Wrestling icon Hulk Hogan dies, aged 71
Hogan is credited with ushering in a boom in the sport in the 1980s.
Terry Bollea, the wrestler better known as Hulk Hogan, has died at the age of 71.
The news of Hogan's death was first reported by TMZ, with the outlet saying that he suffered a "cardiac arrest" while at his home in Florida.
It was later confirmed by World Wrestling Entertainment, which said in a statement: "WWE 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. WWE extends its condolences to Hogan’s family, friends and fans."
Hogan was born in Georgia in 1953, and became an avid fan of wrestling in his youth. His first professional match came in 1977, when he was using the persona The Super Destroyer, with the Championship Wrestling from Florida (CWF).
He went on to join the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), which would later become the WWE, in 1979.
He is credited with having helped to usher in a boom in the sport in the 1980s, and headlined eight of the first nine editions of WrestleMania. His famous match against André the Giant in 1988 was watched by 33 million TV viewers.
Throughout his career, he also made acting appearances, in films such as Rocky III, Mr Nanny and Gnomeo & Juliet, as well as appearing as himself in numerous titles, both on the big screen and on TV.
He left and rejoined the WWE multiple times, and made his last appearance for the organisation just earlier this year, appearing live during the debut of Raw on Netflix. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005.
Hogan was also a controversial figure. In 2015, the WWE terminated his contract after a tape emerged of him using a racist slur. He was reinstated into the Hall of Fame in 2018, with the company saying he had made "numerous apologies" and was "working with young people, where he is helping them learn from his mistake".
He was known for stretching the truth about his life too - for instance, he claimed that Elvis Presley was a huge fan of his, despite him having passed away in 1977.
In his latter years, Hogan became more openly political, appearing at the Republican National Convention in 2024 to endorse Donald Trump for president.
Hogan is survived by his children Brooke Hogan and Nick Hogan.
Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
