Hulk Hogan was more than just a wrestler. He was a human mountain in neon spandex who practically invented the concept of the modern celebrity athlete. But if you’ve been looking for him lately, the news is heavy. Hulk Hogan died on July 24, 2025, at the age of 71. He passed away at his home in Clearwater, Florida, after a medical emergency that the world later learned was a sudden cardiac arrest. It felt like the end of an era because, frankly, it was.
For decades, we watched Terry Bollea—the man behind the "24-inch pythons"—survive everything. He survived the collapse of the 80s wrestling boom, a massive sex tape scandal that bankrupted a media giant, and a physical toll on his body that would have sidelined anyone else years ago. Honestly, it’s hard to believe a guy who seemed made of iron and prayers could actually be gone.
The Health Battle Nobody Saw Coming
People always joked about how Hulk Hogan was "immortal," a nickname he leaned into for years. Behind the scenes, though, his body was basically held together by surgical steel and sheer willpower. Just months before he died, in May 2025, Hogan went under the knife for yet another neck procedure. This wasn't his first rodeo. He’d actually told Logan Paul on the Impaulsive podcast that he had undergone 25 surgeries in the last decade alone.
- Ten back surgeries.
- Total replacements of both hips.
- Total replacements of both knees.
- Shoulder surgeries.
By late 2024 and early 2025, the cracks were starting to show. Fans noticed he looked "off" during some public appearances. There were rumors he was in a coma or on his deathbed back in early 2025, which his team quickly denied. His wife, Sky Daily, even posted updates saying his heart was "strong." But after his death, reports surfaced that he had been struggling with shortness of breath and was using oxygen at home in his final weeks. It’s a sobering reminder that even the biggest legends have a shelf life.
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What Happened With Hulk Hogan and the Politics of 2024
If you hadn't heard much about his health, you definitely saw him at the 2024 Republican National Convention. That was a moment. Hogan stepped onto that stage and did exactly what he did at WrestleMania III: he ripped his shirt off. He endorsed Donald Trump with a level of energy that felt like a throwback to 1985, shouting about "Trumpamania" to a room of thousands.
It wasn't just a one-off thing, either. He stayed active on the campaign trail, even appearing at the massive Madison Square Garden rally in October 2024. For some fans, it was a glorious return to form. For others, it was another polarizing chapter in a life that was already full of them. He wasn't just a retired wrestler anymore; he was a political surrogate.
The Business Ventures: Beer and "Real American" Wrestling
Even in his 70s, Hogan wasn't sitting still. He launched Real American Beer in 2024, trying to capture that "everyman" spirit he’d banked on for forty years. But like most things in Hogan’s life, it didn't come without a side of legal drama. The brand got slapped with a federal lawsuit over intellectual property theft. A company called Carma HoldCo claimed that executives basically stole the business plan to launch the beer with Hogan independently.
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Then there was the wrestling. In early 2025, Hogan teamed up with his old buddy Eric Bischoff to launch the Real American Freestyle (RAF) league. They pitched it as "unscripted" pro wrestling—basically a hybrid of real grappling and the theatrical stuff we love. Hogan was the commissioner. He was supposed to oversee the first big event in Cleveland in August 2025. He never made it to that show.
Why the Estate Battle Is Getting Messy
When a legend dies with an estimated $25 million to $30 million in the bank, things rarely go smoothly. Hogan’s kids, Brooke and Nick, have had a complicated relationship with their dad for years. After he died, the whispers started almost immediately.
There have been reports of an estate battle brewing in Florida courts. Most of it centers around his latest marriage and how much of the "Hulk Hogan" brand—the likeness, the royalties, the merchandise rights—goes to his widow versus his children. It's the kind of family drama that feels like a sequel to Hogan Knows Best, only without the cameras and with a lot more lawyers.
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Actionable Insights for Fans and Collectors
If you’re a fan looking to navigate the aftermath of Hogan’s passing, there are a few things to keep in mind regarding his legacy and your own connection to it:
- Watch the Authenticity of Memorabilia: With his passing, the market for "The Hulkster’s" autographs is flooded. Stick to reputable authenticators like JSA or PSA. Unsigned vintage 80s merchandise is actually seeing a bigger price jump than recent signed items.
- The Documentary is Coming: Netflix has been working on a massive documentary about his life. Expect this to be the "definitive" look at the man versus the myth. It will likely cover the Gawker lawsuit in detail, which is still studied in law schools as a landmark case for privacy.
- Support the Real American Brand Carefully: If you’re a fan of his beer or the RAF league, keep an eye on the legal filings. The ownership of these brands is still in flux, and their long-term survival is far from guaranteed without the man himself there to promote them.
- Revisit the Vault: If you want to remember why he mattered, skip the late-era reality TV. Go back to the 1996 Bash at the Beach heel turn. It remains one of the most significant pivots in entertainment history and shows why, despite the controversies, he was a genius at reading a crowd.
Hulk Hogan's story ended in a quiet mansion in Florida, far from the roar of the 90,000 people at the Pontiac Silverdome. He left behind a complicated, messy, but undeniably massive footprint on American culture. Whether you loved him or hated him, you couldn't ignore him. And in the world of show business, that’s the ultimate victory.