Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan | |
|---|---|
Hogan in c. 1985 | |
| Born | Terry Gene Bollea August 11, 1953 Augusta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | July 24, 2025 (aged 71) Clearwater, Florida, U.S. |
| Education | Hillsborough Community College University of South Florida (dropped out) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1977–2025 |
| Spouses |
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| Children |
|
| Relatives | Horace Hogan (nephew) |
| Ring name(s) | Hollywood Hogan[1] Hollywood Hulk Hogan[2] Hulk Boulder[3] Hulk Hogan[4] Hulk Machine[5][2] Mr. America[2] Sterling Golden[6] Terry Boulder[2] The Super Destroyer[2] |
| Billed height | 6 ft 7 in (201 cm)[4] |
| Billed weight | 302 lb (137 kg)[4] |
| Billed from | Hollywood, Los Angeles (as Hollywood Hogan) Venice Beach, California[4] (as Hulk Hogan) Washington, D.C. (as Mr. America)[7] |
| Trained by | Hiro Matsuda[2] |
| Debut | August 9, 1977 |
| Retired | January 27, 2012 |
| Website | hulkhogan |
| Signature | |
Terry Gene Bollea[8][9] (/bəˈleɪə/; August 11, 1953 – July 24, 2025), better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, was an American professional wrestler and media personality. Hogan was widely regarded as one of the greatest and globally most recognized wrestling stars of all time.[10][11] He won multiple championships worldwide, most notably being a six-time WWF Champion. He is best known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW). He also competed in promotions such as Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), the American Wrestling Association (AWA), and New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW).[12][13]
Known for his showmanship, large physique, and trademark blond American Fu Manchu moustache and bandanas,[14][15] Hogan began training in 1977 with Championship Wrestling from Florida and achieved global stardom after joining the WWF in 1983. His heroic, all‑American persona helped usher in the 1980s professional wrestling boom, during which he headlined eight of the first nine editions of WWF's flagship annual event WrestleMania and regularly headlined Saturday Night's Main Event. His first reign as WWF Champion lasted 1,474 days—the third-longest in the title’s history[a]—and he became the first wrestler to win back-to-back Royal Rumbles in 1990 and 1991.[17]
In 1994, Hogan joined WCW and won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship six times. His reinvention as the villainous Hollywood Hogan and leadership of the New World Order (nWo) revitalized his career and significantly contributed to the success of the "Monday Night War" wrestling boom of the late 1990s, including three headline appearances at Starrcade.[18] Hogan returned to WWF in 2002—after WWF acquired WCW—winning the Undisputed WWF Championship for a then-record-equalling sixth reign before departing in 2003.[19] He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005 and a second time in 2020 as part of the nWo.[20]
Outside wrestling, Hogan appeared in films such as Rocky III (1982), No Holds Barred (1989), and Suburban Commando (1991), and starred in television shows including Thunder in Paradise and Hogan Knows Best. He also fronted the Wrestling Boot Band; their sole record, Hulk Rules, reached number 12 on the Billboard Top Kid Audio chart in 1995.[21]
Several controversies damaged Hogan's public image. In 1994, he acknowledged using anabolic steroids dating back to 1976 and admitted to discouraging efforts to unionize professional wrestlers. In 2012, the internet media company Gawker published portions of a sex tape, which later had portions leak in which Hogan was heard using racial slurs. Hogan sued Gawker, which was found liable and subsequently declared bankruptcy. Despite this legal victory, Hogan's reputation has been described as "permanently tarnished", a view reflected in the mixed public reaction to his death in July 2025.[22]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
jameswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b c d e f Cite error: The named reference
OWWwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Gardner, Eriq (May 28, 2018). "Hulk Hogan trying to bodyslam "Hulk" cereal ad". Reuters. Archived from the original on July 15, 2019. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
- ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference
WWEBiowas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Johnson, Mike (January 1, 2021). "Why WSX Died A Quick Death On MTV, High Energy, Punk In 2021 And More". PWInsider. Archived from the original on January 1, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
- ^ Wrestling Classics, January 1992 issue, p. 16.
- ^ Judgment Day 2003 (DVD). WWE Home Video. 2003.
- ^ "Amended Complaint" (PDF). documentcloud.org. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- ^ "Bollea v. Gawker Media, LLC, Case No. 8:12-cv-02348-T-27TBM | Casetext Search + Citator". Archived from the original on January 8, 2023. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
- ^ "Top 10 Wrestling Moustaches of All Time - PROGRESS Wrestling". progresswrestling.com. November 17, 2023. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
- ^ "Top 50 Wrestlers of All Time – Page 5". IGN. November 2, 2012. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved April 10, 2014.
Hogan is the most recognized wrestling star worldwide and the most popular wrestler of the '80s.
- ^ Assael, Shaun (2002). Sex, Lies, and Headlocks: The Real Story of Vince McMahon and the WWF. Crown Publishers. ISBN 978-0609607042.
{{cite book}}: Check|isbn=value: checksum (help) - ^ "Hulk Hogan's career timeline". ESPN. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
- ^ Melok, Bobby (November 8, 2012). "Kaitlyn's top 10 Superstar mustaches". WWE. Retrieved January 10, 2025.
- ^ Murray, Jim (September 24, 1991). "Wrestling With His Indentity". LA Times. Retrieved January 10, 2025.
- ^ Gunier, Robert (December 21, 2022). "Why Antonio Inoki's WWE Championship Reign Isn't Recognized By The Promotion". Wrestling Inc. Retrieved July 28, 2025.
- ^ Keller, Wade. "List of longest WWE title reigns". ProWrestling.net. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
- ^ Hornbaker, Tim (2018). Death of the Territories. ECW Press. ISBN 9781773052328.
- ^ Shoemaker, David (March 29, 2017). "The 30 Greatest Pro Wrestlers of All Time". The Ringer. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
- ^ "WWE to honor nWo with Hall of Fame induction". ESPN. December 9, 2019. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
- ^ "Billboard Top Kid Albums, Sept 1995". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
- ^ Riddle, Safiyah (July 25, 2025). "Hulk Hogan's death resurfaces painful contradictions for Black wrestling fans". AP News. Retrieved July 27, 2025.
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