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The Guardian
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Hulk Hogan obituary
Hulk Hogan, who has died of a cardiac arrest aged 71, was the most famous personality in the world of wrestling, a flamboyant figure whose deep tan, blond horseshoe moustache, bright bandanas and heavily muscled body were known across the globe, even to those who had little interest in the sport. As the most recognisable face of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in the US, Hogan helped to build what had initially been a fairly parochial brand into a hugely lucrative phenomenon, watched on television by millions. Though the wrestling was all fakery, Hogan held the WWF's title belt a number of times across those boom years, including over a four-year stretch in the mid-1980s. Thereafter he largely maintained his dominance, while switching between the WWF and various other competitions over the next two decades. During a typical bout he would soak up blow after blow from his opponent until defeat seemed inevitable, only to suddenly snap into a fury that would turn the encounter around, often finishing things off with a trademark leg drop by bouncing off the rope, leaping into the air and then landing, leg first, on to his foe. Perhaps his most acclaimed performance came during 1987 in the third iteration of wrestling's annual WrestleMania event, in front of 93,000 fans at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan, where he won the world heavyweight championship against the 2.24m (7ft 4in), 220kg (35st) André the Giant, who was said to have been unbeaten in the ring for almost 15 years. The bout set pay-per-view television records at the time, and confirmed Hogan's position at the centre of WWF's money-making machine. Hogan was born Terry Bollea, in Augusta, Georgia, the son of Ruth (nee Moody), a dance teacher, and Peter Bollea, a building site foreman. Growing up in Tampa, Florida, where he went to Robinson high school, he first worked as a dockworker while developing his showmanship as a bass guitar player in local rock bands. After a short period at the University of South Florida, he dropped his studies in 1977 to pursue wrestling. Eventually taking the Hulk moniker, after the muscle-bound comic book character The Incredible Hulk, at 2m (6ft 7in) and 137kg (21st) he was certainly built for the name, to which he added the alliterative Hogan in 1979 when he joined the WWF. He came to wider attention in 1982 after a memorable appearance in the film Rocky III as the combative wrestler Thunderlips, who matches Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) in a charity fight. Having initially been branded as a bad guy in the ring, by the mid-80s Hogan had been recast by the WWF as the opposite, and he was striding into the ring to the song Real American by Rick Derringer, fighting for national pride against sinister 'foreign' rivals such as the Iron Sheik, nominally representing Iran, and Nikolai Volkoff, supposedly appearing on behalf of the Soviet Union. Soon the US was subject to a long period of 'Hulkamania' as Hogan reached even wider fame, selling out stadium events, commanding massive TV audiences and appearing in further wrestling-related film roles, including in No Holds Barred (1989) and Mr Nanny (1993), while also starring as a mercenary in the television series Thunder in Paradise (1994). He lent his name to video games, a chain of restaurants and a merchandising empire that was turning over $1.7bn by 1991. In 1994, around the time he confessed that he had used steroids, Hogan moved to a new franchise, World Championship Wrestling (WCW), with whom he adopted a more villainous but equally popular persona. He was WCW's star performer for several years until returning to the WWF (by then renamed WWE) in 2002, after which he left and returned several times, wrestling for other entities in between. He was still taking part in occasional bouts into his 60s, but by then was more frequently in the public eye for other reasons, including from 2005 to 2007 in the reality TV series Hogan Knows Best, which looked in on his family life. In 2012 Hogan sued the Gawker website for posting a video of him having sex with a friend's wife, claiming invasion of privacy. Four years later a court awarded him $140m in damages, although he eventually settled for $31m as the website's owners filed for bankruptcy. In 2015 the release of another section of the same video showed him using racist language, for which he apologised unreservedly. In recent years he had been a vocal supporter of Donald Trump, and last year he appeared at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, tearing off his top in typical Hulk style to reveal a Trump/Vance shirt underneath. Hogan was married three times and divorced twice. He is survived by his third wife, Sky Daily, two children, Brooke and Nick, from his first marriage, to Linda Claridge, and two grandchildren. Hulk Hogan (Terry Gene Bollea), wrestler, born 11 August 1953; died 24 July 2025
New York Post
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Hulk Hogan's son, Nick, speaks out on father's death: ‘Would do anything to have him back'
Hulk Hogan's son, Nick, penned an emotional tribute to the wrestling icon, his 'hero' and his 'best friend' following Hogan's death Thursday. 'This has been overwhelming and extremely difficult,' Nick Hogan, whose real last name is Bollea, wrote in an Instagram post that featured 20 pictures of the pair spanning decades. 'Hearing so many kind words and stories about my dad's life, interactions and experiences with everyone has been incredible and comforting. My dad was the most incredible person I've ever known and will always be my hero.' 4 A young Nick Hogan (l.) and his father are pictured. Screengrab via Instagram/nickhogan Hulk Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, died at 71 years old following what Clearwater, Fla. police described as a 'serious medical issue,' with a 911 call being placed Thursday morning for cardiac arrest. Hogan reportedly dealt with health issues in the weeks leading up to his death. 4 Nick Hogan (r.) poses with his father. Screengrab via Instagram/nickhogan 4 Nick Hogan (l.) poses for a picture with his father. Screengrab via Instagram/nickhogan 'I spent a lot of time with him the past few years after moving back to Florida to be closer to him and I am so grateful for those memories,' Nick Hogan wrote in his Instagram post. 'They are the best moments in my life. I would do anything to have him back but I know now that he will always be watching over me. I will always remember the lessons and advice he gave me and carry on in a way that I know would make him proud. 'Thank you for being the best dad in the world and thank you for being my best friend. I love you so much Big Dog and I will miss you forever.' 4 Nick Hogan (r.) is picured with his father Hulk Hogan Screengrab via Instagram/nickhogan Hulk Hogan and his ex-wife, Linda, shared two kids — Nick and their daughter, Brooke — together, and the couple filed for divorce in 2007. All four of them starred on the 'Hogan Knows Best' VH1 reality show from 2005-07. Nick Hogan's wife, Tana Lee, posted a picture of their wedding day in January on Instagram following Hulk Hogan's death, as tributes from around the wrestling community poured in for the polarizing individual who shaped the rise of the World Wrestling Federation.
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Business Standard
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Business Standard
Hulk Hogan's greatest moments in professional wrestling 'run wild on you'
Hulk Hogan's back had weakened, a failed early attempt at slamming all 525 pounds of Andre the Giant left the Immortal One" unsteady as the World Wrestling Federation champion once more needed to rally to beat another of wrestling's baddest bad guys. Andre wrapped his tree-trunk arms around the champ and tried to wring the final breaths out of Hogan with a bear hug so tight that more than 90,000 fans in Detroit almost witnessed the final day of Hulkamania. But, wait! This was Hulk Hogan. Wrestling's biggest star had more late comebacks than fellow 1980s sports stars John Elway or Michael Jordan combined. Hogan had some gas left in the tank, some extra bite in those 24-inch pythons, and hammered away at Andre. One right hand, then another one, and another! Wrestling fans roared as they knew the bad news that was coming for Andre. Hogan fought back much as he did against those 1980s baddies out of the Cold War or Iran and finally body-slammed Andre the Giant. Hogan hit the hopes and delivered his famous leg drop on Andre's chest to get the three count. Hulk Hogan won again at WrestleMania. He always won, of course. It's what the story called for and there was no reason for WWF owner and pro wrestler puppeteer Vince McMahon to ever deviate from the plan of Hulkamania running wild. Why would he? Hogan had the hulking size, the charisma and catchphrases What'cha gonna do when Hulkamania runs wild on you? that led the industry out of gyms and regional arenas and into NFL stadiums, like that 1987 night when Hogan beat Andre at the Pontiac Silverdome in WrestleMania III. There he is, announcer Gorilla Monsoon said, as Hogan played to the crowd, the greatest professional athlete in the world today. Whether you break out an eye roll or crank up Hogan's Real American anthem to that statement depends, of course, on one's ability to suspend disbelief. There is no denying, though, just how real Hogan's impact was on professional wrestling and pop culture in the 1980s. He stood toe-to-toe with Rocky Balboa. He fought side-by-side with Mr. T. He hosted Saturday Night Live and flexed on the cover of Sports Illustrated. He did what he set out to do, WWE Hall of Famer Sgt. Slaughter said Friday by phone. He became the most recognized, not only professional wrestler and sports entertainer in the world, he's probably top-five of anybody you'd recognize when you saw him. WWE has long claimed the paid attendance of WrestleMania III was 93,173, a number some historians claim is as artificially inflated as the chemically-enhanced biceps of that era. What can't be disputed, when the two had their match in 1988, live on national television, more than 33 million fans tuned in to NBC, still far and away the record for largest viewing audience in American televised wrestling. Making money and moving merch. That was the real power of Hulkamania. Hogan, who died Thursday in Florida at age 71, left behind more than three decades of memorable matches that captured the spirit of those little Hulkamaniacs to the ones that loved to hate him in the 1990s as Hollywood Hulk Hogan in the New World Order. Here are some of his best moments. He beat the Sheik Hogan wasn't some upstart when he returned to the WWF (now WWE) in late 1983. He tested the waters of Hulkamania in the old American Wrestling Alliance and made his famous appearance as Thunderlips in Rocky III, when was beckoned back to WWE and became an instant contender to face the champion, the hated Iron Sheik. Hogan broke out of the dreaded camel clutch and pinned the Sheik to become the new champion on Jan. 23, 1984, at Madison Square Garden the building paid tribute to Hogan on Thursday night and set the course for Hulkamania. FILE - Hulk Hogan rips his shirt before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden, Oct. 27, 2024, in New York. (Photo:PTI) He was champion for 1,474 days before losing to Andre in 1988. Slamming Andre Back before the internet spilled behind-the-scenes secrets, and there was easy access to watch wrestling around the globe, WWE created its own version of wrestling history. If the company said Andre the Giant had never been slammed, and had never been pinned over a 15-year undefeated streak, then it was believed to be true (neither were, of course). Yet, the faux hype set the stage for the match that changed wrestling forever. Andre the Giant was a momentum-shifting moment where he passed his torch, Hogan said in a 2009 interview with the AP. He was like the icing on the cake. Once he blessed me, it was up to me to mold that business and carry it through. It's icon vs. icon against The Rock With WCW out of business and bought by McMahon, Hogan kept a low profile until he made a comeback with WWE in 2002. He returned with Hall and Nash as the NWO but at this point, WWE fans wanted their old Hulkster back. Dwayne The Rock Johnson was WWE's baby-faced crowd favorite when he met the villainous Hogan at WrestleMania in an Icon vs. Icon match in WrestleMania in 2002. One problem, the Toronto crowd decided to back Hogan. After the match, the cheers for Hogan called for a last-second change of plans, with his former NWO allies running down to attack him. The Rock helped Hogan fight off the NWO and the two men posed together to riotous cheers. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
5 days ago
- Entertainment
Hulk Hogan's greatest moments in professional wrestling 'run wild on you'
Hulk Hogan's back had weakened, a failed early attempt at slamming all 525 pounds of Andre the Giant left the 'Immortal One" unsteady as the World Wrestling Federation champion once more needed to rally to beat another of wrestling's baddest bad guys. Andre wrapped his tree-trunk arms around the champ and tried to wring the final breaths out of Hogan with a bear hug so tight that more than 90,000 fans in Detroit almost witnessed the final day of Hulkamania. But, wait! This was Hulk Hogan. Wrestling's biggest star had more late comebacks than fellow 1980s sports stars John Elway or Michael Jordan combined. Hogan had some gas left in the tank, some extra bite in those 24-inch pythons, and hammered away at Andre. One right hand, then another one, and another! Wrestling fans roared as they knew the bad news that was coming for Andre. Hogan fought back — much as he did against those 1980s baddies out of the Cold War or Iran — and finally body-slammed Andre the Giant. Hogan hit the hopes and delivered his famous leg drop on Andre's chest to get the three count. Hulk Hogan won again at WrestleMania. He always won, of course. It's what the story called for and there was no reason for WWF owner and pro wrestler puppeteer Vince McMahon to ever deviate from the plan of Hulkamania running wild. Why would he? Hogan had the hulking size, the charisma and catchphrases — 'What'cha gonna do when Hulkamania runs wild on you?' — that led the industry out of gyms and regional arenas and into NFL stadiums, like that 1987 night when Hogan beat Andre at the Pontiac Silverdome in WrestleMania III. 'There he is,' announcer Gorilla Monsoon said, as Hogan played to the crowd, 'the greatest professional athlete in the world today.' Whether you break out an eye roll or crank up Hogan's ' Real American ' anthem to that statement depends, of course, on one's ability to suspend disbelief. There is no denying, though, just how real Hogan's impact was on professional wrestling and pop culture in the 1980s. He stood toe-to-toe with Rocky Balboa. He fought side-by-side with Mr. T. He hosted 'Saturday Night Live' and flexed on the cover of Sports Illustrated. 'He did what he set out to do,' WWE Hall of Famer Sgt. Slaughter said Friday by phone. 'He became the most recognized, not only professional wrestler and sports entertainer in the world, he's probably top-five of anybody you'd recognize when you saw him.' WWE has long claimed the paid attendance of WrestleMania III was 93,173, a number some historians claim is as artificially inflated as the chemically-enhanced biceps of that era. What can't be disputed, when the two had their match in 1988, live on national television, more than 33 million fans tuned in to NBC, still far and away the record for largest viewing audience in American televised wrestling. Making money and moving merch. That was the real power of Hulkamania. Hogan, who died Thursday in Florida at age 71, left behind more than three decades of memorable matches that captured the spirit of those little Hulkamaniacs to the ones that loved to hate him in the 1990s as 'Hollywood' Hulk Hogan in the New World Order. Here are some of his best moments. Hogan wasn't some upstart when he returned to the WWF (now WWE) in late 1983. He tested the waters of Hulkamania in the old American Wrestling Association and made his famous appearance as Thunderlips in 'Rocky III,' when was beckoned back to WWE and became an instant contender to face the champion, the hated Iron Sheik. Hogan broke out of the dreaded camel clutch and pinned the Sheik to become the new champion on Jan. 23, 1984, at Madison Square Garden — the building paid tribute to Hogan on Thursday night — and set the course for Hulkamania. He was champion for 1,474 days before losing to Andre in 1988. Back before the internet spilled behind-the-scenes secrets, and there was easy access to watch wrestling around the globe, WWE created its own version of wrestling history. If the company said Andre the Giant had never been slammed, and had never been pinned over a 15-year undefeated streak, then it was believed to be true (neither were, of course). Yet, the faux hype set the stage for the match that changed wrestling forever. 'Andre the Giant was a momentum-shifting moment where he passed his torch,' Hogan said in a 2009 interview with the AP. 'He was like the icing on the cake. Once he blessed me, it was up to me to mold that business and carry it through.' By 1996, Hogan's good-guy, beats-the-odds character had grown stale as he made the shift from WWE to Ted Turner's World Championship Wrestling. Hogan even started to get booed as wrestling fans clamored for a new direction, a new star on top. They got one. 'Hollywood' Hulk Hogan. For weeks, two former WWE stars had 'invaded' WCW and claimed they were taking over the company. That led to a six-man tag-team match where the two outsiders, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, promised a third man to help with their cause. No one showed to help the two until the end, when Hogan walked out in his red-and-yellow attire, and stunned the crowd when he put the leg drop on Randy Savage. Hogan was third man. He ditched his traditional colors for black-and-white, sunglasses, dark facial hair and embraced the 'Hollywood' heel persona. Much as he did a decade earlier, Hogan led WCW to new heights and the company would defeat WWE in the TV ratings for 83 straight weeks in what would be known as the 'Monday Night Wars.' Hogan lost as much as he won without his Hulkamania powers. He still moved the needle where it mattered most and made WCW must-see TV every Monday night. With WCW out of business and bought by McMahon, Hogan kept a low profile until he made a comeback with WWE in 2002. He returned with Hall and Nash as the NWO but at this point, WWE fans wanted their old Hulkster back. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson was WWE's baby-faced crowd favorite when he met the villainous Hogan at WrestleMania in an 'Icon vs. Icon' match in WrestleMania in 2002. One problem, the Toronto crowd decided to back Hogan. 'When we hit the ring, 70,000 loyal people didn't want to hate Hulk Hogan,' Hogan said in 2009. 'Everybody kind of started to panic and I just said, 'Brother, stick with me and I'll get you through this.'' After the match, the cheers for Hogan called for a last-second change of plans, with his former NWO allies running down to attack him. The Rock helped Hogan fight off the NWO and the two men posed together to riotous cheers. 'As I raised his hand and said he's the greatest wrestler in the world, they had to turn me back red and yellow immediately,' Hogan said. 'It's kind of interesting, that was going to be the nail in my coffin. It turned out to be the fountain of youth for me.'
Al-Ahram Weekly
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Hulk Hogan's greatest moments in professional wrestling 'run wild on you' - Omni sports
Hulk Hogan's back had weakened, a failed early attempt at slamming all 525 pounds of Andre the Giant left the 'Immortal One" unsteady as the World Wrestling Federation champion once more needed to rally to beat another of wrestling's baddest bad guys. Related Pro wrestling legend Hulk Hogan dead at 71 Andre wrapped his tree-trunk arms around the champ and tried to wring the final breaths out of Hogan with a bear hug so tight that more than 90,000 fans in Detroit almost witnessed the final day of Hulkamania. But, wait! This was Hulk Hogan. Wrestling's biggest star had more late comebacks than fellow 1980s sports stars John Elway or Michael Jordan combined. Hogan had some gas left in the tank, some extra bite in those 24-inch pythons, and hammered away at Andre. One right hand, then another one, and another! Wrestling fans roared as they knew the bad news that was coming for Andre. Hogan fought back — much as he did against those 1980s baddies out of the Cold War or Iran — and finally body-slammed Andre the Giant. Hogan hit the hopes and delivered his famous leg drop on Andre's chest to get the three count. Hulk Hogan won again at WrestleMania. He always won, of course. It's what the story called for and there was no reason for WWF owner and pro wrestler puppeteer Vince McMahon to ever deviate from the plan of Hulkamania running wild. Why would he? Hogan had the hulking size, the charisma and catchphrases — 'What'cha gonna do when Hulkamania runs wild on you?' — that led the industry out of gyms and regional arenas and into NFL stadiums, like that 1987 night when Hogan beat Andre at the Pontiac Silverdome in WrestleMania III. 'There he is,' announcer Gorilla Monsoon said, as Hogan played to the crowd, 'the greatest professional athlete in the world today.' Whether you break out an eye roll or crank up Hogan's 'Real American' anthem to that statement depends, of course, on one's ability to suspend disbelief. There is no denying, though, just how real Hogan's impact was on professional wrestling and pop culture in the 1980s. He stood toe-to-toe with Rocky Balboa. He fought side-by-side with Mr. T. He hosted 'Saturday Night Live' and flexed on the cover of Sports Illustrated. 'He did what he set out to do,' WWE Hall of Famer Sgt. Slaughter said Friday by phone. 'He became the most recognized, not only professional wrestler and sports entertainer in the world, he's probably top-five of anybody you'd recognize when you saw him.' WWE has long claimed the paid attendance of WrestleMania III was 93,173, a number some historians claim is as artificially inflated as the chemically-enhanced biceps of that era. What can't be disputed, when the two had their match in 1988, live on national television, more than 33 million fans tuned in to NBC, still far and away the record for largest viewing audience in American televised wrestling. Making money and moving merch. That was the real power of Hulkamania. Hogan, who died Thursday in Florida at age 71, left behind more than three decades of memorable matches that captured the spirit of those little Hulkamaniacs to the ones that loved to hate him in the 1990s as 'Hollywood' Hulk Hogan in the New World Order. Here are some of his best moments. He beat the Sheik Hogan wasn't some upstart when he returned to the WWF (now WWE) in late 1983. He tested the waters of Hulkamania in the old American Wrestling Alliance and made his famous appearance as Thunderlips in 'Rocky III,' when was beckoned back to WWE and became an instant contender to face the champion, the hated Iron Sheik. Hogan broke out of the dreaded camel clutch and pinned the Sheik to become the new champion on Jan. 23, 1984, at Madison Square Garden — the building paid tribute to Hogan on Thursday night — and set the course for Hulkamania. He was champion for 1,474 days before losing to Andre in 1988. Slamming Andre Back before the internet spilled behind-the-scenes secrets, and there was easy access to watch wrestling around the globe, WWE created its own version of wrestling history. If the company said Andre the Giant had never been slammed, and had never been pinned over a 15-year undefeated streak, then it was believed to be true (neither were, of course). Yet, the faux hype set the stage for the match that changed wrestling forever. 'Andre the Giant was a momentum-shifting moment where he passed his torch,' Hogan said in a 2009 interview with the AP. 'He was like the icing on the cake. Once he blessed me, it was up to me to mold that business and carry it through.' You can call this the New World Order of wrestling, brother By 1996, Hogan's good-guy, beats-the-odds character had grown stale as he made the shift from WWE to Ted Turner's World Championship Wrestling. Hogan even started to get booed as wrestling fans clamored for a new direction, a new star on top. They got one. 'Hollywood' Hulk Hogan. For weeks, two former WWE stars had 'invaded' WCW and claimed they were taking over the company. That led to a six-man tag-team match where the two outsiders, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, promised a third man to help with their cause. No one showed to help the two until the end, when Hogan walked out in his red-and-yellow attire, and stunned the crowd when he put the leg drop on Randy Savage. Hogan was third man. He ditched his traditional colors for black-and-white, sunglasses, dark facial hair and embraced the 'Hollywood' heel persona. Much as he did a decade earlier, Hogan led WCW to new heights and the company would defeat WWE in the TV ratings for 83 straight weeks in what would be known as the 'Monday Night Wars.' Hogan lost as much as he won without his Hulkamania powers. He still moved the needle where it mattered most and made WCW must-see TV every Monday night. It's icon vs. icon against The Rock With WCW out of business and bought by McMahon, Hogan kept a low profile until he made a comeback with WWE in 2002. He returned with Hall and Nash as the NWO but at this point, WWE fans wanted their old Hulkster back. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson was WWE's baby-faced crowd favorite when he met the villainous Hogan at WrestleMania in an 'Icon vs. Icon' match in WrestleMania in 2002. One problem, the Toronto crowd decided to back Hogan. 'When we hit the ring, 70,000 loyal people didn't want to hate Hulk Hogan,' Hogan said in 2009. 'Everybody kind of started to panic and I just said, 'Brother, stick with me and I'll get you through this.'' After the match, the cheers for Hogan called for a last-second change of plans, with his former NWO allies running down to attack him. The Rock helped Hogan fight off the NWO and the two men posed together to riotous cheers. 'As I raised his hand and said he's the greatest wrestler in the world, they had to turn me back red and yellow immediately,' Hogan said. 'It's kind of interesting, that was going to be the nail in my coffin. It turned out to be the fountain of youth for me.' (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.) Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
