Hulk Hogan — the man, the meme, the local legend — died on July 24. He made America love wrestling, made a lot of money and made a lot of people hate him. The Hulkster, and many of his fans, wanted to “Make America Great Again,” too.
The 71-year-old icon, born Terry Bollea, left a complicated mark on his hometown of Tampa Bay, having been at the center of a union bust, sex tape leaks, Betty White slander, Trump lovin’ and more. But he remained loved by many nonetheless.
Even Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is a fan, and he ordered flags to be flown at half-staff Friday for “Hulk Hogan Day” to honor the late infamous wrestler and lifelong Tampa Bay resident.
Flags were ordered to fly at half-staff at the State Capitol in Tallahassee, and at all state buildings, installations and grounds throughout Pinellas County.
The Pinellas County medical examiner released reports Thursday stating the wrestler’s cause of death was a heart attack.
See below eight moments Hogan made us cringe, along with shots from mourners gathering outside his Hogan’s Hangout restaurant on Clearwater Beach last week.
Credit: Photo via WWEThe Union Bust
Ten years before he would become a heel in the ring, Hogan became a villain to labor organizers. WWE Hall of Famer and former Minnesota Governor Jesse “The Body” Ventura said Hogan ratted his union efforts out to league head Vince McMahon in 1986. “It was like someone punched me in the face,” Ventura told “Stone Cold” Steve Austin on his 2017 podcast. “This was my friend. And I thought, ‘Hogan betrayed me? Hogan called Vince and ratted me?'” Credit: Photo via WWEHall of Fame (and infamy)
Another sex tape leak led to WWE revoking his Hall of Fame status in 2015. In the 2007 tape, Hogan used the N word to refer to a Black man dating his daughter. After Hogan apologized, WWE reinstated him in 2018. Credit: Photo via WWETrump-a-mania
In 2024, he launched “Real American Beer” — endorsed by Trump and targeted to fellow MAGA followers — with an event at MacDill Air Force Base. A month later, he made headlines for ripping his shirt open during a 2024 Republican National Convention speech. Credit: Photo via ShutterstockReality check
The 2005-2007 VH1 reality TV show Hogan Knows Best launched his then-wife, Linda, children Brooke and Nick, and their Belleair mansion into the spotlight. The show was canceled partly due to the Hogans’ highly public divorce. After Hogan allegedly cheated on his wife of 24 years with one of their daughter’s friends, Linda (then 48) began dating a 19-year-old student at their children’s school. Credit: Photo via ShutterstockBollea v. Gawker
Hogan (whose real name is Terry Bollea) took news blog Gawker to court in St. Petersburg for invasion of privacy after the outlet released a sex tape that involved Hogan and the wife of his friend, Tampa radio personality Bubba the Love Sponge Clem. Paypal robber baron Peter Thiel funded the lawsuit, and the $31 million settlement took down Gawker for good. Credit: Screenshot via Bay News 9 Bollea v. GawkerSelling out
Among his empire of products from light beer to vapes to restaurants, Hogan was known for selling photo opps. At meet-and-greets, and sometimes at his Clearwater restaurant, Hogan’s Hangout, he was known to charge about $200 for pics. Credit: Photo via ShutterstockA sad end
Hogan fought off rumors and boos in the last year of his life. After being heavily booed at his final WWE appearance in January, his newly launched wrestling league was met with lukewarm reception. In the month leading up to his death, Hogan and his wife, Sky, battled rumors that he was dying after complications from a neck surgery. It was one of more than two dozen surgeries Hogan underwent to alleviate back and neck pain after his WWE career. While his presence was unmistakable at public events, Hulk hasn’t looked comfortable walking around for years. Credit: Photo via WWECovid, Brother
When the coronavirus pandemic hit in 2020, Hogan went through a public religious journey where he took to social media to say America needs Jesus rather than a vaccine. Two years later, he falsely implied that Betty White died at 99 years old as a result of a COVID-19 booster shot. Credit: Photo via hulkhogan.com
