It feels surreal to even write this, but the yellow and red spandex has been folded for the last time. If you grew up in the 80s or 90s, the "Immortal" Hulk Hogan wasn't just a wrestler. He was a Saturday morning cartoon come to life, a guy who told you to say your prayers and eat your vitamins while he dropped 300-pound leg drops on giants.
But the question people are typing into search bars with a mix of disbelief and sadness is specific: What day did Hulk Hogan die?
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The date was Thursday, July 24, 2025.
He was 71 years old. It wasn't in the ring, and it wasn't some scripted "Loser Leaves Town" match. It happened at his home in Clearwater, Florida. Honestly, the news hit the wrestling world like a freight train, mostly because Hulk Hogan always felt like the one guy who would just live forever, powered by sheer "Hulkamania" and ego.
What day did Hulk Hogan die? The details of July 24
The morning of July 24 started like any other in Clearwater Beach. Then, around 9:50 a.m., things took a turn. Emergency responders were called to the home of Terry Bollea—the man behind the bandana—for a report of a person in cardiac arrest.
He was rushed to Morton Plant Hospital, but he didn't make it. The official cause of death was later confirmed as an acute myocardial infarction, which is the medical term for a heart attack.
People had been worried for a while. You’ve probably seen the photos. He’d lost a lot of weight. He was using a cane or a walker more often than not. Just months before, in May 2025, he had undergone a pretty intense neck surgery—a four-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). While his team tried to play it cool, saying it was just "routine maintenance," the reality was his body was paying the bill for forty years of landing on his tailbone.
The silent struggle with leukemia
One of the most shocking things that came out after he passed wasn't just the heart attack. It was his medical history. It turns out the Hulkster had been privately battling leukemia.
He never made it public.
Maybe he didn't want to break the image of the invincible superhero. Maybe he just wanted some peace. But those medical records revealed a man who was fighting a lot more than just back pain in his final days. By the time July 24 rolled around, his heart just couldn't keep up with the toll the cancer and the decades of physical punishment had taken.
Why the date July 24 matters for wrestling fans
For the WWE, July 24, 2025, marks the end of an era that basically built the modern industry. Without Hogan beating the Iron Sheik in 1984, there’s no WrestleMania. There’s no Rock, no Stone Cold, no John Cena.
The reaction was massive.
- WWE released a statement calling him "one of pop culture's most recognizable figures."
- The Rock posted a tribute about how Hogan was the reason he even entered the business.
- Ric Flair, his long-time rival and friend, was reportedly devastated, having just seen him months prior.
Even if you weren't a fan of the person—and let’s be real, Hogan had plenty of controversies and legal battles over the years—you can’t deny the impact. He was the "Babe Ruth" of the squared circle.
A family divided at the end
There’s a bit of drama that’s still lingering, even now in 2026. If you follow the tabloids, you know that Hogan’s daughter, Brooke Hogan, wasn't at the funeral on August 5.
They were estranged.
Brooke has been pretty vocal on social media lately, claiming she’s been contacted by first responders who suggest there’s more to the 911 tapes and body cam footage from that morning. She’s been trying to get a hold of the records, but his widow, Sky Daily, has the legal control over them. It’s a mess, frankly. It’s the kind of real-life drama that's even more complicated than a wrestling storyline.
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The legacy of the Hulkster
Despite the family friction and the health issues, Hogan was working right up until the end. He had just launched "Real American Beer" in 2024 and was the face of a new league called Real American Freestyle. He was supposed to be the commissioner for their 2026 television launch.
He stayed busy because he didn't know how to be anything other than "Hulk Hogan."
He lived in pain for a long time. He once admitted to having 25 surgeries in just a ten-year span. Think about that. Ten back surgeries, both knees replaced, both hips replaced. He told Logan Paul on a podcast that "nobody told me this gimmick stuff was fake." The physical cost of being the world's most famous wrestler was total.
What you should take away from this
If you're a fan looking to honor his memory, or just someone curious about the man behind the myth, here are a few things to keep in mind about his final chapter:
- The Date: Remember July 24, 2025, as the day the "Real American" era finally closed.
- The Health Reality: It’s a reminder that even our "immortal" idols are human. The heart attack was the end point, but the leukemia and the surgeries were the real battle.
- The Legend: Look past the tabloid headlines and remember the 1980s peak. That’s where the real magic was.
If you’re ever in Clearwater, you can still see his influence everywhere, from his beach shops to the restaurants he owned. He might be gone, but in the world of professional wrestling, nobody ever truly stays dead. His matches will be played on a loop for as long as there’s a WWE Network.
Take a minute to watch his match against The Rock at WrestleMania X18 or the slam on Andre the Giant at WrestleMania III. That’s the Hulk Hogan who deserves to be remembered. The guy who made millions of people believe that if you worked hard enough, you could actually do the impossible.
Rest in peace, Terry. The training, the prayers, and the vitamins... they definitely took you a long way.
To stay updated on the ongoing legal discussions regarding the Hogan estate or to see the latest tributes from the WWE Hall of Fame, you can follow the official WWE memorial pages or major sports news outlets like ESPN and TMZ which continue to cover the fallout of his passing.