UPDATE (07/31/2025 at 12:24 p.m. ET): Hulk Hogan‘s cause of death has been revealed. The WWE wrestling legend died at the age of 71 on Thursday, July 24, in Florida after going into cardiac arrest in his home. He died of acute myocardial infarction, which is the medical term for a heart attack. Hogan’s manner of death was ruled as natural.
Page Six was first to report the cause of death. According to the report, medical records showed that Hogan (whose real name is Terry Bollea), had a history of atrial fibrillation (AFib) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). AFib is a heart condition that causes an irregular and often rapid heart rate. Leukemia CLL is a type of blood cancer that causes white blood cells to mutate and multiply and overcrowd healthy blood cells and platelets. It’s the most common form of cancer among adults, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
The Pinellas County Forensic Science Center provided these updates in a cremation summary approval report.
A representative for the center told Page Six, “I am not aware when Mr. Bollea will be cremated, only that we received a request for cremation approval.”
ORIGINAL STORY (07/24/2025 at 11:59 a.m. ET): Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan has died at the age of 71.
According to TMZ Sports, EMTs were called to Hogan’s home in Clearwater, Florida in the early morning on Thursday, July 24, for a reported “cardiac arrest.” Police and medics were reportedly parked outside of his home on Thursday. TMZ reports Hogan was wheeled out of his home on a stretcher and into an ambulance. Officials responded to the 9-1-1 call at 9:51 a.m. ET, and Hogan was treated by Clearwater Fire & Rescue personnel before being taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Police will share more details in a press conference later today.
Hogan’s wife, Sky Daily, recently denied claims that the wrestler was in a coma. A rep told TMZ Sports in May that Hogan had neck fusion surgery on May 14 and was back at work the next day.
Hogan was born Terry Gene Bollea on August 11, 1953. He recently made a controversial return to WWE for its Netflix debut in January 2025, making an appearance alongside other WWE vets like The Rock, The Undertaker, and John Cena.
The WWE Hall of Famer, also called the “Hulkster,” is credited as one of the athletes who helped the wrestling org rise to fame in the 1980s. WWE responded to the news of Hogan’s passing on X/Twitter on Thursday.
“WWE is saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away,” the statement says. “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 is saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away.
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 (@WWE) July 24, 2025
Hogan joined what was then called the World Wrestling Federation (now World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE) in 1979. He was a polarizing figure both in and out of the arena throughout his career, but his theatrics in the ring helped wrestling’s niche viewership grow into a phenomenon. He wrestled in Japan and then joined the American Wrestling Association before returning to WWF in 1983.
Known for his handlebar mustache and platinum blonde hair and “24-inch python” arms, Hogan headlined WrestleMania eight times in his career. One of his most iconic fights was in 1987 against his mentor and rival, the 520-pound Andre the Giant, in the Pontiac Silverdome for a crowd of 93,173 people, a record at the time. He was a six-time WWE champ and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005.
The popularity surrounding his career was dubbed “Hulkmania,” and he rode his success into film and TV roles in titles like Rocky III and Mr. Nanny. He also cohosted Saturday Night Live with Mr. T in 1985 just hours before they were set to fight in the first-ever Wrestlemania. He went on to star in his own reality TV show, Hogan Knows Best, with his family in the early 2000s on VH1.
Hogan Knows Best starred the wrestler and his first wife, Linda Hogan, to whom he was married from 1983 to 2009, and their children Brooke and Nick Hogan. Hogan was married to Jennifer McDaniel from 2010 to 2021 and married Sky Daily in 2023. Linda said on Instagram in March that she and her ex-husband were estranged from daughter Brooke.
Hogan was fired from WWE in 2015 after he was heard spewing a racist slur in audio from a leaked sex tape. He was reinstated into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018. In 2024, Hogan made an appearance at the Republican National Convention in support of President Donald Trump the week after he was shot during a rally in Pennsylvania.