Hulk Hogan died on July 24, 2025, at 71. With him goes the last living symbol of pro wrestling’s most over-the-top era. Hogan wasn’t just a wrestler in red and yellow tights, screaming “Brother!” in arenas packed with screaming fans. He was a full-blown pop culture force.
When he was in his prime, you didn’t have to watch wrestling to know who Hulk Hogan was. He was everywhere, and now, he is gone.
In the 1980s, Hogan turned the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE) into a circus everyone wanted tickets to. His larger-than-life persona, endless energy, and classic good-guy image lit the spark that launched wrestling into mainstream TV, radio, movies, and even cereal boxes. Hulkamania wasn’t just a catchphrase. It was a movement, and it sold out arenas around the world.
Hulkamania Took Over the World Back in the ‘90s
His impact was instant and massive. Hulk Hogan headlined the first WrestleMania, the biggest gamble Vince McMahon ever took. By WrestleMania III in 1987, Hogan body-slammed the 500-pound Andre the Giant in front of 93,000 fans at the Pontiac Silverdome.
But Hogan didn’t stop at wrestling. He punched Thunderlips in “Rocky III,” starred in cheesy action flicks, and even let cameras follow his personal life in “Hogan Knows Best.” He hosted “Saturday Night Live”, sold vitamins, and turned pro wrestling into pop culture.
Hogan / IG / The death of Hulk Hogan (Terry Gene Bollea) on July 24, 2025, at the age of 71, marks the end of an era defined by the larger-than-life personas that dominated 1980s pop culture and professional wrestling.
No one had done that before him, and no one has done it quite like him since.
The Golden Era Cast Fades
What made Hogan different wasn’t just his fame. It was the wild, colorful world he helped create. The 1980s wrestling scene was full of bold characters who felt like comic books come to life. Think Macho Man Randy Savage with his neon robes and “Ooooh yeah!” growl. Or “Rowdy” Roddy Piper stirring chaos with a mic.
Or the Ultimate Warrior sprinting to the ring, muscles pumped, face painted like a madman. Hogan was the frontman of that rock band of chaos.
In the 1990s, Hogan reinvented himself again, this time as a villain. Turning heel in WCW and forming the New World Order (nWo) was a game-changer. The red and yellow were gone. In came black and white, a painted-on beard, and a sneer. “Hollywood Hogan” was born, and fans loved to hate him.
Later in life, the shine wore off. In 2015, a leaked tape of Hogan using racial slurs sent shockwaves through the industry. WWE quickly cut ties. Fans were stunned. He was “The Immortal One,” but now he was deeply flawed, and people couldn’t ignore it.
Hogan / IG / The WrestleMania IX moment is still brought up, Hogan swooped in at the end to win the title from Yokozuna after Bret Hart’s loss.
Politically, Hogan drifted right. His 2024 speech at the Republican National Convention raised eyebrows and drew a clear line between old-school fans and newer generations. It was another reminder that Hogan, for all his pop appeal, was complicated.
Following his death, tributes poured in. Vince McMahon called him the “greatest WWE Superstar of all time.” Ric Flair, The Undertaker, and John Cena paid respect. Sylvester Stallone remembered their “Rocky III” days and called him a showman to the core.