Entertainment
Wrestling Legend Hulk Hogan Dies Aged 71
The WWE star and vocal supporter of Donald Trump died after suffering a cardiac arrest at his home in Florida
Hulk Hogan was one of the most popular figures in the history of wrestling. He was also one of the most divisive.
Hogan bodyslamming Andre the Giant will live forever in wrestling history, as will his title run lasting more than three years.
He carried the WWE (then WWF) on his back during the wrestling boom in the 80s and is widely credited with giving “sports entertainment” mainstream appeal, while a reinvention in the 90s led him to run one of wrestling’s biggest ever factions in the nWo.
Hogan was larger-than-life in the ring, while his remarkable charisma outside of it made him the total package.
But for everything he achieved in wrestling – and he basically achieved everything – the end of his career was tarnished by racist comments in 2015 that effectively ended his relationship with the sport.
And his one-off appearance for WWE during the first episode of Raw on Netflix in January 2025 was most notable for the sheer volume of boos he received when he walked on stage.
But despite the controversies, Hogan will likely be best remembered for his biggest moments in the ring – and the Hulkamaniacs will always have a lot to choose from, brother.
Hulk Hogan is arguably the most famous name in professional wrestling history.
Born Terry Boella in 1953, Hogan dominated the professional wrestling world throughout the 80s and 90s before expanding into films, and later reality TV.
Joining the World Wrestling Federation (now World Wrestling Entertainment, WWE) in 1979 but leaving shortly after in 1981, Hogan headlined the first WrestleMania in New York in 1985, where he and Mr T defeated Paul Orndorff and Roddy Piper.
Throughout the 90s, Hogan’s popularity transcended the wrestling ring, appearing in films including Mr Nanny and Suburban Commando.
It was a surprise to no-one when Hogan was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005 (he would later be inducted again in 2020 as a member of the NWO), but he was removed from the hall in 2015 when his WWE contract was terminated after a tape of him emerged using a racist slur.
In 2018, the company reinstated him, saying he deserved a second chance, but several WWE superstars, including the New Day and Titus O’Neil, said it would be “difficult to simply forget” what Hogan had said.
In recent years, Hogan had appeared at Trump rallies and on the US election campaign trail last year.
Hogan was booed by the crowd at his most recent WWE appearance, when he appeared on the company’s flagship Monday Night Raw programme to promote his beer brand.
Comments
