The world of professional wrestling felt a massive shift in the earth when the news finally broke. Hulk Hogan, the man who basically invented the modern era of sports entertainment, is gone. It’s hard to wrap your head around, honestly. For decades, he seemed like an indestructible force of nature, a guy who could survive anything from a 500-pound body slam to the wildest scandals the tabloids could throw at him. But on July 24, 2025, the 24-inch pythons went still.
Naturally, the internet went into a frenzy. When a figure that large passes away, the vacuum is filled with rumors, "deathbed" whispers, and a lot of conflicting reports from family friends and representatives. People wanted answers.
Hulk Hogan Cause of Death Revealed
The official word came down from the Pinellas County Medical Examiner and the Clearwater Police Department. Hulk Hogan’s cause of death was cardiac arrest. Specifically, it was a heart attack that led to a sudden cardiac event at his home in Clearwater, Florida.
Emergency responders were called to his residence around 9:50 a.m. that Thursday. Reports from the scene were grim. Medics were seen performing chest compressions as he was wheeled into an ambulance, but despite their best efforts at Morton Plant Hospital, he was pronounced dead at 11:17 a.m.
It wasn't a mystery or a "foul play" situation. It was a heart that had simply given all it had to give.
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The Toll of 25 Surgeries
To understand why this happened, you have to look at the state of Hogan’s body in the years leading up to 2025. Terry Bollea—the man behind the bandana—wasn't a superhero. He was a human being who had spent forty years dropping 300 pounds of weight onto his own spine every single night.
Just months before he passed, Hogan sat down on Logan Paul’s podcast and dropped a bombshell: he had undergone 25 surgeries in the last decade alone.
Think about that for a second. That is more than two major surgeries a year for ten years straight. We’re talking:
- Ten separate back surgeries (including a massive four-level fusion).
- Both hips replaced.
- Both knees replaced.
- Shoulder reconstructions.
- Multiple procedures to fix "lingering neck pain."
He famously said that "nobody told me this gimmick stuff was fake," referring to the very real physical price he paid for those legendary leg drops. Every time he jumped and landed on his tailbone, it sent a shockwave through his spine. By the time he hit 71, his body was essentially a roadmap of surgical scars and titanium.
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The Warning Signs in the Final Months
There was a lot of back-and-forth in the media before the end. In June 2025, rumors started circulating that Hogan was "on his deathbed." Long-time friend and radio host Bubba the Love Sponge even claimed that family members were being told to come say their goodbyes.
At the time, Hogan's team pushed back hard. They called the reports "nonsense" and insisted he was just recovering from a successful neck procedure. His wife, Sky Daily, even posted that his heart was "strong."
But behind the scenes, things were getting tougher. Sources later told outlets like the Daily Mail that Hogan was struggling with shortness of breath and extreme fatigue in his final weeks. He had lost weight. Some reports even suggested he was using oxygen at home while trying to launch his new business venture, Real American Freestyle.
It’s a classic case of a guy who didn't know how to quit. He was still trying to build leagues and brands while his physical engine was running on fumes.
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A Legacy Beyond the Ring
Regardless of how it ended, you can't talk about the hulk hogan cause of death revealed without acknowledging what he left behind. He wasn't just a wrestler. He was the reason wrestling became a global phenomenon. Without Hogan, there is no WrestleMania. There is no Rock, no John Cena, and no billion-dollar WWE.
He lived in constant pain for the last twenty years of his life, yet he never stopped being "The Hulkster" whenever a camera was pointed at him. That kind of dedication is rare, even if it eventually contributed to his physical decline.
If you’re a fan looking to honor his memory, the best thing you can do is go back and watch the 1980s tapes. Watch him slam Andre. Watch the madness of the nWo era. That’s the version of Terry Bollea that belongs in the history books.
The reality is that years of steroid use in the 80s—which he was always open about later in life—combined with the sheer trauma of professional wrestling, creates a massive strain on the cardiovascular system. It’s a tragic pattern we’ve seen with many legends of that era.
Keep an eye on official WWE tributes and the upcoming documentaries that will surely dive deeper into his final days. For now, the "Real American" is finally at rest.
What to do next:
If you want to support the legacy of the Golden Era of wrestling, consider donating to the Concussion Legacy Foundation or organizations that support retired athletes dealing with chronic pain and physical disability. You can also visit the official WWE Hall of Fame digital archives to leave a tribute message for the Bollea family.