From rings to reality television, Hulk Hogan touched almost every corner of pop culture.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a wrestling fan or not. You know Hulk Hogan.
When news of the 71-year-old’s death hit came, the online tribute wasn’t just from wrestling legends from actors and others. Even Bobbi Brown, founder of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, weighed in.
“Ah, no! I’m thinking about @hulkhogan and his family,” she wrote on Instagram.
Torn yellow tank tops, red and yellow bandanas, long bleached blonde hair and horseshoe-shaped mustache have been recognized for over 40 years.
In 1979, Hulk Hogan made his debut with the then Wrestling Federation (WWF), now known as World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). In 1982 he chose to star with Sylvester Stallone in “Rocky III.” He urged then-owner Vincent J. McMahon to release him from the company, but he returned in 1983 when McMahon’s son Vincent K. McMahon took over. From there, Hulkamania began running into the wild.
Hogan was located on the face of the young McMahon’s company and helped bridge the gap between wrestling and mainstream entertainment. When you thought of wrestling, you thought of Hulk Hogan. He was the first WrestleMania major draw in 1985.
His star power continued on the big screen, and appeared in films during his wrestling careers such as “No Hold Barred,” “Suburban Commando,” and “Mr. Nanny.”
In 1993 he left WWF and later joined his rival, Waldo Championship Wrestling (WCW), in 1994. In 1996 he took on the Hollywood Hogan character. Instead, he became a heel. This is the villain in wrestling stories.
Regardless of his persona, his fame was still there.
He returned to WWE in 2002, and the company acquired WCW. He went on to take over Dwayne “Rock” Johnson in the ring for the famous icon Vs. During the WrestleMania X8, icon matches were considered to hand the torch to some fans. Around this time, Johnson appeared on more projects besides the square circle, slowly setting his sights on Hollywood.
Wrestling aside, he also found fans through reality television. In 2005, he made his debut with “Hogan Is Best” on VH1, bringing the camera home and showing his life as a man in the family along with his then-wife Linda, son Nick and daughter Brooke. It ran for four seasons.
Hogan was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005 and retired from wrestling in 2012. His latest venture was his real American beer.
In 2007, Hogan went at a disadvantage among some fans after a sex tape revealing a racist comment that his daughter Brooke was on a date. Following this, WWE removed him from the Hall of Fame in 2015. In 2018, the company revived its Hall of Fame status after apologizing and volunteering for the company.
In recent years, his legacy has been complicated and he has lovingly remembered him from a child, but as he grew older, he has become skeptical, citing the wrestler’s racist language and political views. A solid supporter of President Trump, Hogan spoke in support of him during the 2024 Republican National Convention.
On the Netflix debut of WWE’s flagship show “Raw” on January 6th, Hulkster surprised fans with his appearance. However, he met a strong boo.
That being said, the WWE statement about his death explains it most:
“One of the most famous figures of pop culture, Hogan helped WWE become globally recognized in the 1980s. WWE is fond of sadness to Hogan’s family, friends and fans.”
Hogan leaves behind his wife Sora, children Nick and Brook, and two grandchildren.
