Hulk Hogan died Thursday (July 24) in Clearwater, Florida, following a cardiac arrest, ending a decades-long career that reshaped professional wrestling and pop culture.
Paramedics and police responded to a 911 call at Hogan’s residence on July 24 just after sunrise. The 71-year-old was carried out on a stretcher and taken to a nearby ambulance, where he was pronounced dead.
Although his wife, Sky, had recently said his heart was “strong,” Hogan had been recovering from a May neck surgery and other lingering health problems.
His team said the hospitalization stemmed from cumulative injuries sustained during his wrestling career and recent medical procedures.
In the weeks leading up to his death, rumors swirled about Hogan’s condition, with some outlets falsely reporting he was near death.
However, close friends and family denied those claims, saying he was recovering and even took part in karaoke with his son.
Hogan launched his wrestling career in 1977 and became a household name after joining the WWF (now WWE) in 1983. His blend of charisma, showmanship and brute strength turned wrestling into a mainstream spectacle during the 1980s.
He headlined eight of the first nine WrestleMania events and held the WWF Championship for a record-setting 1,474 days. His 1988 televised match against André the Giant drew 33 million viewers, still one of the most-watched wrestling events in U.S. history.
In 1990 and 1991, Hogan became the first wrestler to win back-to-back Royal Rumble matches. He later reinvented himself in 1996 as “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan, founding the villainous New World Order (nWo) faction in WCW and winning six WCW World Heavyweight titles.
Beyond the ring, Hogan appeared in films like Rocky III and Suburban Commando, and starred in the VH1 reality series Hogan Knows Best.
In 1995, he released an album titled Hulk Rules with The Wrestling Boot Band, featuring his then-wife Linda Hogan and longtime collaborator Jimmy Hart. Songs like “Hulkster’s in the House” and “American Made” blended Hip-Hop, rock and patriotic themes.
Hogan was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame twice—once in 2005 as a solo performer and again in 2020 with the nWo.