Professional wrestler and WWE icon Hulk Hogan is dead at 71, according to reports.
The news was first reported by TMZ on Thursday morning. WWE confirmed the news on Thursday afternoon.
“WWE is saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away,” the company said in a statement. “One of pop culture’s most recognizable figures, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s. WWE extends its condolences to Hogan’s family, friends, and fans.”
Details around his death are still unknown. Here’s what to know about Hogan.
How did Hulk Hogan die?
USA TODAY reported that Clearwater Fire Department and Clearwater Police Department personnel responded to a medical call at 9:51 a.m. Thursday morning in the 1000 block of Eldorado Avenue on Clearwater Beach.
The nature of the call was for a cardiac arrest. Hogan was treated by Clearwater Fire & Rescue crews before being taken by Sunstar to Morton Plant Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.
Who is Hulk Hogan?
Born Terry Gene Bollea on Aug. 11, 1953, in Augusta, Georgia, Hulk Hogan is one of the greatest — certainly one of the most attention-getting — professional wrestlers of all time.
“The key figure in WWE’s rise from regional attraction to worldwide entertainment leader in the 1980s, The Hulkster’s superhuman size and undeniable charisma set the standard for what a Superstar should be,” WWE writes in Hogan’s biography. “A larger-than-life icon, he packed 93,173 WWE fans into the Pontiac Silverdome, won six WWE Championships, starred in movies, television shows and his own animated series and became an idol to a vast legion of fans he dubbed his Hulkamaniacs.”
According to Pro Wrestling Wiki, Hogan is a 12-time World Champion, including six WWF/WWE Championships, six WCW World Heavyweight Championships, and a former WWE World Tag Team Champion with fellow wrestler Edge.
He is survived by his third wife, Sky Daily; his two children, Brooke and Nick; and his grandchildren, twins Oliver and Molly, who were born in January of this year.
When did Hulk Hogan retire from wrestling?
After a 35-year career, Hogan officially retired from wrestling in 2012.
Where did Hulk Hogan live in Florida?
Hogan has lived all over Florida.
He has lived in Tampa and Miami, got married, then divorced, and then married again. At the time of his death, he resided in Clearwater, where he opened a Hulkamania shop. A second shop is located in Orlando.
He also once mentioned on social media that he quit wrestling for a year, back in the late 1970s, to run a bar in Cocoa Beach.
He helped manage what was then known as The Anchor Club, located at the end of State Road 520. In his memoir “Hollywood Hulk Hogan,” he reminisced about taking the job out of desperation
What was Hogan’s reality show?
The hit reality show “Hogan Knows Best” premiered on VH1 in 2005, which centered around Hogan, his then-wife Linda, and their children Brooke and Nick. It lasted for four seasons, ending in 2007.
See Hulk Hogan’s speech at the RNC IN 2024
Are Hulk Hogan and Donald Trump connected?
Hogan spoke at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee back in July 2024. He gave a rousing speech ahead of Donald Trump during the final day of the convention.
According to the Asbury Park Press, this was not the first time Trump and the controversial pro wrestling star have teamed up.
Hogan competed at WrestleMania IV and V, both of which were held at Trump’s Taj Mahal. Those events were held in 1988 and 1989. They’re also both part of the WWE Hall of Fame.
Rock ‘n’ roll legend, writer of Hulk Hogan’s theme song, Rick Derringer, also passed away this year
Guitar hero and rock ‘n’ roll legend Rick Derringer died in Ormond Beach at age 77 on May 26, 2025.
In 1985, he produced the World Wrestling Federation’s “The Wrestling Album,” which included the Hulk Hogan theme song “Real American.” It has also been employed by politicians ranging from President Barack Obama to presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, as well as President Trump
This article was updated to include a gallery and additional information about Hogan.
Contributing: Michelle Spitzer, Florida Today
