Home APNews.com Hulk Hogan, Icon In Professional Wrestling, Dies At Age 71

Hulk Hogan, Icon In Professional Wrestling, Dies At Age 71

Jul 24, 2025

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Hulk Hogan, the mustachioed, headscarf-wearing icon in the world of professional wrestling, has died at the age of 71, Florida police and WWE said Thursday.

In Clearwater, Florida, authorities responded to a call Thursday morning about a cardiac arrest. Hogan was pronounced dead at a hospital, police said in a statement on Facebook.

Hulk Hogan, whose given name is Terry Bollea, waits in the courtroom during a break in his trial against Gawker Media in St. Petersburg, Fla., March 9, 2016. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius, Pool, File)

Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, was perhaps the biggest star in WWE’s long history. He was the main draw for the first WrestleMania in 1985 and was a fixture for years, facing everyone from Andre The Giant and Randy Savage to The Rock and even company chairman Vince McMahon.

He won at least six WWE championships and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005.

World Wrestling Federation heavyweight champion Hulk Hogan, left, and Mr. T. appear at a news conference on March 18, 1985, in New York's Madison Square Garden. (AP Photo/Corey Struller, File) — World Wrestling Federation heavyweight champion Hulk Hogan, left, and Mr. T. appear at a news conference on March 18, 1985, in New York’s Madison Square Garden. (AP Photo/Corey Struller, File)

Hogan was also a celebrity outside the wrestling world, appearing in numerous movies and television shows, including a reality show about his life on VH1, “Hogan Knows Best.”

In 2016, a Florida jury awarded Hogan $115 million in his sex tape lawsuit against Gawker Media. Hogan sued after Gawker in 2012 posted a video of him having sex with his former best friend’s wife. Hogan contended the post violated his privacy.

Hulk Hogan poses during the MTV Video Music Awards Forum at Radio City Music Hall, Aug. 30, 2006, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow, File)

WWE posted a note on X saying it was saddened to learn the WWE Hall of Famer had passed away.

“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,” it said.

Hulk Hogan fires up the crowd between matches at WrestleMania 21 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, April 3, 2005. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson, File)

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