer brand, was loudly booed by the live crowd, with theories ranging from his past racist remarks to his public support for United States President Donald Trump.

In April, Hogan and former WCW executive Eric Bischoff announced the creation of an amateur wrestling promotion called Real American Freestyle.

Hogan was set to serve as commissioner of the company, which is scheduled to hold its debut event in Cleveland on Aug. 30.