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FEW PEOPLE HAVE had a career quite like that of Hulk Hogan.
The controversial star, who has died at the age of 71, was catapulted to fame in the 1980s as a professional wrestler when he signed for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now known as WWE).
With his towering 6’7″ physique, bandana and blonde handlebar mustache, he quickly became a fan favourite and helped to turn wrestling into the multibillion-dollar industry it is today through his flamboyant style and trademark shirt-shredding move.
As several former wrestlers have said in tributes to Hogan today, wrestling as we know it today simply wouldn’t exist without him.
He went on to become an actor, television personality and businessman. But Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, was more known for courting controversy in the later part of his career.
Born on 11 August 1953 in the southern US state of Georgia to a construction worker father and a dance teacher mother, Hogan’s family moved to Florida when he was a toddler.
After dropping out of university, he was spotted at his gym by local wrestlers and was quickly swept into competitions. His nickname came about in part because of comparisons to the Marvel superhero The Incredible Hulk.
He first competed in 1979 in the WWF, but became a mainstay in the mid-1980s alongside others like André the Giant and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper.
He headlined the WWF’s flagship annual event WrestleMania numerous times. His match with André the Giant in 1988 drew in 33 million viewers, which remains theUS television viewership record for wrestling.
His brand of “Hulkamania” transferred to both the small and the big screen, with roles in films such as Rocky III opposite Sylvester Stallone, as well as No Holds Barred and TV’s Baywatch. He later took up more family roles, such as Mr Nanny and Santa With Muscles.
In the early 1990s, when news outlets began to report that he was heavily using steroids, Hogan denied the claim.
But in 1994, he agreed to testify under immunity from prosecution against his former employer Vince McMahon, who was being charged with illegally providing steroids to the wrestler, Hogan admitted to using steroids, but said McMahon had never asked him to.
Hogan left WWF to join rival wrestling competition World Championship Wrestling and went on to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship six times, holding the record for the longest reign.
At age 48 in 2002, in the waning days of his competitive career, he even battled Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.
He later became known for his reality show ‘Hogan Knows Best’, which aired on VH1 from 2005 to 2007.
A number of controversies shrouded Hogan’s later career, the most famous of which being when a sex tape featuring him and his then-best friend’s wife leaked in 2012.
He sued website Gawker Media, claiming he didn’t know he was being filmed when the video was made. Four years later, a Florida court awarded him $115 million in the case that essentially bankrupted Gawker.
The tape in question also captured Hogan making a string of racist comments about his daughter’s relationship with a Black man. His outburst included use of the N-word and saw him describe himself as “racist to a point” and state: “I guess we’re all a little racist”. The comments, which were made in 2007, resurfaced in 2015 when several publications published transcripts from court documents.
The WWE terminated his contract after the tape emerged, but he was reinstated to its hall of fame three years later. Hogan said the comments were “the biggest mistake of my life”.
Though his reputation among wrestling fans was not the same following the incident. During his final WWE appearance in January this year, he was widely booed as he addressed the crowd.
In recent years, Hogan became linked to US President Donald Trump’s MAGA movement when he came out to support the Republican in his bid for the White House. The pair had known each other since Hogan’s wrestling days.
Appearing on stage, he appeared to struggle to rip off his shirt in his signature style to reveal one underneath with Trump’s name on it.
“With our leader up there, my hero, that gladiator, we’re gonna bring America back together,” he said.
Trump paid tribute to Hogan on social media today following the news of his death. “We lost a great friend today, the ‘Hulkster.’ Hulk Hogan was MAGA all the way – Strong, tough, smart, but with the biggest heart,” he said on Truth Social.
“He gave an absolutely electric speech at the Republican National Convention, that was one of the highlights of the entire week. He entertained fans from all over the World, and the cultural impact he had was massive.”
Hogan suffered numerous health problems in later years, stemming from the years of abuse his body took in the ring. Earlier this month, his wife Sky Daily dismissed rumours about his health after he underwent neck surgery in May.
Today, Hogan was pronounced dead at a Florida hospital after emergency personnel responded to a cardiac arrest call at his home in Clearwater.
Police said there were “no signs of foul play or suspicious activity” and that they would conduct a death investigation, which is standard.
Hogan was married three times, and had two children with his first wife Linda.
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