HULK HOGAN
(11 August 1953 – 24 July 2025)
Hulk Hogan was arguably the most successful and most popular wrestling champion of his day. He created a definite and considerable persona of right-wing intelligence that was anathema to some but greeted with praise by others. Well-known for his racist attitudes and a follower of Donald Trump, he nevertheless stayed ahead of his game as a phenomenal figure in fighting and also in entertainment. In his line of work, it is very difficult not to suffer injuries and he had many health problems with serious back trouble from his constant weight-training and throwing. He underwent spinal surgery, although later on he sued his medical firm for malpractice that had worsened his condition. More surgery revealed other issues and, although Hogan seemed fit enough, he died from cardiac arrest at his home in Florida on 25 July 2025, at the age of 71.
Hulk Hogan was born Terry Gene Bollea in Augusta, Georgia, in 1953, son of a construction foreman and dance teacher. The family was of Italian, French, Scots and Panamanian descent and they moved (when Terry was still a baby) to Port Tampa, Florida. He became interested in professional wrestling at the age of sixteen and was also a musician playing guitar in local rock bands. He dropped out of the University of South Florida and as he started weightlifting, he was soon discovered by two brothers from the Championship Wrestling from Florida group (CWF). His wrestling career was underway. Invited to join the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), Hulk acquired the surname of Hogan (because the promoter wanted a wrestler with an Irish name) and as ‘Hulk Hogan’ he made his debut at Madison Square Garden in New York.
The year 1985 saw the first WrestleMania event with Hulk teamed with his old friend Mr T against rivals ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper and ‘Mr Wonderful’ Paul Orndorff. By then Hulk was at the top of his profession, featured in magazines, on TV and having his own cartoon show Hulk Hogan’s Rock ‘n’ Wrestling. On film, his first role was in Rocky III (1982) as the pro wrestler ‘Thunderlips’ who battled Rocky Balboa in a charity fight, followed by No Holds Barred, an action movie produced by the WWE. Family films followed, including Burt Kennedy’s Suburban Commando (1991), with Christopher Lloyd and Shelley Duvall, Mr Nanny, a family comedy, Santa With Muscles, a Christmas comedy, and 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain. He also played a military contractor who falls foul of the IRA in The Ultimate Weapon (1998) produced by The John Strong Company (you couldn’t make it up). He also played the leader of a commando unit in the TV movie Assault on Devil’s Island with Carl Weathers and Shannon Tweed. There were also cameos in Muppets from Space, Gremlins 2: The New Batch and the spoof comedy Spy Hard, in which he played a parody of himself alongside Leslie Nielsen.
Hogan married his first wife, Linda Claridge, in 1983, and they had two children, Brooke and Nick, and divorced in 2007. He married Jennifer McDaniel in 2010 and they divorced in 2022. He finally married the yoga instructor Sky Daily in 2023. He led a tumultuous life as a wrestler, was often involved in litigation of some sort or another, and acquired many health problems through throwing his body around the ring. He was the winner of many gymnastic awards mainly through punishing his own body. His strength in the ring, however, brought him fame and fortune and he was able to make a success of his physical talents but, apparently, he believed that it was also due to his strong religious beliefs. He was baptised at Indian Rocks Baptist Church in Largo, Florida, in December 2023. Hulk Hogan led a strangely incongruous life, played out against a combination of both the physical and the spiritual.
MICHAEL DARVELL