Wrestling icon Hulk Hogan reportedly passed away at his home in Florida on Thursday morning. He was 71 years old.
Florida police and WWE have confirmed the report after emergency vehicles were spotted outside Hogan’s home in Clearwater, responding to reports of a “cardiac arrest” at the scene.
TMZ reported last month that Hogan appeared to be on his “deathbed” in the aftermath of undergoing neck surgery.
Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, was perhaps the biggest star in WWE’s long history, being awarded at least six WWE championships. The famous wrestler, known for his horseshoe-shaped mustache, Hulkamania bandana, blond locks, and massive muscles, earned celebrity far beyond the wrestling world, starring in numerous movies and television shows as well.
“One of pop culture’s most recognizable figures, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s. WWE extends its condolences to Hogan’s family, friends, and fans,” WWE said.
President Donald Trump took to social media almost immediately after Hogan’s death announcement, calling him “a great friend” and “MAGA all the way.” The president’s relationship with Hogan goes back decades because of his longstanding interest in professional wrestling.
Last year, Hogan opened up about his renewed walk with Jesus Christ after publicly revealing his baptism. The 70-year-old invited his followers to turn to Jesus as well, saying, “Knowing of Jesus and knowing Him are two different things.”
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Hogan was one of the most recognizable faces in the entertainment industry, but he once told TBN that attaining fame and fortune did not fulfill him. “I was always a believer, but I didn’t completely surrender,” Hogan began. “I thought I could drive better than He could. I thought I could make the decisions better than He could. And now He takes His hands off the wheel and says, ‘Okay. You think you can do it better, go ahead and do it.’ So, like I said, I got tired of crashing and burning…”
As CBN News reported, Hogan and his wife, Sky Daily Hogan, were baptized in December of 2023 at the Indian Rocks Baptist Church in Florida.
Hogan shared a video on Instagram of him and his wife being submerged in a pool of water and coming up smiling. “Total surrender and dedication to Jesus is the greatest day of my life,” he captioned the post.
WATCH Our CBN Report: Hulk Hogan’s Faith in Jesus
Recently, the professional wrestler has spoken repeatedly of rediscovering his Christian faith. “I accepted Christ as my savior at 14 yrs old and the training, prayers, and vitamins kept me in the game, but now that I am one with God, the main event theme of surrender, service, and love makes me the Real Main Event that can slam any giant of any size through the power of my Lord and Savior and so it is, even now brother, AMEN!” Hogan shared on X.
He has also posted scriptures to his social media page and wears a T-shirt with a verse from the New Testament’s John 3:16 on it, which states: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
The former pro wrestler has invited people to put their faith in Jesus, no matter what their life looks like. “So, at this point, knowing Him and being one with Him, I think all these scars and all these things I’ve been through – not that I’m leading by example, but I’ve been made an example of for people that think ‘I’m not correct’ or ‘I don’t have my act cleaned up’. Or ‘I can’t do this’,” Hogan added.
“I think all those people that have all the excuses for being in the wrong place at the wrong time or not being good enough. You don’t need to be cleaned up. Come to Him. He’ll clean you up,” he said.
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