It feels weird writing this. For decades, Terry Bollea—the man the world knew as Hulk Hogan—seemed basically indestructible. He was the guy who slammed Andre the Giant. The guy who told us to train, say our prayers, and eat our vitamins. But on July 24, 2025, the "Immortal" one proved to be mortal after all.
He was 71.
If you were online that morning, you probably saw the rumors flying around before the official word dropped. It started with whispers from Clearwater, Florida, about sirens and emergency vehicles at his mansion. Honestly, we'd heard "deathbed" rumors about the Hulkster just weeks earlier, and they turned out to be fake, so a lot of people didn't believe it at first. Then the Clearwater Police and WWE put out the statements. It was real.
Hulk Hogan Passed Away: The Medical Reality
So, what actually happened? After the dust settled and the medical examiner’s reports came out, the hulk hogan passed away cause of death was officially confirmed as an acute myocardial infarction, which is the technical term for a heart attack.
It wasn't just a random event, though. Documents later obtained by outlets like Page Six and E! News revealed a much more complex health picture. Hogan had been quietly battling Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL). While CLL is often a slow-growing type of cancer, it puts an incredible amount of stress on the body.
The heart attack itself was a "sudden cardiac arrest" event. First responders were called to his home around 9:50 a.m. that Thursday. They tried CPR. They rushed him to Morton Plant Hospital. But by the time they got there, there wasn't much they could do. He was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
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The Toll of 25 Surgeries
You've gotta look at what his body had been through to understand why his heart finally gave out. Just a year before he died, Hogan sat down on Logan Paul’s podcast and admitted he’d had 25 surgeries in the last decade alone.
Think about that.
Twenty. Five.
His back was essentially fused together. He had both hips replaced. Both knees. Multiple shoulder surgeries. He famously blamed the "Atomic Leg Drop"—his finishing move—for destroying his spine. Dropping 300 pounds of man onto your tailbone every night for 40 years is a recipe for disaster.
In May 2025, just two months before he passed, he underwent a massive four-level neck fusion (ACDF). His wife, Sky Daily, had been posting updates saying his heart was "strong" and he was recovering, but the reality is that major surgery at 71, combined with a history of atrial fibrillation (A-fib) and leukemia, is a lot for any human being to handle.
Why the Rumors Were So Confusing
Part of the reason the news felt like such a gut punch was the "boy who cried wolf" effect of the weeks leading up to July. In June 2025, a former associate of Hogan’s claimed he was on his deathbed and that family was being called in to say goodbye.
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His reps shut that down immediately. They called it a hoax. They said he was just doing a routine check-up. And for a minute, we all breathed a sigh of relief. Even Jimmy Hart, his long-time manager and friend, was telling people Hogan was doing "great" just 48 hours before the cardiac arrest.
It makes you wonder if they were just trying to stay positive or if things truly took a sharp turn for the worse overnight. Cardiologists who weighed in after his death noted that for someone with his history of steroid use (which he admitted to back in the 90s) and chronic physical trauma, the heart is often a ticking time bomb.
The Final Months and Legacy
Hogan didn't go out quietly. He was active right up until the end. He had just launched a new wrestling venture that was supposed to start in August 2025. He was still showing up at political rallies and doing interviews.
But behind the scenes? He was on oxygen. He had lost a significant amount of weight. He was struggling with shortness of breath. He was still the Hulkster on camera, but off-camera, Terry Bollea was tired.
What’s interesting is that despite the controversies that followed him—the Gawker lawsuit, the leaked tapes, the temporary ban from WWE—his death brought the wrestling world together. From Ric Flair to The Rock, the tributes were everywhere. He was the bridge between the old-school territory days and the global juggernaut that is modern sports entertainment.
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Lessons for the Rest of Us
It’s easy to look at a guy like Hogan and think he’s a superhero. But his passing is a pretty stark reminder about heart health.
- A-fib is no joke: If you have an irregular heartbeat, get it checked.
- The "Muscle" Myth: Just because someone looks big and strong doesn't mean their internal organs aren't under massive strain.
- Surgery Recovery: At 70+, there is no such thing as "minor" surgery.
If you’re concerned about your own heart health or the health of someone you love, don't ignore the signs Hogan was showing: shortness of breath, unusual fatigue, and chest discomfort.
The best way to honor a legacy like Hulkamania is probably just to take care of yourself. Check your blood pressure. Get your cholesterol screened. Don't wait until you're "working yourself into a shoot," as the man himself would say.
For fans wanting to revisit his best work, the WWE Network has curated a "Hulk Hogan: The Immortal Collection" that covers everything from the first WrestleMania to the NWO era. It's a good place to start if you want to remember him as he was at his peak.