Terry Gene Bollea, best known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is a former professional wrestler from the United States.
He was born on August 11, 1953.
Hulk Hogan is regarded as one of the best professional wrestlers of all time, the most well-known wrestler in the world, and the most well-liked wrestler of the 1980s.
He became the first wrestler to triumph in back-to-back Royal Rumble contests in 1990 and 1991.
Early life and Education
Hogan was born in Augusta, Georgia, in 1953, but grew up in Port Tampa, Florida.
He attracted scouts from the New York Yankees and the Cincinnati Reds, but an injury ended his baseball career.
He began watching professional wrestling at 16 years old.
Hogan was also a musician, spending a decade playing fretless bass guitar in several Florida-based rock bands.
He went on to study at Hillsborough Community College and the University of South Florida.
After music gigs began to get in the way of his time in college, he dropped out of the University of South Florida.
Hogan attended several high schools before eventually dropping out and pursuing a career in professional wrestling.
Despite not completing high school, Hogan earned a degree in business administration from Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, Florida, in the 1990s.
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Career
Hogan began his wrestling career in the late 1970s, wrestling for regional promotions before joining the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1984.
Hogan became one of the WWF’s biggest stars in the 1980s, helping to popularize professional wrestling with his larger-than-life personality and trademark “Hulkamania” catchphrase.
In 1996, Hogan joined the rival promotion World Championship Wrestling (WCW), where he became a central figure in the “Monday Night Wars” with the WWF.
Hogan’s turn from hero to villain in WCW helped to revitalize his career and reinvigorate his interest in professional wrestling as a whole.
Hogan returned to the WWF (now WWE) in 2002, where he continued to perform as a wrestler and appeared in various non-wrestling roles such as general manager and ambassador.
Hogan’s career was not without controversy, including a high-profile sex tape scandal and accusations of racism that led to his firing from WWE in 2015.
He captured the WWF Championship five times during his initial run, with his first reign being the second-longest in the title’s existence.
Personal Life
Hogan has been married twice.
His first marriage was to Linda Claridge, whom he married in 1983.
The couple had two children together before divorcing in 2009.
Hogan’s second marriage was to Jennifer McDaniel, whom he married in 2010.
Hogan has two children from his first marriage, Brooke and Nick.
Both have pursued careers in music and entertainment.
In 2012, a sex tape featuring Hogan and the wife of a friend was leaked online.
Hogan sued the website that posted the video, Gawker Media, and was awarded a $140 million judgment in 2016.
However, the judgment was later reduced to $31 million on appeal.
Hogan has also been embroiled in controversy over racist comments he made in a secretly recorded conversation that was leaked to the media.
The comments led to Hogan’s firing from WWE in 2015 and a public apology from the wrestler.
