🕶️ Hulk Hogan Dead at 71: A Legacy Larger Than Life, and Twice as Complicated

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Terry Gene Bollea—known to the world as Hulk Hogan—died on July 24, 2025, at his home in Clearwater, Florida. He was 71. Paramedics responded to a cardiac arrest call early that morning. Despite recent surgeries and public reassurances from his wife Sky Daily, Hogan’s health had been quietly deteriorating.

The world didn’t just lose a wrestler. It lost a cultural force—one whose impact stretched from the ring to reality TV, from action movies to courtroom drama. And like any force, Hogan left behind both awe and wreckage.

📺 The Rise of Hulkamania

Born in Augusta, Georgia, and raised in Tampa, Hogan was discovered in the late 1970s and made his WWF debut in 1979. By 1984, he defeated The Iron Sheik to become World Heavyweight Champion, launching the era of Hulkamania.

With his 24-inch pythons, red-and-yellow gear, and catchphrases like “Whatcha gonna do when Hulkamania runs wild on you?”, Hogan became the face of wrestling’s golden age. He headlined the first nine WrestleManias and helped transform WWF into a global entertainment empire.

🎬 Beyond the Ring

Hogan’s fame spilled into Hollywood. He played Thunderlips in Rocky III, starred in Suburban Commando, Mr. Nanny, and led the reality show Hogan Knows Best. He was a cartoon, a meme, a marketing machine. At one point, he even claimed Elvis was a fan and that Metallica asked him to join the band—both stories later debunked.

🧪 The Controversies

Hogan’s legacy is tangled in scandal. In 2012, a leaked sex tape led to a lawsuit against Gawker Media. He won $140 million, effectively bankrupting the outlet. But the tape also revealed racist remarks, including repeated use of the N-word. WWE cut ties, removed him from their Hall of Fame, and scrubbed his presence from media.

He was reinstated in 2018, but the damage lingered. Fans booed him at events. Wrestlers like The New Day publicly distanced themselves.

Other controversies include:

Alleged steroid use during the 1980s
Blocking a wrestler's union in 1984 by informing Vince McMahon
A lawsuit was filed after choking talk show host Richard Belzer unconscious on live TV
A messy divorce and affair scandal involving his daughter’s friend

🧠 The Mythmaker

Hogan was a master of self-mythology. He claimed to have wrestled 400 days in one year due to time zones. He said he was 6'8" with 24-inch arms. He told stories that blurred fact and fiction, often to his own benefit.

He also ran for president—briefly—in 1998. And in 2024, he spoke at the Republican National Convention in support of Donald Trump.

🏆 The Legacy

Despite everything, Hogan’s influence is undeniable. He helped make wrestling mainstream. He inspired generations of performers—from The Rock to John Cena. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame twice: once solo, and again as part of the New World Order (nWo).

His heel turn in 1996, forming the nWo in WCW, was one of the most iconic pivots in wrestling history. It reshaped the industry and helped WCW compete with WWF during the Monday Night Wars.

🧩 The Final Chapter

Hogan’s death comes after decades of physical wear. He underwent over 25 surgeries in the last ten years—on his back, knees, hips, and face. He retired from wrestling in 2012, but never from public life.

He leaves behind his wife, Sky, children, Brooke and Nick, and grandchildren. He also leaves behind a legacy that’s hard to summarize. He was a hero, a villain, a punchline, and a pioneer.

🪞 What We See in the Mirror

Hogan’s story is more than wrestling. It’s about fame, fallibility, and the American obsession with icons. He was adored, then exposed. He was forgiven, then forgotten. And maybe that’s the real lesson: we love our heroes until they remind us they’re human.

In the end, Hogan didn’t just run wild. He ran complicated. And that’s what makes his story worth telling.