71 Surprising Facts About Hulk Hogan

The world lost a legend today. Hulk Hogan, born Terry Bollea, passed away at the age of 71. Here are 71 wild facts to celebrate the man, the myth, the 24-inch pythons.

  1. Hulk Hogan was born on August 11, 1953, in Augusta, Georgia.
  2. He grew up in Port Tampa, Florida, from the age of one and a half.
  3. His real name was Terry Gene Bollea.
  4. Hogan was of Italian, Panamanian, Scottish, and French descent.
  5. He played fretless bass guitar in several Florida rock bands before wrestling.
  6. His band Ruckus was popular in the Tampa Bay area.
  7. He dropped out of the University of South Florida to pursue music.
  8. Wrestlers Jack and Gerald Brisco discovered him at a gig.
  9. His first wrestling trainer, Hiro Matsuda, broke his leg during training.
  10. Hogan returned ten weeks later and kept training.
  11. He made his wrestling debut on August 10, 1977, against Brian Blair.
  12. He wrestled under a mask as “The Super Destroyer” early in his career.
  13. Hogan and Ed Leslie (Brutus Beefcake) wrestled as the Boulder Brothers.
  14. He adopted the name “Hulk” after appearing on TV beside Lou Ferrigno.
  15. Vince McMahon Sr. gave him the last name “Hogan.”
  16. He refused to dye his hair red, despite McMahon’s suggestion.
  17. His WWF debut was in 1979 against Harry Valdez.
  18. He fought André the Giant at Shea Stadium in 1980.
  19. In Japan, he was nicknamed “Ichiban” meaning “Number One.”
  20. He was the first winner of the original IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
  21. Hogan wrestled a different style in Japan, using the Axe Bomber as his finisher.
  22. He starred as Thunderlips in Rocky III in 1982.
  23. He became the face of the AWA before returning to WWF in 1983.
  24. On Jan 23, 1984, he beat Iron Sheik to win his first WWF title.
  25. Gorilla Monsoon declared “Hulkamania is here!” that night.
  26. Hogan introduced his “demandments”: train, say your prayers, eat vitamins.
  27. He slammed the 520-pound André at WrestleMania III in 1987.
  28. That slam was dubbed “the bodyslam heard around the world.”
  29. He was the first to win back-to-back Royal Rumbles (1990, 1991).
  30. His 1,474-day reign remains the longest of the WrestleMania era.
  31. He lost the WWF title to André in 1988 before 33 million viewers.
  32. That match still holds the TV ratings record for wrestling.
  33. He formed The Mega Powers with Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth.
  34. He won his second WWF title at WrestleMania V.
  35. Hogan beat Earthquake in 1990 after a fan postcard campaign.
  36. He became the first three-time WWF Champion at WrestleMania VII.
  37. He co-hosted Saturday Night Live with Mr. T in 1985.
  38. He appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated in April 1985.
  39. Hogan starred in No Holds Barred (1989), Mr. Nanny (1993), and Suburban Commando (1991).
  40. He had his own cartoon: Hulk Hogan’s Rock ‘n’ Wrestling.
  41. Marvel Comics owned the trademark to “Hulk Hogan” for 20 years.
  42. He turned heel and formed the nWo in 1996, becoming “Hollywood Hogan.”
  43. The nWo storyline helped WCW beat WWF in ratings for 83 straight weeks.
  44. He was WCW Champion six times, with the longest title reign in company history.
  45. His match vs. Sting at Starrcade 1997 was WCW’s biggest PPV ever.
  46. He wore all black for the first time on Nitro in 1995.
  47. He once ran for president — as a storyline.
  48. His final WCW appearance was at Bash at the Beach 2000.
  49. He returned to WWF in 2002 and fought The Rock at WrestleMania X8.
  50. Fans turned him face mid-match with deafening cheers.
  51. He won the Undisputed WWE title at Backlash 2002 at age 48.
  52. He formed the Mega-Maniacs with Brutus Beefcake in 1993.
  53. He wrestled as “Mr. America” in 2003 with a mask and flag tights.
  54. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005 by Sylvester Stallone.
  55. He was inducted again in 2020 as a member of the nWo.
  56. Hogan was the most requested celebrity of the 1980s for Make-A-Wish.
  57. He co-founded Real American Freestyle in 2025 and served as its commissioner.
  58. He was a judge on WWE Tough Enough before being removed in 2015.
  59. He had his own reality show, Hogan Knows Best, on VH1.
  60. His album Hulk Rules hit #12 on Billboard’s Top Kid Audio chart in 1995.
  61. Hogan’s video game Hulk Hogan’s Main Event released in 2011.
  62. He was the cover athlete for more than 15 wrestling video games.
  63. Hogan was body-slammed in only a handful of matches across four decades.
  64. He once endorsed a blender instead of the George Foreman Grill.
  65. He launched Real American Beer in 2024.
  66. He was baptized in December 2023 at Indian Rocks Baptist Church.
  67. He married Sky Daily in September 2023.
  68. He voiced characters in China, IL and Robot Chicken.
  69. He hosted American Gladiators in 2008.
  70. Hulk Hogan’s final WWE appearance was in 2025 at the Raw Netflix debut.
  71. He died on July 24, 2025, of cardiac arrest at home in Clearwater, Florida.

Rest easy, Hulkster. The prayers were said, the vitamins were taken, and the world heard you loud and clear. Hulkamania lives forever.