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July 24, 2025 • 19 mins
The wrestling world is reeling today with the news of Hulk Hogan's passing at the age of 71. TMZ reported that the legendary superstar, born Terry Gene Bollea on August 11, 1953, died this morning after reportedly suffering a cardiac arrest at his home in Florida. His death marks the end of an era for a figure who transcended professional wrestling to become a global pop culture phenomenon.Hogan's career spanned decades, leaving an indelible mark on every territory he graced. Before the "Hulkamania" phenomenon took hold,

Hogan honed his craft in various promotions, including the American Wrestling Association (AWA). Under the tutelage of Verne Gagne, he developed his larger-than-life persona and began to draw significant attention, though he never held the AWA World Heavyweight Championship.It was in the then-World Wrestling Federation (WWF) that Hogan truly exploded onto the scene in the early 1980s. His charisma, muscular physique, and "Real American" gimmick resonated with audiences, leading to an unprecedented boom in professional wrestling. He defeated the Iron Sheik for the WWF Championship in 1984, ushering in the "Hulkamania" era that saw him headline multiple WrestleManias and become the face of the company. His feuds with Andre the Giant, Randy Savage, and Roddy Piper are etched into wrestling history.

Beyond the bright lights of the WWF, Hogan also made a significant impact in Japan. He was a popular figure in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) throughout the 1980s, even winning the inaugural IWGP Heavyweight Championship tournament in 1983. He engaged in memorable matches with Japanese legends like Antonio Inoki, showcasing a more technical side to his wrestling repertoire that was less frequently seen in his American appearances. His intermittent returns to NJPW in later years, including tag team matches with Keiji Muto (Great Muta), further cemented his international appeal.In 1994, Hogan made a groundbreaking jump to World Championship Wrestling (WCW), a move that reshaped the wrestling landscape. Initially maintaining his heroic persona, he captured the WCW World Heavyweight Championship in his debut match against Ric Flair. However, his most impactful run in WCW came with the shocking heel turn in 1996, when he formed the New World Order (nWo) alongside Kevin Nash and Scott Hall. As "Hollywood" Hogan, he led the nWo to unprecedented success, revolutionizing professional wrestling with its edgy, anti-establishment attitude and driving WCW to new heights in the Monday Night Wars.

He held the WCW World Heavyweight Championship multiple times during this period.Even after WCW's demise, Hogan continued to make sporadic appearances in various promotions and eventually returned to WWE (formerly WWF), where he had memorable moments, including a highly anticipated match against The Rock at WrestleMania X8.Hulk Hogan's influence on professional wrestling is immeasurable. He was a pioneer in mainstreaming the sport, bringing it into the homes of millions and inspiring generations of fans and wrestlers alike. While his career was not without controversy, his larger-than-life persona and undeniable charisma ensured his place as one of the most recognizable and impactful figures in sports and entertainment history.The wrestling world mourns the loss of a true icon, and the memories of "Hulkamania" and "Hollywood" Hogan will undoubtedly live on forever.

Hulk Hogan's illustrious career was marked by numerous significant milestones and championships that solidified his status as one of the greatest and most impactful professional wrestlers of all time. Here are some of his key achievements:World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (WWF/WWE):
  • 6-time WWF/WWE Champion: His initial reign as WWF Champion began on January 23, 1984, defeating the Iron Sheik, and lasted an incredible 1,474 days, marking the longest reign of the WrestleMania era. He went on to win the title five more times, including the Undisputed WWE Championship in 2002.
  • 1-time WWE World Tag Team Champion: (with Edge)
  • 2-time Royal Rumble Match Winner: He was the first wrestler to win consecutive Royal Rumble matches in 1990 and 1991.
  • Headlined 8 of the first 9 WrestleManias: This unparalleled feat underscores his undeniable position as the top draw of the WWF's golden era.
  • WWE Hall of Fame Inductee (2005): Recognized for his immense contributions to the company and the industry.
  • WWE Hall of Fame Inductee (2020) as a member of the nWo: A second induction recognizing his impact as part of the groundbreaking New World Order.
  • "The Slam Heard 'Round the World": His body slam of Andre the Giant at WrestleMania III in 1987 is one of the most iconic moments in wrestling history.
World Championship Wrestling (WCW):
  • 6-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion: He holds the
Mark as Played
Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Podcasting since two thousand and five. This is the King
of Podcasts Radio Network, King of podcasts dot com.

Speaker 2 (00:08):
What are we gonna do now? The Hoke Hogan has
passed away. Brother the man, you gotta be the man.

Speaker 1 (00:17):
Right there there is the future of wrestling.

Speaker 3 (00:20):
You should call this the new world Order of wrestling,
Brother Nobody.

Speaker 1 (00:28):
It's not by level. Everything turnistic golds. Believe it or not.

Speaker 4 (00:34):
Whether you like it or no, like, you learn to
love it because you have to listen to wrestling is real.
It is the best mooding going two days, whoa.

Speaker 2 (00:47):
And here we go. Restlers are podcasts. I don't know
we were gonna get to this point where we would
have to go and talk about ho Cogan passing away.
But he is gone. This is this episode nine hundred
forty six o'clock. It into at He died today of
cardiac arrest at the age of seventy one. Born Terry

(01:10):
Jane Bulla August eleventh, nineteen fifty three. His curer span decades,
an indelible mark left on the wrestling world. Okemedi coming in.
That's when I first got to know about Hulk Cogan,
when I was watching, you know, primetime wrestling the WF
in the late early eighties, rather originally found his real

(01:35):
public profile. Some of his fame really started in the
AWA under the tutelage of Urganya, developing as larger than
the life persona and drawing significant attention. He was never
a world heavyweight Chamber in AWA. That but then joining
the WF in the early eighties, Charisma, muscular physique, the

(01:56):
twenty four inch Pythons, the real American gimmick led to
an unprecedented boom and professional wrestling. When Vince mcmahn decided
to go ahead and take the World Wrestling Federation nationwide,
worldwide for that matter, all changed.

Speaker 4 (02:13):
What was it?

Speaker 2 (02:13):
March nineteen eighty four, he beats the Iron Cheek for
the World Wrestling Federation Championship. Fulcamedia begins and never ended.
Major refused with Andre to the Giant WrestleMania three, winning
in with that match where he wins against Macho Manerity, Savage,
Rowdy Roddy Piper. Those are significant and forever remembered him

(02:37):
going up because an ultimate warrior, I mean the focus
on him. Talk about the draw for Saturday Night's been
event for all those shows in the eighties, for the
most part the megapowers all that it's embedded and etched
and just carved into our minds unforgettable, forgettable time. Not

(03:02):
to mention his working World Wrestling Federation, but also in
the nineteen eighty's working in New Paper Wrestling, working with
the Great Antonio and Oki, winning the inaugural IWGP Heavyweight
Championship Tournament in nineteen eighty three. If you see his
magic on you know, on x or on YouTube or whatever.
The guy could wrestle, I mean in a very traditional

(03:23):
style of course eighty three. You'd also see him in
a Rocky three, So I mean, just the mainstream appeal
of Ho Cogan started. Then he would do No Holds
Bar the movie, then after that, and a bunch of
other movies in the nineties after that, and his own
TV show Thunder in Paradise would have his own reality show.

(03:46):
It's like there was. He was a marketing machine and
always found his way to keep plugging, do something else,
all of it amazing. He would go back and forth
in New Japan in later years of tag teaming with
the Great Muda would go nineteen ninety four, Eric Bischoff

(04:08):
made the deal got him to jump to World Chabushit
wrestling the time. He was good because it gave Hogan
another chance to go into another platform, keep going with
the Hookamnia persona. Of course, the matches he had maybe
not so great, but he did have the Bashe of
the Beach in ninety four against Ric Flair for the
WCW Will Have Away title. Then when that baby Safe

(04:30):
run was just starting to go ahead, Wayne, you know,
if somebody's gonna you know, we can talk about Johnson
all we want and what he's done in terms of
creating a heel term for himself, but there was nothing,
I mean nothing like when Hulk Hogan became the third
man at Bashet of Beach ninety six and just we

(04:51):
just passed that marker twenty nine years ago the formation
of the New World Order. Alongside Kevin Nashons, Sky Hall Hollywood,
Hogan led the nWo to unprecedented success of a good
two years plus of w CW, I mean, with with
a storyline and an arc that was just it elevated

(05:14):
wrestling and created the competition of the money Night wars
to something we'd never seen again. Six time World Wrestling
Federation Champion, also a multiple time WCW will have away.
Champion also worked in TNA. How much of a much
as much you going to say over there, except for

(05:34):
the fact that he was there, it was general manager.
Worked with Abitschoff once again. But of course he had controversy.
You know, the comments about his daughter and you know
about the guy she would go ahead and sleep with
or who she would be with. You know the Bubba
Love Sponge sex tape, right, and of course Bubba the

(05:55):
Love Sponge was actually talking about the fact that ho
Cogan was near death. That was being talking about. And
I saw clips of his show that he still has
online talking about it up today and that was gonna happen,
and he was right. But of course he's known Hokka
for a long time because he lives in clear Water

(06:15):
their water beach should be specific, and Hokoka has been
there for a long time. Again, He's done a lot
of things Pastamania at his own you know, his stores,
He's done like you had just had the American Blogger
beer whatever that is. Now he's gonna get into a
new deal with Bishoff on American Freestyle Wrestling. I don't
know if that becomes something what we have next, but

(06:37):
some of the key achievements of ho cog and his
career again Sikes time you have champion now and the
Bouacht Champion.

Speaker 1 (06:46):
Excuse me.

Speaker 2 (06:47):
It was January twenty third, ninete eighty four when he
beat the IRA Chic. His reign was fourteen hundred and
seventy four days, the longest reign of the Wrestlmania era. He
would win the last time as champion and two thousand
and two the Undisputed w Championship, also with a tag
team champion with Edge. Two time Roller Romber winner, he

(07:08):
was the first wrest of to win consecutive roller Robot
matches in nineteen ninety and nineteen ninety one. Hair Line
eight of the first nine WrestleManias inducted into the Hall
of Fame in two thousand and five and in twenty
twenty is remember the nWo and in WCW. He was
a sixth time World Havyweight Champion for WCW, also holding

(07:29):
the record for the longest WW World heavywe Championship. Rain
also met multiple star Kate events. He headline which is
their WrestleMania of the Day. Who are the most profitable
WCW paper vy ever star k nineteen ninety seven. As
we said, he won and beat Antonio and Oki in

(07:50):
the finals of the first International Wrestling Grand Prix. His
reign in IWGP Worldavyweight Championship rain three hundred and twenty days.
He was also early in his career an NWA Southeastern
Heavyweight Champion, an NWA Gulf Coast Heavyweight Champion, and as
we said, all there, all that has been done, it's

(08:12):
just amazing. But that's I mean, it's underscoring what he
has meant to the wrestling business. He's irreplaceable. There is
no one like him. And of course, you know, being
from where he's come from, you know, he's apologized for
certain things that he's done, and he's made his mistakes,

(08:35):
you know. And obviously his political slant also got him
and was always a you know, a beacon of controversy,
no doubt about that. And of course we could talk
about his creative control. You know, the kind of push
that he got for all these years. Was it deserved.
We could take all that into account. We can go
ahead and make a lot of criticisms cold absolutely, But

(09:00):
when you've had that kind of career, that's what happens.
That's just part of the business. But think about it,
with wrestling today, you can't replicate another star like that.
The kind of run that he had just can't be
done a bona fide worldwide recognizable figure. If you saw

(09:21):
him with the red bandana posing all of it, you
know it was. If you hear me say the word
brother is because he says it all the time, we
all do. You're a wrestling fan of you say brother
almost like because you know where you're coming from. Brother,
You just do it. That'll probably never go away. Now
we all have our impression to him, like I me

(09:42):
know how he talks in this and that, but like
I mean, it took me about a good ten seconds
to kind of just take pause and just stock. But
of course TMS confirmed it. So you know what's going
to happen there? Right What can we do? And right now,
I wouldn't be surprised if he is trending now big

(10:05):
time on Twitter. But yeah, very surprised to see what
happens here. But Holk Hogan immediately is trending right now
by far, and I'm sure his passing is going to
go along and get talked about a lot.

Speaker 1 (10:28):
Said like that.

Speaker 2 (10:28):
Seventy one years old, we already have some people already
making comments about this nature boy, Rick Flair, I am
absolutely shocked to hear about the passing of my close friend.
Polka has been by my side since we started the
wrestling business. An incredible athlete, talent, friend and father. Our
friendship spent the world to me. He was always there
for you, even when I didn't ask him to be.

(10:48):
He is one of the first to visit me when
I was in the hospital the two percent Chance of Living.
He prayed by my bedside. He also let me money
when read was sick. Folkster, no one will ever compare
to you. Rest in peace, my friend, Rick. I hope
you can see how conceited health. I know you've gone
through your own issues with cancer scares and all. I'm
surprised you're still kicking today. But you know, I hope

(11:09):
we got you for a while and we're all going
to see you go where we lose Hulk Hogan like that.
I mean, you know, and it's the immortal is mortal. Now,
there's gonna be a lot of talk about what happened
in the hospital, because there's been a lot of rumors
about what happened to him and why everything happened here,

(11:31):
but you know it's unfortunate. Witwe has put out a
post WW is Said and Learned on w Hall of
Famer Hokogan has passed away pop culture is most recognizable
recognizable figures. He helped the w achieve global recognition in
nineteen eighties. Extending condolences to Hogan's family, friends and fans.
Now is the company in the current stage that's in

(11:54):
in the Netflix TK era. Are we gonna see him,
you know, revealed? Are they gonna even you know, honor
his passing on television? I don't know, ten bell salute.
Are we gonna get any of that? Because obviously the
way he kind of left out things right now with
the company, Even when he came out for the debut

(12:16):
of Netflix, people were just not happy about him. I
mean the wrestling fan base now, the younger fan base,
the last I call you know j can lead, the
juvenile delusional fandom. Yeah, they're not gonna be happy.

Speaker 1 (12:29):
They're not.

Speaker 2 (12:29):
They're probably like cheering the fact that he's on ardio.
So somebody say, black Twitter, Hey, popping bottles and you know,
smoking cigars, all right, but that doesn't take away what
he's one on the ring, no matter what, no matter what.
I wasn't even watching, you know, wrestling. I took a
sabbatical from it when I saw Hogan against the Rock.

(12:51):
And by the way, here's a clip from it.

Speaker 1 (12:55):
You do not hope they know how that feels? Right now? Yeah,
I say is he is coiled.

Speaker 2 (13:03):
Rock bottom and Hogan kicks out.

Speaker 1 (13:08):
Tiptime hot Hulk a tack and.

Speaker 2 (13:11):
Then hulking up bottom and.

Speaker 3 (13:12):
I'm gonna put no leave it and They're gonna hunk
up there.

Speaker 2 (13:16):
Seriously, his last great run, Hold my cor What you
gonna do?

Speaker 1 (13:25):
Rock? I'm called them rock, can't believe him? What you're
gonna do? Hold scores on the rock? Hon s the
rock for you? Could they there come up? Rock? He wrote,
somebody in the team. He did't agery that jog you
with that?

Speaker 3 (13:48):
God, my god, the rock ticktop he hold him, suck
the rock curlier cannot believe him.

Speaker 2 (13:56):
Amazing. And I know there's gonna be a lot more
people that are gonna be talking about Hulk Hogan and
giving their comments about him. We'll find out all that's
gonna be said. The thing is, I would like to
go and think that for whatever reasons, multiple reasons that
he has to that Hokogano can be canceled. Right while

(14:19):
we here's the infamous bashing the beach segment. Go don't
what are.

Speaker 1 (14:24):
You talking about? Are you talking about? Yeah, sir, get
him ho again? Don't get him get and I watch
it on pay per view.

Speaker 2 (14:33):
Man had down the black box to watch tonight.

Speaker 1 (14:36):
Who's bad? Unk Hogan? Road?

Speaker 4 (14:43):
What is it?

Speaker 1 (14:44):
God? Is he that dares the gonna be gone? Here's betrayed?

Speaker 4 (14:51):
Say?

Speaker 1 (14:52):
It's a dark man? Look at that puck. Sure he
knew this would.

Speaker 2 (14:55):
Sever be the moment I'm always gonna remember about Hopehold.

Speaker 1 (14:58):
God, are you probably the lowest shot ever given to
professional wrest like that man did right there, Hulk Hogan,
Let's get everybody out of the dressing room right now.

Speaker 2 (15:09):
I kick his wherein never forget. But yeah, what will
be interesting throughout the next week or so, I'm sure
is how many people are actually gonna go ahead and
you know how they're going to go and react to
him now that he's gone. What are people going to say?
Was I going to make the fact that he also,
you know, had said that he had became a bardgain Christian.

(15:32):
He was trying to rededicate himself to Jesus Christ. He
got himself baptized a year ago today or roughly a
year ago. But yeah, man, that's it. Not much more
we can going to say about it. It's just unfortunate.
But at this time I would like to think the
wrestling industry will not weigh in on what he might

(15:54):
have done before. Of course, there's going to be other
people out there are gonna just say what they're gonna, sybot.
It doesn't make a difference, right, people are gonna go
ahead and just be haters, and they're also just gonna,
you know, take whatever's the most salacious thing social media's gets.
Are gonna be like that. Okay, it's cancerous, doesn't matter.

(16:14):
They're gonna go with what they want to do.

Speaker 1 (16:17):
That's it.

Speaker 2 (16:18):
That's fine. Listen, you want to go ahead and bash him,
and I'll stop on his grave a Lashawn Michaels, go
right ahead. It doesn't matter. But I'm always been like
the kind of person I want to at least try
to see the good in somebody. Like again, words, it
didn't kill anyone. I don't think it was anything criminal,
but in the public eye, obviously, yeah, people he said

(16:39):
things that, you know what, not surprised that there's a
lot of people that we can say that about. If
there's a bit of racism people and for some they
don't know that they are, but they are. Whatever, It's fine.
I don't get personally, you know, caught up in that.
I'm a fan. I'm a wrestling fan. That's what it is.
But anyway, yes, people are gonna ahead and complain about

(16:59):
the act of that. There was a sex tape of
Hogan a Heather Clem married to Buba Lovesponge Hogan's suing
Gawker in twenty twelve, winning one hundred forty million dollars
if it was legal fight and they'll never He's never
going to be able to live past that. That's always
going to be tarnishing his career. First of foremost survived

(17:20):
by his wife Sky Hogan and his ex wife Linda Hogan,
and their children Brook and Nick. Married with Linda Hogan
from nineteen eighty three to eight two thousand and nine,
married to Jennifery mcgane from twenty ten to twenty twenty one. Okay,
there's more. I'm sure we can talk about this, but
I don't think there's gonna need to be anything more.
I'll bring up until next week, just come back and

(17:43):
do the regular program. But the more important thing will be,
Nowaday's gone, what is the resting world going to do?
How they're going to respond? And if there is anything
else that comes over the weekend that warrants to talk about.
If I think it does, then I'll jump on into
a podcast. But for more important today, I want to
do this here than I saw it. And it's like,

(18:04):
you know, Pa, my respects because of my own personal opinion.
He brought me train wrecks towards the end of his career. Okay,
you know I watched WCW and TNA and they weren't
the best when he was around. That's okay of towards
the tail end, by the way, But no matter what,
I was entertained by him. It wasn't the greatest rest

(18:26):
of the world, but he could wrestle. But the personality,
the charisma, the character fully fleshed out. I mean, you
can't deny one of the most undeniably recognizable figures and wrestling,
Maybe not in your wrestling ring, Mount Rushmore, but in

(18:48):
the Mount Rushmore of the most notable, iconic wrestlers of
this generation of the wrestling era. That's him. He's right there.
At least she got to recognize the legacy he leaves
behind in the ring, regardless of what he says outside
the ring is you know what, People can be stupid

(19:09):
outside the ring, and they are what it is. Rest
in peace, Hok Hogan, and thank you for listening to
this edition of the Wrestling Her Podcast because wrestling needs us.
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