Hulk Hogan’s legacy: Wrestling, fame, physical punishment—and a final cardiac blow
Culture Buzz
“We lost our commissioner. We lost a friend... Hulk Hogan believed wrestling was more than just entertainment. He saw it as a brotherhood, a proving ground and a platform for greatness. That’s what Real American Freestyle [Hogan's company] was built to be, a new stage for the toughest, most passionate athletes on Earth." — Chad Bronstein, CEO of Real American Freestyle, CNN
On July 24, 2025, wrestling legend Terry “Hulk Hogan” Bollea died at age 71 following cardiac arrest at his Clearwater, FL, home.[] Emergency responders were called and Hogan was later pronounced dead at Morton Plant Hospital.
Health scare 1 month prior
In mid‑June, rumors circulated that Hogan was “on his deathbed.”[] These rumors were traced to Florida radio host Bubba The Love Sponge, who claimed Hogan “might not make it.” Hogan’s representative immediately refuted this, emphasizing he had recently undergone routine neck surgery to address chronic back problems and was recovering well.
His wife, Sky Daily, described his heart as “strong” and said there were no signs of coma or brain damage.[] Two days before his death, longtime friend Jimmy Hart described Hogan as “phenomenal,” citing a recent karaoke outing.[]
From 2014 to 2024, Hogan reportedly underwent approximately 25 surgeries—10 on his back alone, plus multiple procedures on his hips, knees, and shoulders, reflecting prolonged musculoskeletal strain.[] Most recently, this included a complex four-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion in approximately May 2025, the focal point of the deathbed rumors.[][]
Potential links to lifestyle
The immediate cause of death was cardiac arrest. While surgical stress and anesthesia can provoke cardiovascular events—especially in older patients with extensive comorbid conditions—no direct link between the neck surgery and his cardiac arrest has yet been confirmed.
Hogan also had a history of decades-long anabolic steroid use, which he admitted to in 1994.[]
Steroids didn’t cause this—but they didn’t help
Hogan’s admitted use of anabolic steroids during his peak wrestling years in the 1980s and early 1990s raises important concerns about the long-term cardiovascular impact of performance-enhancing drugs. Such exposure can have lingering effects that compound with age and surgical stress.
Prolonged high-dose use of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) has been linked to the development of hypertension, left ventricular dysfunction, atrial and ventricular arrhythmias, myocardial infarction, stroke, and sudden cardiac death.[]
Interplay of wrestling, steroids, and cardiac risk
Physicians should note the convergence of multiple risk elements:[][]
Pain medication use, including the use of steroids, can induce chronic inflammation.
Intensive weightlifting might exaggerate hypertrophy and strain cardiac output.
Long-term steroid use significantly elevates cardiovascular risk over time.
Together, these factors plausibly set the stage for fatal arrhythmia or myocardial ischemia under stress conditions.