From the ring to reality television, Hulk Hogan has touched almost every corner of pop culture.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a wrestling fan or not; you know Hulk Hogan.
Once the news of the 71-year-old’s passing hit, online tributes began to pour in, but not just from wrestling legends, from actors and more. Even Bobbi Brown, founder of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, weighed in.
“Oh no! Thinking of @hulkhogan and his family,” she wrote on Instagram.
The ripped yellow tank top, red and yellow bandana, long bleached-blonde hair and horseshoe mustache have been recognizable for over four decades.
In 1979, Hulk Hogan made his debut within the then-World Wrestling Federation (WWF,) which is now known as World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). In 1982, he chose to star alongside Sylvester Stallone in “Rocky III,” which exposed him to a broader audience. While it prompted then-owner Vincent J. McMahon to release him from the company, he later returned in 1983 when McMahon’s son, Vincent K. McMahon, took over. From there, Hulkamania began to run wild.
Situated as the younger McMahon’s face of the company, Hogan helped bridge the gap between wrestling and mainstream entertainment. When you thought of professional wrestling, you thought of Hulk Hogan. He was the main draw for the first Wrestlemania in 1985.
His star power continued to the big screen, appearing in films during and after his wrestling career like “No Holds Barred,” “Suburban Commando,” and “Mr. Nanny.”
In 1993, he left the WWF and later joined their rival, Wold Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1994. In 1996, he took on the character of Hollywood Hogan, which was the complete opposite of his former moniker of “eat your vitamins and say your prayers.” Instead, he became a heel, which is a villain in wrestling talk.
Regardless of the persona, his fame was still there.
He returned to the WWE in 2002, when the company acquired WCW. He went on to take on Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in the ring for the famous Icon Vs. Icon match during Wrestlemania X8, which was seen as a passing of the torch to some fans. Around this time, Johnson was appearing in more projects outside of the squared circle and slowly setting his sights on Hollywood.
Wrestling aside, he also found fans through reality television. In 2005, “Hogan Knows Best” debuted on VH1, bringing cameras into his home to show his life as a family man 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 most recent venture was his Real American Beer.
In 2007, Hogan became unfavorable among some fans after a leaked sex tape revealed racist comments he made about who his daughter, Brooke, was dating. Following this, the WWE removed him from the Hall of Fame in 2015. In 2018, the company reinstated his Hall of Fame status after he apologized and volunteered with the company.
In recent years, his legacy was a complicated one, with fans who remembered him fondly from their childhood but grew skeptical as they got older, citing the wrestler’s racist language and political views. Hogan, a staunch supporter of President Trump, spoke in support of him during the 2024 Republican National Convention.
During the Netflix debut of WWE’s flagship show “Raw,” on Jan. 6, the Hulkster surprised fans with his appearance. However, he was met with strong boos.
With that being said, the WWE’s statement on his passing explains it best:“One of pop culture’s most recognizable figures, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s. WWE extends its condolences to Hogan’s family, friends, and fans.”
Hogan leaves behind his wife Sky, children Nick and Brooke and two grandchildren.
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