Hulk Hogan, the American sport and entertainment star who made professional wrestling a global phenomenon, has died at the age of 71, World Wrestling Entertainment said.
“WWE is saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away,” World Wrestling Entertainment wrote in a social media post on Thursday. “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.”
Hogan, whose legal name was Terry Bollea, became a universal symbol of WWE during the 1980s, with a beach-blonde handlebar moustache, bandanas, and towering physique that he paired with an over-the-top persona that endeared him to fans and captured the spectacle of wrestling entertainment. He referred to his bulging arms as “24-inch pythons” and often waved a US flag in the ring.
Hogan was twice inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame and was never shy about his icon status, calling himself as the “Babe Ruth” of wrestling in a reference to the US baseball phenom who became synonymous with the sport.
Hogan’s flair and bravado helped elevate US wrestling entertainment into a global phenomenon during the 1980s. He later became more involved in US politics, offering a full-throated endorsement of Donald Trump in the 2024 election.
“Let Trumpamania run wild, brother!” he said during a speech at the 2024 Republican National Convention as he ripped off his shirt. “Let Trumpamania rule again!”
“We lost a great friend today, the “Hulkster,” Trump said in a social media post on Thursday. “Hulk Hogan was MAGA all the way — Strong, tough, smart, but with the biggest heart. He gave an absolutely electric speech at the Republican National Convention, that was one of the highlights of the entire week.”
Hogan also attracted controversy when a recording emerged of him using an anti-Black racial slur, for which he was suspended by WWE in 2015. He was later reinstated in 2018.
Hogan also became one of the first WWE athletes to use his fame and success as a wrestler to pursue opportunities in Hollywood, appearing in films such as Rocky III and Santa With Muscles.
He was married three times and had two children.
