Hulk Hogan Dead at 71

“Say your prayers, take your vitamins, and believe in America.”

Terry “Hulk Hogan” Bollea — the all-American hero who body-slammed his way into history and stood shoulder to shoulder with President Donald J. Trump — has died at the age of 71. Hogan passed away Thursday morning at his Clearwater Beach home in Florida following a suspected cardiac arrest.

Clearwater Police and Fire Rescue were dispatched at 9:51 a.m. to his residence on Eldorado Avenue, where Hogan was found unresponsive. He was rushed to Morton Plant Hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

“We lost a real American today,” said longtime friend and wrestling executive Eric Bischoff. “Hogan wasn’t just a superstar — he was a symbol of strength, patriotism, and faith.”

From Ring Warrior to Cultural Icon

Hogan’s journey began in the wrestling circuits of Florida in the late 1970s, but it was Vince McMahon’s WWF — now WWE — that catapulted him into superstardom. After rescuing Bob Backlund from an ambush, Hogan emerged as the ultimate babyface. What followed was an explosion of “Hulkamania” across the nation.

His mantra? Train hard. Say your prayers. Eat your vitamins. Believe in yourself. It wasn’t just a catchphrase — it became a creed for young Americans growing up in the Reagan era.

In 1987, Hogan made history by body-slamming 520-pound Andre the Giant at WrestleMania III, an act so shocking it became known as “the bodyslam heard ‘round the world.” The crowd erupted. America cheered. And pro wrestling was never the same again.

“He was more than a wrestler. He was the voice and face of a generation,” said WWE legend Ric Flair.

Political Firepower: Hogan Joins the Trump Revolution

In recent years, Hogan didn’t shy away from politics. In 2024, he endorsed President Donald Trump for a second term — delivering a firebrand speech at the Republican National Convention and joining Trump onstage at Madison Square Garden.

“When Trump walks into a room, it’s like Hulkamania just entered,” Hogan famously declared at the rally. “This country needs a real champion again — and that’s Trump, brother!”

He had also teamed up with Bischoff for a new wrestling venture, Real American Freestyle, aimed at reviving classic American wrestling values and taking a stand against the woke direction of modern sports entertainment.

From Hero to Anti-Hero: Reinventing the Game

In 1996, Hogan shocked the world again — this time by turning heel at WCW’s Bash at the Beach in one of the most iconic betrayals in wrestling history. The formation of the New World Order (NWO) alongside Kevin Nash and Scott Hall dominated TV ratings for 83 straight weeks.

After Vince McMahon’s WWE acquired WCW, Hogan returned for a headline-grabbing clash with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and another wave of nostalgic glory. He later joined Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and remained a larger-than-life presence in wrestling until his final public appearance on RAW this January.

A Champion in and out of the Ring

• 6-time WWE Champion
• 6-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion
• 2005 WWE Hall of Fame Inductee (Individual)
• 2020 WWE Hall of Fame Inductee (NWO)
• IWGP Champion in New Japan Pro-Wrestling

Hogan was as much a part of American pop culture as apple pie and the Fourth of July. From lunchboxes and action figures to cartoon shows and movies, his legacy crossed generations. And unlike today’s soft celebrities, Hogan never apologized for being bold, brash, and proudly pro-America.

Family, Legacy, and Final Years

Hogan is survived by his wife, Sky Daily, and his children Nick and Brooke, whom he shared with his first wife, Linda Claridge. Though rumors of his declining health swirled in recent months, Sky had assured fans that her husband was “strong and fighting like always.”

“Hulk never stopped being a fighter,” she said earlier this year. “He was the real deal.”

In the end, Hulk Hogan lived exactly as he preached — larger-than-life, fearless, and unapologetically American.

Rest in power, brother.