Hulk Hogan obituary: Larger-than-life character and wrestling giant


Evelyn Lau
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Hulk Hogan, the two-time WWE Hall of Fame wrestler who has died aged 71, will be remembered by many as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time before his star faded.

The American, who rose to prominence during the mid-1980s and resurrected his career a decade later, became a star after performing in the WWE, then the WWF, and WCW in the 1980s and 1990s with his skyrocketing popularity helping him crossover to television and films before scandal and controversy later marred his legacy.

He is often remembered for his trademark blonde handlebar moustache and red bandana during his initial Hulkamania run in the mid-1980s, in which he was portrayed as the good guy (known in the industry as a face) as he came out to the theme song Real American.

He later sported a darker black-and-white theme with his days in the villainous faction known as the nWo (New World Order) where he played a bad guy (called a heel) in WCW in the late 1990s.

Hulk Hogan and former NBA player Dennis Rodman in 1998. AFP
Hulk Hogan and former NBA player Dennis Rodman in 1998. AFP

For his involvement in professional wrestling, Hogan was twice inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame — once in 2005 and again in 2020 as a founding member of the nWo. He was also a member of the International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame class of 2021.

Born Terry Bollea on August 11, 1953, in Augusta, Georgia, he grew up with an interest in sports by playing baseball as a child. He drew interest from scouts before an injury ended his career.

His first foray into wrestling began after he met Jack and Gerald Brisco, both wrestlers, at a gym in Florida. The brothers were impressed with Hogan’s physique and asked Hiro Matsuda to train him in 1976.

Training with Matsuda for more than a year, Hogan’s first wrestling match took place against Brian Blair in the promotion Championship Wrestling from Florida in 1977. However, he took a hiatus afterwards, becoming the manager of the Anchor Club in Cocoa Beach, Florida.

After a meeting with Ed Leslie (later known as wrestler Brutus Beefcake), Hogan was inspired to give wrestling another chance — this time convinced to work as a tag team with Leslie called The Boulder Brothers. They joined Continental Wrestling Association in Memphis.

During an appearance on a local talk show, Hogan sat beside Lou Ferrigno, star of the television show The Incredible Hulk. Hogan actually looked bigger than Ferrigno, and he soon adopted “The Hulk” into his wrestling persona, performing as Terry “The Hulk” Boulder.

After competing in various wrestling promotions, wrestler Terry Funk introduced Hogan to the World Wrestling Federation (now known as WWE) owner and promoter Vince McMahon Senior, who was impressed with Hogan.

He wrestled his first match in the WWF by defeating Harry Valdez in Championship Wrestling in 1979 and appeared at Madison Square Garden, New York, against Ted DiBiase. He began in-ring feuds with Bob Backlund and Andre the Giant before competing in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, where he earned the nickname “Ichiban” (number one).

After the WWF took new ownership under McMahon's son, also called Vince, who bought the company in 1982, Hogan returned and became the face of the company. He defeated the Iron Sheikh in 1984 to win his first WWF World Heavyweight Championship at Madison Square Garden, with ringside announcer Gorilla Monsoon proclaiming afterwards: “Hulkamania is here!”

Hogan would build on this as part of his character, referring to fans as “Hulkamaniacs” during interviews and introducing his three demands: training, saying prayers and eating vitamins.

The next year he competed in the main event of the first WrestleMania in 1985, teaming up with Mr T to defeat “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and “Mr Wonderful” Paul Orndorff, beginning a trend of where he headlined seven of the next eight WrestleManias.

His star power rose throughout the 1980s; he was the most requested celebrity for the Make-A-Wish Foundation children’s charity and featured on covers of Sports Illustrated, TV Guide and People magazines. He also had his own Saturday morning cartoon called Hulk Hogan’s Rock ‘n’ Wrestling.

In 1993, after a steroid scandal hit professional wrestling, Hogan left the promotion to take time off. He ventured into acting, starring in his own television show, Thunder in Paradise, which was cancelled after one season.

He returned to New Japan Pro Wrestling before signing with World Championship Wrestling, also known as WCW, in the mid-1990s. In his debut match against Ric Flair, he won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship.

At Bash at the Beach in 1996, Hogan turned heel for the first time in his 15-year career as he sided with Scott Hall and Kevin Nash, forming the New World Order and going by "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan. The nWo maintained popularity throughout the late-1990s as the faction grew to include more wrestlers but also helped heat up the Monday night ratings war between WCW and WWF.

After the WCW was bought by WWF in 2001, Hogan, Hall and Nash rejoined the WWF in 2002 at No Way Out. The trio soon shared a feud with The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin — leading to an anticipated “Icon vs Icon” match between The Rock and Hogan at WrestleMania X8.

While Hogan was supposed to be the heel, he was heavily cheered on by the crowd of more than 60,000 at the SkyDome in Toronto, Canada. Although he ultimately lost the match, his career resurged as he turned face and returned to his old signature red and yellow tights in the following weeks.

Hogan would continue being involved with pro wrestling with stints in the WWE, Impact Wrestling, New Japan Pro Wrestling and Memphis Wrestling throughout the next decade. His last match took place during an Impact Wrestling show in London where he teamed up with Sting and Bully Ray to take on DOC, Devon and Mr Anderson in 2013.

Outside the ring, Hogan had legal issues throughout the years. In 1994, he testified in the trial of McMahon Senior admitting to taking anabolic steroids but stating that McMahon had neither sold nor ordered him to take them. In 2012, he sued Gawker after a private tape was released, eventually settling for $31 million.

However, one of the biggest backlashes he faced came in 2015 after the National Enquirer and Radar Online released a racist rant recorded on tape. The WWE immediately cut ties with him and Hogan apologised for his remarks.

“This is not who I am. I believe very strongly that every person in the world is important and should not be treated differently based on race, gender, orientation, religious beliefs or otherwise,” he said at the time announcing his departure from the WWE.

Hogan later made a televised apology where he pleaded forgiveness for his comments. Afterwards, a number of black wrestlers later expressed their support including wrestlers Booker T, Mark Henry and Big E.

In 2018, Hogan returned to the WWE appearing as the host of the inaugural Crown Jewel event in Riyadh. He’s appeared in numerous events for the company since including co-hosting WrestleMania 37 in 2021 and appearing at WWE Raw is XXX that celebrated the 30th anniversary of Raw in 2023.

Hogan’s final WWE appearance came on January 6, during the company’s Netflix debut of Monday Night Raw at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. Accompanied by longtime friend and former manager Jimmy Hart, Hogan was met with a chorus of heavy boos from the crowd — a sharp contrast to the adoration he once commanded during his “Hulkamania” days.

The hostile reception reflected growing backlash over his controversial social and political stances, particularly his outspoken support for US President Donald Trump, as well as the lingering shadow of his past racist remarks.

Outside of wrestling, Hogan was also involved in television and film. He found success on the reality show Hogan Knows Best, released in 2005 and aired for four seasons. He also has credits in films such as Rocky III (1982), Mr Nanny (1993) and 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain (1998).

He is survived by his ex-wife Linda Claridge and their children, Brooke and Nick.

Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions
PROFILE OF HALAN

Started: November 2017

Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: transport and logistics

Size: 150 employees

Investment: approximately $8 million

Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar

Match info

Uefa Champions League Group H

Manchester United v Young Boys, Tuesday, midnight (UAE)

The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo

Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 6-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km

Price: Dh133,900

On sale: now 

Which honey takes your fancy?

Al Ghaf Honey

The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year

Sidr Honey

The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest

Samar Honey

The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments

The specs: 2018 Maxus T60

Price, base / as tested: Dh48,000

Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder

Power: 136hp @ 1,600rpm

Torque: 360Nm @ 1,600 rpm

Transmission: Five-speed manual

Fuel consumption, combined: 9.1L / 100km

UAE v Gibraltar

What: International friendly

When: 7pm kick off

Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City

Admission: Free

Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page

UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)

The Baghdad Clock

Shahad Al Rawi, Oneworld

VEZEETA PROFILE

Date started: 2012

Founder: Amir Barsoum

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: HealthTech / MedTech

Size: 300 employees

Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)

Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC

About Okadoc

Date started: Okadoc, 2018

Founder/CEO: Fodhil Benturquia

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: Healthcare

Size: (employees/revenue) 40 staff; undisclosed revenues recording “double-digit” monthly growth

Funding stage: Series B fundraising round to conclude in February

Investors: Undisclosed

Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

Key findings of Jenkins report
  • Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
  • Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
  • Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
  • Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
EA Sports FC 26

Publisher: EA Sports

Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S

Rating: 3/5

TV: World Cup Qualifier 2018 matches will be aired on on OSN Sports HD Cricket channel

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Points to remember
  • Debate the issue, don't attack the person
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  • Express passion for the issue but be aware of when you're losing control or when there's anger. If there is, pause and take some time out.
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  • Avoid assumptions, seek understanding, ask questions
How to help

Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200

Company profile

Date started: Founded in May 2017 and operational since April 2018

Founders: co-founder and chief executive, Doaa Aref; Dr Rasha Rady, co-founder and chief operating officer.

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: Health-tech

Size: 22 employees

Funding: Seed funding 

Investors: Flat6labs, 500 Falcons, three angel investors

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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company info

Company name: Entrupy 

Co-founders: Vidyuth Srinivasan, co-founder/chief executive, Ashlesh Sharma, co-founder/chief technology officer, Lakshmi Subramanian, co-founder/chief scientist

Based: New York, New York

Sector/About: Entrupy is a hardware-enabled SaaS company whose mission is to protect businesses, borders and consumers from transactions involving counterfeit goods.  

Initial investment/Investors: Entrupy secured a $2.6m Series A funding round in 2017. The round was led by Tokyo-based Digital Garage and Daiwa Securities Group's jointly established venture arm, DG Lab Fund I Investment Limited Partnership, along with Zach Coelius. 

Total customers: Entrupy’s customers include hundreds of secondary resellers, marketplaces and other retail organisations around the world. They are also testing with shipping companies as well as customs agencies to stop fake items from reaching the market in the first place. 

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%3Cp%3EAt%20launch%2C%20Lockdown%20Mode%20will%20include%20the%20following%20protections%3A%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMessages%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Most%20attachment%20types%20other%20than%20images%20are%20blocked.%20Some%20features%2C%20like%20link%20previews%2C%20are%20disabled%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWeb%20browsing%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Certain%20complex%20web%20technologies%2C%20like%20just-in-time%20JavaScript%20compilation%2C%20are%20disabled%20unless%20the%20user%20excludes%20a%20trusted%20site%20from%20Lockdown%20Mode%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EApple%20services%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EIncoming%20invitations%20and%20service%20requests%2C%20including%20FaceTime%20calls%2C%20are%20blocked%20if%20the%20user%20has%20not%20previously%20sent%20the%20initiator%20a%20call%20or%20request%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wired%20connections%20with%20a%20computer%20or%20accessory%20are%20blocked%20when%20an%20iPhone%20is%20locked%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConfigurations%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Configuration%20profiles%20cannot%20be%20installed%2C%20and%20the%20device%20cannot%20enroll%20into%20mobile%20device%20management%20while%20Lockdown%20Mode%20is%20on%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs

Engine: 3.8-litre V6

Power: 295hp at 6,000rpm

Torque: 355Nm at 5,200rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km

Price: Dh179,999-plus

On sale: now 

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

David Haye record

Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid

When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid

WWE Super ShowDown results

Seth Rollins beat Baron Corbin to retain his WWE Universal title

Finn Balor defeated Andrade to stay WWE Intercontinental Championship

Shane McMahon defeated Roman Reigns

Lars Sullivan won by disqualification against Lucha House Party

Randy Orton beats Triple H

Braun Strowman beats Bobby Lashley

Kofi Kingston wins against Dolph Zigggler to retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship

Mansoor Al Shehail won the 50-man Battle Royal

The Undertaker beat Goldberg

 

Bharat

Director: Ali Abbas Zafar

Starring: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sunil Grover

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

While you're here
DMZ facts
  • The DMZ was created as a buffer after the 1950-53 Korean War.
  • It runs 248 kilometers across the Korean Peninsula and is 4km wide.
  • The zone is jointly overseen by the US-led United Nations Command and North Korea.
  • It is littered with an estimated 2 million mines, tank traps, razor wire fences and guard posts.
  • Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un met at a building in Panmunjom, where an armistice was signed to stop the Korean War.
  • Panmunjom is 52km north of the Korean capital Seoul and 147km south of Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital.
  • Former US president Bill Clinton visited Panmunjom in 1993, while Ronald Reagan visited the DMZ in 1983, George W. Bush in 2002 and Barack Obama visited a nearby military camp in 2012. 
  • Mr Trump planned to visit in November 2017, but heavy fog that prevented his helicopter from landing.
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima


Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650

Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder

Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm

Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission

Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

Updated: July 25, 2025, 5:04 AM`