Hulk Hogan, American Wrestling Legend and Loyal Trump Supporter, has Died

Hulk Hogan, emblematic figure of professional wrestling in the 1980s, has died at the age of 71. He had become an active supporter of Trump and an important representative of the MAGA base

Hulk Hogan1980s professional wrestling iconic face who put his athletic talents to the benefit of an acting career has died at the age of 71, American media reported Thursday. According to TMZ, City of Clearwater emergency services were called for cardiac arrest. Taken into care, the wrestler was transported to Morton Plant Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Hulk Hogan had become an active member of Donald Trump’s MAGA base. He notably described Donald Trump as a “hero” capable of “bringing America together, one true American at a time”. Donald Trump paid tribute to his “great friend” Hulk Hogan. “Hulk Hogan was MAGA to the end – strong, solid, intelligent, but with a big heart”, the Republican wrote on Truth Social. In a press release sent to the American media, including the site People.com, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) expressed its sadness. “WWE is saddened to learn of the passing of Hall of Fame member Hulk Hogan. ”

Bassist, bouncer and finally wrestler

Born Terrence Gene Bollea on August 11, 1953 in Augusta, in Georgia, he grew up in Tampa, Florida, where he first distinguished himself as a bass player and bouncer before taking up wrestling in the late 1970s. After debuting under the pseudonyms Terry Boulder or Sterling Golden, it was Vince McMahon Sr. who spotted him and offered him a contract with WWE. The idea for the name “Hulk Hogan” comes from a television appearance where his build surpasses that of Lou Ferrigno, the actor playing The Incredible Hulk.

He entered the ring at Madison Square Garden for the first time New York in December 1979. From then on, the Hogan phenomenon exploded. With his muscles, his torn tank tops and his slogans, he embodies the body-built and triumphant America of the Reagan years. In 1985, Sports Illustrated dedicated it to the front page: Hulk Hogan is to wrestling what Babe Ruth is to baseball. ”

A great and long career

During his career, he won 12 world championship titles and faced the greatest figures in the ring, including Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. He entered the WWE Hall of Fame twice: in 2005, introduced by his friend Sylvester Stallone, then in 2020 as a team member. “He threw the most incredible punches, you could feel them without ever really being hit”, recalled Sylvester Stallone, quoted by People.com.

But Hogan’s trajectory was not without shadows. In 2015, WWE terminated its contract after the revelation of a private video containing comments racists. He was reinstated to the Hall of Fame three years later after a public apology and image work. “What I said was unacceptable. There is no excuse, he told People.com.

Support from Trump during the campaign

Outside of the ring, Hulk Hogan attempted a career in Hollywood, notably in Rocky III (1982), and participated in more than 15 films. He also became a small screen star with the show Hogan Knows Best broadcast on VH1 from 2005 to 2007, alongside his wife Linda and their two children. In the last years of his life, Hulk Hogan had adopted a calmer rhythm in Florida, playing bass, tending to his chihuahuas and launching his own beer, Real American Beer, in 2024, touted by his friend Donald Trump on Truth Social.

Hulk Hogan only began publicly supporting Donald Trump at the Republican convention, citing the assassination attempt on the president at a rally in Butler, in Pennsylvania. From then on, he participated in several Republican meetings, including the one at Madison Square Garden last October. He thus became an active representative of the MAGA base. “At the end of the day, with our leader up there, my hero, this gladiator, we are going to bring America together, one real American at a time, my brother”, he declared in particular before the eyes of Donald Trump.