Hulk Hogan death: President Donald Trump pays tribute to late wrestling legend

Legendary professional wrestler Hulk Hogan — whose real name is Terry Bollea — passed away at the age of 71 early Thursday morning.

TMZ reports medics were dispatched to the Clearwater, Fla., home of the former WWE and WCW superstar early Thursday morning. It was described by emergency operators as a “cardiac arrest.”

A “slew of police cars and EMTs” were reportedly parked outside Bollea’s home as the wrestling icon was carried out on a stretcher and into an ambulance. Police told TMZ that officers responded to the call at 9:51 am ET and Bollea was treated by Clearwater Fire & Rescue personnel before being transported to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

This comes just weeks after Bollea’s wife, Sky Daily, declared her husband’s heart was “strong” after recent surgeries, shutting down rumors he was in a coma. Last month, TMZ previously reported speculation that Bollea was on his “deathbed” but later clarified he was simply dealing with symptoms following a neck procedure he underwent back in May.

President Donald Trump issues statement on Hogan’s passing

Bollea was one of the major guests at last year’s Republican National Convention, which took place from July 15-18 in Milwaukee, WI. He gave a speech in support of Donald Trump, who was running for his second term as President of the United States. Trump, who would go on to defeat Kamala Harris in the race, issued a statement on the passing of Bollea on Thursday.

“We lost a great friend today, the ‘Hulkster’,” Trump said via Truth Social. “Hulk Hogan was MAGA all the way — Strong, tough, smart, but with the biggest heart. 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. To his wife, Sky, and family, we give our warmest best wishes and love. Hulk Hogan will be greatly missed!”

Hulk Hogan will be greatly missed! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/B2Y70oEVvy

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 24, 2025

Trump (enshrined in 2013) and Hogan (enshrined in 2005) were both members of the WWE Hall of Fame.

Hogan had been retired from in-ring competition since 2012

After nearly four decades in professional wrestling, Bollea/Hogan had been effectively retired from in-ring wrestling since 2006, when he faced Randy Orton in the main event of WWE’s SummerSlam that year. Hogan did participate in a couple of matches for Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling in the early 2010s, but has mostly appeared on pro wrestling programming as a promotional figure. 

Hulk Hogan is considered among the biggest and most recognizable stars in the extensive history of professional wrestling and WWE specifically, including headlining the main event in the first WrestleMania in 1985, when he paired with actor Mr. T to defeat Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff, also known as “Mr. Wonderful.” Hogan’s legendary match vs. Andre the Giant in 1988 still holds TV viewership records with a 15.2 Nielsen rating and 33 million viewers.

Hogan was also a well-known actor himself, famously appearing in 1982’s Rocky III as “Thunderlips,” a wrestling champion who fights “Rocky”/Sylvester Stallone in a charity bout at the beginning of the third installment of the long-running movie franchise. Hogan later participated in a VH1 reality series “Hogan Knows Best” alongside his then-wife, Linda, and two children, Brooke and Nick.

On3’s Alex Byington contributed to this report.