Professional wrestling legend Hulk Hogan died Thursday at the age of 71 after suffering cardiac arrest at his home in Clearwater Beach, Florida. The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office confirmed emergency responders were called to the scene early Thursday morning. Hogan, whose given name was Terry Bollea, was transported to Morton Plant Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. No foul play is suspected.
Hogan was one of the most recognizable athletes of the 20th century, credited with transforming professional wrestling into a mainstream global phenomenon. But in recent years, he became increasingly vocal about his Christian faith, culminating in his baptism in December 2023.
“Total surrender and dedication to Jesus is the greatest day of my life,” Hogan wrote in an Instagram post following the baptism, which took place at Indian Rocks Baptist Church in Largo, Florida. “No worries, no hate, no judgment … only love!”
Hogan said he had first accepted Christ at 14, but after decades of public fame and personal challenges, he described the baptism as a rededication of his life. In an interview with TBN, Hogan said he had reached a breaking point.
“I was always a believer, but I didn’t completely surrender,” he said. “I thought I could drive better than He could. I thought I could make the decisions better than He could. And now He takes His hands off the wheel and says, ‘Okay. You think you can do it better, go ahead and do it.’ So, like I said, I got tired of crashing and burning.”
Born in Augusta, Georgia, and raised in Florida, Hogan rose to prominence in the 1980s with the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE). His “Hulkamania” persona and catchphrases like “Say your prayers and eat your vitamins” helped propel professional wrestling into pop culture.
He held multiple world championships, starred in films and television shows, and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. He was also a central figure in WCW’s “Monday Night Wars” as the leader of the nWo.
But Hogan’s career was not without controversy. In 2012, Hogan sued Gawker Media for $100 million for invasion of privacy after the now-defunct Gawker blog site published a sex tape. Hogan was awarded $140 million in 2016.
Additionally, he faced public backlash in 2015 over racist remarks that led to his temporary removal from WWE programming. He later apologized and was reinstated.
In the final years of his life, Hogan appeared focused on personal transformation. His social media regularly referenced Scripture, and he spoke publicly about the role his faith played in his recovery from health issues and personal failures.
“The only thing that is really real is the stuff that’s gonna last forever,” Hogan said in 2015. “Your faith and knowing that once you’re a Christian and you’ve accepted Christ as your Savior, you’re not gonna perish — you’re gonna have everlasting life.”
