WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan died Thursday at age 71.
While the loss of the legendary and controversial wrestler is felt across the sports world, in the ring and beyond, we share some of our favorite images from his long career, including the Hulkster's Sports Illustrated cover and the time he grappled with NBA legends.
Hulk Hogan on cover of Sports Illustrated
Hulk Hogan, né Terry Bollea, was featured on the cover of the April 29, 1985, edition of SI, in a feature story written by Bruce Newman where he dove into the wild world of what was then called the World Wrestling Federation. (It was renamed World Wrestling Entertainment in 2002).
Newman on Hogan in the "Who's Kidding Whom" cover story:
Zoomed to stardom after playing bad guy named Thunderlips in Rocky III. Hulkamania! Before that, was a journeyman heel wrestling under the name Sterling Golden. "I was a young kid, lost and misguided," explains Hulkster. But silent was Golden. Conversion followed in which Hulk developed "a relationship with the Big Dude upstairs." No more heel. Now he's the ultimate babyface to the baby-boomers, who don't seem to mind a hero with a receding hairline. Hulkamania! Not noted for wrestling technique. "His entire repertoire," says one critic, "consists of the Eye of the Tiger, a shredding muscle shirt, a few minutes of inept brawling and the infamous leg-drop finish out of nowhere." Tag-team partner is Mr. T. Between them not one decent head of hair.
Hulk Hogan Leaves WWE, Joins WCW and Faces NBA Stars
Hogan was WWE's main attraction for almost a decade until deciding to part ways with the company in mid-1993. While his attempt to go Hollywood didn't work out, Hogan found his way back to the squared circle, joining rival company WCW in 1994.
Hogan made his in-ring debut at WCW's first Bash at the Beach PPV on July 17, 1994, beating Ric Flair to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship.
A few years later, at the 1996 Bash at the Beach, the man who spent most of the 1980s telling his young Hulkamaniacs to train, say their prayers and take their vitamins turned heel and formed the notorious New World Order faction.
Then called "Hollywood" Hogan, and sporting a dyed beard, he along with Scott Hall and Kevin Nash helped WCW beat WWE in the Monday Night Wars on TV and eventually spurred the start of the Attitude Era in wrestling.
During the 1998 Bash at the Beach in San Diego, NBA stars Dennis Rodman and Karl Malone took part in a tag-team main event less than a month after facing off in the NBA Finals. Rodman teamed up with Hogan while Malone wrestled with Diamond Dallas Page.
Hulk Hogan Inducted into WWE Hall of Fame
Hulk Hogan was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame twice: in 2005, as an individual and in 2020 as a part of the New World Order.
In between the two inductions, Hogan was suspended after a sex tape was leaked that included racist language. The wrestling world was stunned by this revelation in 2015, and Hogan was stripped of honorifics and had his contract terminated.
Hogan was reinstated into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018 after appeasing the company with countless public pleas and apologies and working with youth organizations.
More Wrestling on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Hulk Hogan in Pictures: WWE Hall of Famer Featured in Sports Illustrated.
