Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan dies at 71

Hulk Hogan, the flamboyant wrestling icon who helped turn professional wrestling into a global pop culture spectacle, has died at the age of 71, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) said on Thursday (Jul 24).

“WWE is saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away. One of pop culture’s most recognisable figures, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s,” the organisation said on X. No cause of death was provided.

Born Terry Gene Bollea in Georgia in 1953, Hogan rose to fame during the 1980s wrestling boom, becoming the face of the then-World Wrestling Federation (WWF). With his bleach-blond hair, handlebar moustache and muscular physique, he helped transform wrestling from a niche subculture into a billion-dollar entertainment business.

His breakthrough came at WrestleMania III in 1987, when he body-slammed Andre the Giant in front of a sold-out crowd at Michigan’s Pontiac Silverdome, an event that has since become one of the sport’s most iconic moments.

Outside the ring, Hogan appeared in films such as Rocky III and Santa With Muscles, though his acting career never rivalled his wrestling fame. He returned to the ring multiple times, often well into his 50s, drawing from his lasting fan appeal.

In 2002, he faced off against rising star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson at WrestleMania, telling Reuters beforehand: "I'm in better shape than him."

Hogan was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame twice and often compared himself to Babe Ruth, calling himself the “Babe Ruth of wrestling”.

Hogan was a vocal supporter of Donald Trump. In 2024, he appeared at the Republican National Convention and endorsed Trump’s re-election bid, ripping off his shirt to reveal a Trump tank top and shouting to the crowd: “Let