[Watch] Remembering Hulka Hogan: From Hulkamania, Acting In Rocky 3 To His Controversies

New York: “Whatcha gonna do, brother, when Hulkamania runs wild on you?” – these words will echo in arenas, living rooms, and hearts of WWF wrestling fans forever. The wrestling world has lost Hulk Hogan, the WWE Hall of Famer and one of the most recognisable faces in sports entertainment. He passed away at the age of 71. As tributes pour in from across the globe, fans are looking back at the career of the man who turned wrestling into a global phenomenon and gave birth to Hulkamania.

Watch one of his entries here:

His early life as Terry Gene Bollea

Born Terry Gene Bollea on August 11, 1953, in Georgia, Hogan began his wrestling journey in the late 1970s, making his in-ring debut in 1977. It wasn’t long before his towering frame, iconic mustache, and electrifying charisma made him a standout performer. But it was his return to the WWF (now WWE) in 1983 that transformed him into a household name.

Hulkamania

Hogan’s popularity exploded in the mid-1980s as he became the face of Vince McMahon’s wrestling revolution, which aimed to take professional wrestling mainstream. Draped in red and yellow, he preached the virtues of “saying your prayers and taking your vitamins,” and his legions of fans soon coined the term Hulkamania to describe the fervour he generated.

His iconic match

His match at WrestleMania III in 1987, where he body-slammed the 520-pound Andre the Giant, remains one of the most iconic moments in wrestling history. Over the course of his WWF/WWE tenure, Hogan became a six-time WWE Champion, headlined eight of the first nine WrestleManias, and was a driving force behind WWE’s explosive popularity during the 1980s and early ’90s.

In the mid-1990s, Hogan made a bold move by joining rival promotion WCW, where he reinvented himself as the villainous Hollywood Hogan. His dramatic heel turn and the formation of the New World Order (nWo) alongside Scott Hall and Kevin Nash in 1996 was a watershed moment in wrestling. The nWo storyline helped WCW dominate ratings during the fierce Monday Night Wars with WWE. During his WCW run, Hogan held the World Heavyweight Championship six times, cementing his legacy as a top draw across promotions.

Hogan made several returns to WWE in the 2000s, engaging in feuds with The Rock, Triple H, and Shawn Michaels. In 2005, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by friend and actor Sylvester Stallone. He was later inducted again in 2020 as part of the nWo, joining an elite group of two-time inductees.

On the silver screen

Beyond the ring, Hogan was a cultural icon. He starred in movies like Rocky III, had his own reality show Hogan Knows Best, and was a pitchman for numerous brands. His influence extended far beyond wrestling rings, and he remained one of the most recognizable names in sports and entertainment.

Hulk and his controversies

Though his career had its share of controversies, including a public scandal in 2015 and multiple surgeries in later years, fans and colleagues have chosen to remember Hogan for the indelible mark he left on professional wrestling. Hulk Hogan will also be remembered for his various controversies surrounding him.

In 1994, he testified in the case of Vince McMahon, WWE co-founder, after getting immunity from prosecution. The prosecutors accused McMahon and WWE of providing illegal steroids to wrestlers.

Hogan’s testimony was key in the government losing the case. But some viewed it as a betrayal that Hogan even testified against McMahon. Hogan was removed from the WWE Hall of Fame in 2015 over a racist slur. He was caught saying the controversial statement on tape. He was reinstated three years later.

In 2024, he took aim at the then vice-President Kamala Harris. While speaking at an event, he said “Do you want me to body slam Kamala Harris?”

A one-off appearance at the start of 2025 saw him receive a deafening amount of boos from the crowd. This was not the kind of entrance expected for one of the greats of WWE.