Better known by his ring name, Hulk Hogan, was born Terry Bollea on August 11, 1953, and he rose to superstardom in the 1980s, becoming the face of WWE (then WWF), and ushering in the era of WrestleMania.
He is also credited with helping to bring professional wrestling into mainstream entertainment. His charisma, signature “Hulkamania” persona, and unmatched connection with fans cemented his legacy in sports entertainment history.
Hogan began his professional wrestling career in 1977 and featured prominently in World Wrestling Federation (now known as WWE), World Championship Wrestling and Impact Wrestling but it was his run with the WWE in the 1980s that propelled him and the company to the cultural zeitgeist.
Hogan is widely credited for helping to turn professional wrestling from a regional attraction to a mainstream phenomenon in the 1980s.
In the squared circle, he was the larger-than-life Hulk Hogan, the classic good guy, known as a face in wrestling terminology, who encouraged children to eat their vegetables and say their prayers as he grappled the villains known as heels. He became champion on six different occasions with the WWE.
“Whatcha Gonna Do When Hulkamania Runs Wild On You!?” was one of his more popular catchphrases and he, as “The Hulkster” would put a hand behind his ear to hear the roar of the crowds.
Hogan, including his signature leg drop and 24-inch pythons, were synonymous with WrestleMania, the annual extravaganza put on by WWE.
“The Immortal One” as the character of Hogan was known as, headlined the first on March 31, 1985, alongside his tag team partner Mr. T and defeated “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper.
On March 27, 1985, just days prior to the inaugural WrestleMania, Richard Belzer requested on his cable TV talk show ‘Hot Properties‘ that Hogan demonstrate one of his signature wrestling moves to prove that wrestling wasn’t fake.
After consistently refusing but being egged on by Belzer, Hogan put Belzer in a modified guillotine choke, which caused Belzer to pass out. When Hogan released him, Belzer hit his head on the floor, sustaining a laceration to the scalp that required a brief hospitalization. Belzer sued Hogan for $5 million and later settled out of court in 1990.
Hogan would appear in 10 WrestleMania matches and featured in the main event eight times.
Hogan parlayed his wrestling appeal by becoming a cultural icon himself, appearing on TV shows such as “Saturday Night Live,” “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,” and the short-lived series “Thunder In Paradise,” which co-starred his longtime friend and manager “Mouth of the South” Jimmy Hart. He also starred in movies like “Rocky III” and “Mr. Nanny.”
Hogan left the WWE in the mid-’90s and joined rival promotion WCW. However, the once adoring fans dubbed Hulkamaniacs began to boo his heroic persona.
Hogan changed the industry once again with his transformation to the evil “Hollywood Hogan” character.
In 1996, for the first time in his illustrious career, the character of Hogan was now a villain, the leader of the faction New World Order in WCW.
Hogan returned to WWE in 2002 and faced off against Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson at WrestleMania X8, with the fans cheering him on once again.
While performing in the ring, Hogan’s costume consisted of a yellow ‘HOGAN’ bandana, a yellow muscle top, a weightlifter’s belt, red spandex pants, and yellow cowboy boots.
Hogan’s dip in popularity was not just limited to the arenas. His image took a battering in 1994 when the Federal Government accused WWE Executive Chairman Vince McMahon of illegally giving performers anabolic steroids.
Hogan testified that he took steroids but denied doing so at McMahon’s direction. McMahon was ultimately acquitted.
Hogan was once again in the news in 2012 when Gawker published a sex tape involving Hogan and a friend’s then-wife. Hogan sued for invasion of privacy and won a $140 million judgment by a jury in June 2016. He settled with the company for $31 million.
Hogan was previously embroiled in another scandal when a 2007 recording of him making racist remarks and saying the N-word were made public in 2015. Bollea was fired from the WWE and temporarily removed from the WWE Hall of Fame.
Hogan apologized for his use of the slur, telling “Good Morning America” in 2015 that he wanted his fans’ forgiveness.
“I’m not a racist but I never should have said what I said. It was wrong. I’m embarrassed by it,” he said, but added: “People need to realize that you inherit things from your environment. And where I grew up was south Tampa, Port Tampa, and it was a really rough neighborhood, very low income. And all my friends, we greeted each other saying that word.”
He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005 for the first time as an individual performer and again in 2020 as a member of the NWO.
Despite his retirement, he continued his connection to the sport that made him famous. He was reinstated by the WWE in 2018 and hosted WrestleMania 37 alongside WWE Superstar Titus O’Neil in 2021.
Hogan announced his engagement to yoga instructor Sky Daily in July 2023 and the two married in September 2023.
He took the stage at the Republican National Convention in July 2024 to endorse President Donald Trump, a longtime friend. He ripped his shirt off in famous fashion and revealed a Trump-Vance 2024 T-shirt below.
“I’ve known that man for over 35 years, and he’s always been the biggest patriot, and he still is,” Hogan said. “He’s always told you exactly what he thought, and he still does, brother. No matter the odds, he always finds a way to win.”
McMahon remembered Hogan as the “greatest WWE Superstar of ALL TIME” who gave “everything he had to the audience.”
“He was a trailblazer, the first performer who transitioned from being a wrestling star into a global phenomenon,” the former WWE chairman and CEO said in a statement, adding, “His grit and unbridled thirst for success were unparalleled — and made him the consummate performer.”
His Religious Beliefs
In 2007, Hogan spoke about his faith in his life, saying: “[I’ve] leaned on my religion. I was saved when I was 14. I accepted Christ as my savior. He died on the cross and paid for my sins […] I could have went [sic] the wrong way. I could have self-destructed, but I took the high road”.
On December 20, 2023, Hogan was baptized at Indian Rocks Baptist Church in Largo, Florida.
He is survived by his two children and wife, Sky Daily. – With agencies’ reports
