Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan dead - former WWE and WCW star was 71
US wrestling star Hulk Hogan, one of the most recognisable names in the business and who catapulted it to new heights in the 1980s, has died.
A statement from World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) said the firm is “saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away”.
“One of pop culture’s most recognisable figures, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s,” the statement added.
“WWE extends its condolences to Hogan’s family, friends, and fans.”
Passing away aged 71, Hogan was still a visible presence up until last year, launching a brand of beer and endorsing then-candidate Donald Trump at rallies – though rumours of ill health have been circulating for close to a month.
US Vice President JD Vance paid tribute to him as a childhood hero, posting on X: “Hulk Hogan was a great American icon. One of the first people I ever truly admired as a kid.
“The last time I saw him we promised we’d get beers together next time we saw each other. The next time will have to be on the other side, my friend. Rest in peace.”
Arguably the most popular wrestler ever and a merchandising goldmine for close to a decade, Hogan later became a controversial figure among hardcore fans after a failed attempt to ditch the business at his peak for a mainstream Hollywood acting career.
Born Terry Bollea in 1953, he joined wrestling in the late 1970s; at that time a TV show based on Marvel superhero ‘The Incredible Hulk’ was a hit, and Bollea’s 6’7 height plus enormously muscled physique earned him a similar nickname.
A success in several different wrestling companies, which earned him a cameo spot in the movie ‘Rocky III’, Hogan joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), late to change its name to WWE, in 1982 and was immediately picked as it’s next new star.
His character – a brash, flamboyant and powerful yet good-hearted all-American guy – cast him as the wrestling equivalent of 1980s action stars, and took both Hogan and the WWF itself to undreamed-of commercial heights.
A major celebrity who was the face of his industry during the 80s, a period known as ‘Hulkamania’, his major feats broke out of the wrestling subculture and into the general pop culture – big ticket moments include Hogan body-slamming the supposedly unliftable 7ft 4in, 520 lb Andre The Giant at Wresltemania III, a record-setting four-year reign as WWF champion, and a rivalry against former friend ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage.
Quitting in the early 1990s, he attempted to make it as a movie and TV star to little success; eventually lured to rival wrestling firm WCW, he tried to repeat his old persona but fans rejected him as a man out of time. Stunning the industry again, he flipped to become a bad guy, the resulting shock catapulting WCW to huge successes it had never before enjoyed.
Beset by long-term injuries that left him increasingly unable to perform, Hogan managed a few runs in various companies in the 21st century, starred in an Osbournes-style reality show following him, his wife and two children around, and engaged in multiple endorsement deals and business ventures.
A cause of death has not yet been revealed.