In the 1980s, Hulk Hogan was pop culture. He was on talk shows, he had a cover story in Sports Illustrated, he hosted SNL, and he even had his own cartoon. But in the early 1990s, things began to change thanks to steroids.

But over the past half century, the headlining star—the one whose name tops the marquee, and who is paid the most money—has usually been someone like Hulk Hogan. Hogan himself was uncommonly tall, blessed with biceps bigger than a baby’s head,

Chris Hemsworth was bulking up to play Hulk Hogan in his official biopic, set to be directed by Todd Phillips. However, the film was scrapped in 2024.

From the ring to reality television, Hulk Hogan has touched almost every corner of pop culture. It doesn’t matter if you’re a wrestling fan or not; you know Hulk Hogan. Once the news of the 71-year-old’s passing hit,

"WWE is saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away," they said in a statement to PEOPLE on July 24, after the news of his death was first reported by TMZ. "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."

Professional wrestling legend Hulk Hogan died Thursday at the age of 71. TMZ reports medics were called to the iconic grappler’s Clearwater, Florida home for reports of a cardiac arrest. Numerous police cars and EMTs responded to the scene where Hogan was carted out of the home on a stretcher.

WWE icon Hulk Hogan has died at the age of 71. He talked Skyline Chili and Trump during one of his final visits to Cincinnati in 2024.

In Tampa, the late Hulk Hogan’s legend still lives on for people like his childhood friend and former wrestler Steve Kern.