Hulk Hogan leaves behind legacy as controversial but undeniable WWE icon

Metro

24-07-2025

Hulk Hogan has died aged 71 leaving behind a life and career of highs and lows.
The WWE Hall of Famer, whose real name was Terry Bollea, defined a generation of professional wrestling and took sports entertainment to new heights from the 1980s onwards, ushering in the era of WrestleMania.
Away from the ring, Hogan was not without controversary, as his 2015 racism storm hung over him for the last decade of his life.
His death was even announced on July 24, exactly 10 years to the day since WWE cut ties with him over the scandal.
The so-called Hulkster made his debut for WWE (then the WWF) in 1979, when McMahon gave him the Hulk Hogan name and laying the foundation for what was to come.
After a short well with New Japan Pro-Wrestling and the American Wrestling Association, the decorated star returned to WWE in 1983 and Hulkamania was born.
Known for his '24 inch pythons', trademark handlebar moustache and undeniable charisma, Hogan was quickly cemented as a fan favourite by the time he won his first WWE World Championship in January 1984.
He gave children hope in following his footsteps if they trained, said their prayers and ate their vitamins.
To say he changed the business would be an understatement, as he went beyond wrestling to influence pop culture as a whole.
He appeared in the likes of Rocky III and The A-Team, while his reality show Hogan Knows Best built on the foundations laid by the late Ozzy Osbourne and his family.
From 'Hulking up' in the ring and ripping off his shirt to his trademark red and yellow colours, he truly transcended the business.
His rise even caught the eye of Marvel, who owned the Incredible Hulk – Hogan was banned from using 'incredible' at all, or just by his first name, while they would receive money for his matches over the next 20 years.
In one of his most iconic WWE moments, Hogan bodyslammed Andre The Giant in front of a huge crowd at WrestleMania III, in a moment still remembered by fans around the world, while his feud with The Iron Sheik is the stuff of legend.
By the mid-90s, he made the jump to rivals World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and again altered wrestling history, turning heel in 1996 as the mysterious 'third man' with Scott Hall and Kevin Nash.
The trio formed the New World Order (nWo) as wrestling's first true 'cool heel' faction, with the model still imitated to this day
He returned to WWE again a couple of times between 2002 and 2007, which included a legendary clash with The Rock at WrestleMania X-8, when fans flipped the script as they cheered for the villainous Hogan.
He also went onto capture the tag titles with Edge, and even had a shortlived stint as the masked Mr. America in a comedian storyline with Vince McMahon, which led to a bloody bout between the two.
After leaving WWE again, he went on a retirement tour, and joined TNA Wrestling, where he and Eric Bischoff had a heavy impact the company's creative direction.
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In 2015, Hogan was rocked by a major scandal when a transcript of a recording from his leaked sex tape was published showing him using the N-word.
On July 24 – exactly 10 years to the day before he died – WWE cut ties with Hogan, and removed him from all areas of their website, including their online store, and their WWE Network streaming platform.
It would take three years for him to brought back into the fold, but he had his critics who argued he never fully took responsibility for his actions.
During this time, there were even plans for a biopic with Chris Hemsworth playing Hogan himself, but the project faded before a script was ever completed.
His final on-screen appearance for WWE came during the January 6 launch of Raw on Netflix, when he was met with a chorus of boos as he tried to promote his Real American Beer.
Critics still pointed to the racism scandal which fans never forgot, while Hogan himself suggested his vocal support for Donald Trump contributed to the backlash. More Trending
Over the last few months, he and Bischoff and been planning a resurgence of sorts with the Real American Freestyle league, which was due to hold its first events this summer.
In the weeks leading up to his death, there had been several hoaxes and conflicting reports.
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Even towards the end, the complicated myth and legend of Hogan continued to live on.
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