Hulk Hogan’s Tragic Health Struggles Before His Death at 71
Tampa, FL – September 7, 2025 – The wrestling world continues to mourn the loss of WWE legend Hulk Hogan, born Terry Gene Bollea, who passed away at age 71 on July 24, 2025, following a cardiac arrest in a Florida hospital. In the weeks since his death, new details have emerged about the severe health battles that plagued the iconic wrestler in his final years, including a loss of sensation in his lower body, reliance on a cane, and a private struggle with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).
Hogan’s health challenges were rooted in decades of physical punishment from his wrestling career, which began in 1977 and spanned five decades. Known for his signature leg drop finisher, Hogan underwent at least 25 surgeries over his lifetime, including 10 back surgeries, two knee replacements, two hip replacements, and shoulder procedures. “My knees are fake, the hips are fake, my back is full of metal,” he told TMZ in 2020, acknowledging the toll of wrestling’s physicality. “I didn’t get the memo about the ‘fake wrestling.’ It’s predetermined, but the physicality is very real.”
In early 2023, fellow wrestler Kurt Angle revealed on The Kurt Angle Show that Hogan had lost feeling in his lower body following a back surgery that severed nerves. “He can’t feel his legs, so he has to walk with a cane,” Angle said, describing the condition as “pretty serious.” Although Hogan’s representative denied the severity of these claims at the time, telling Entertainment Tonight, “Everything is OK with him,” reports later confirmed Hogan was using a cane and struggling with mobility.
By June 2025, Hogan underwent a complex four-level Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion, a neck surgery that required breathing and feeding tubes and affected his vocal cords. His wife, Sky Daily, shared on Instagram that the procedure involved a “long and layered healing process,” dispelling rumors of Hogan being in a coma. Just a month before his death, he faced additional complications, including pneumonia and difficulty speaking, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
A week after Hogan’s passing, Us Weekly revealed he had been privately battling CLL, a slow-progressing cancer affecting white blood cells. The diagnosis was not publicly known until autopsy documents from the Pinellas County Forensic Science Centre listed his cause of death as an acute myocardial infarction (heart attack), with a history of atrial fibrillation noted. Hogan’s chronic pain and multiple surgeries, exacerbated by the physical demands of his iconic leg drop, were also cited as contributing factors to his declining health. Former WWE star Stevie Richards explained on his podcast that the repetitive impact of the move, combined with Hogan’s 6’7”, 300-pound frame and grueling travel schedule, likely caused long-term spinal damage.
Hogan’s candidness about his struggles grew in his final years. In a 2024 interview with Chris Van Vliet, he admitted prioritizing his “championship walk” over pain relief, saying, “I’d rather have the walk.” On Logan Paul’s IMPAULSIVE podcast, he estimated enduring “like 25 surgeries in the last 10 years” with only marginal relief. Despite these challenges, his longtime manager, Jimmy Hart, claimed days before his death that Hogan was “doing phenomenal.”
The wrestling community has expressed profound grief, with tributes from Vince and Shane McMahon highlighting Hogan’s role in transforming WWE into a global phenomenon. Fans on X reflected mixed sentiments, with some celebrating his legacy and others noting the physical cost of his career, one posting, “Hulk gave everything to wrestling, but it broke his body.” Hogan’s death, marked by a heart attack on July 24, 2025, at his Florida home, underscored the brutal toll of his profession.
Hogan is survived by his wife, Sky Daily, his first wife, Linda Hogan, and their children, Brooke and Nick. His legacy as a cultural icon endures, but his tragic health battles serve as a somber reminder of the sacrifices behind the spotlight.
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