Hulk Hogan was the first megastar of wrestling and helped the business to become more mainstream. He played a huge role in WWE's national expansion in the 1980s, then enjoyed a resurgence in relevancy in the late 1990s as he turned heel and swung the momentum in WCW's favor. Perhaps his least likely star run came in the early 2000s as nostalgia took over, helping Hogan move merchandise like crazy and garner one last world title reign.

As time goes on, more and more information about Hogan has come out to the public including his perspective on some of the roles he played in the wrestling world, not to mention his propensity for less than honest storytelling.

Hulk Hogan's Real Name Is Terry Bollea

Hulk Hogan Had A Few Different Ring Names Before Settling On The Right One

• Hulk Hogan wrestled under names including Sterling Gold and Terry Boulder before arriving at his most famous wrestling persona.
• The Hogan name was originally intended to appeal to Irish fans.
• The name Hulk Hogan was used across the AWA, WWE, WCW, and TNA.

Before Hulk Hogan finally found a suitable ring name, he tried and tested different names. He experimented with names like The Super Destroyer, Sterling Golden, and Terry Boulder. It might be unbelievable to some people, but Hulk Hogan isn't his real name.

Hogan's real name is Terry Bollea, which is far different from his famous ring name. Needless to say, had he wrestled under his original name, he probably wouldn't have become the megastar we know today.

Hulk Hogan's Wrestling Career Lasted Over 30 Years

Hulk Hogan's Career Spanned Decades, Countries, And Different Promotions

• Hulk Hogan started wrestling in 1977.
• Hulk Hogan main evented in WCW after his the original Hulkamania run in WWE and reinvented himself as a heel.
• Hulk Hogan wrestled sporadically during his time with TNA.

Hulk Hogan's legacy is simply unmatchable. As a young rookie, The Hulkster made his debut as a professional wrestler back in 1977. In the 1980s, he rose to stardom in WWE. He not only won titles but also main-evented various WrestleManias.

Then in the 1990s, he headed to WCW and had a stupendous run as a heel as well as the leader of nWo. Besides WWE and WCW, he also wrestled in TNA. Following his retirement, his professional wrestling career halted after 36 years.

Hulk Hogan's Last Match Wasn't In WWE

Hulk Hogan Didn't Work His Final Bout Until 2012

• Hulk Hogan worked for TNA for several years.
• Hulk Hogan was announced for a six-man tag team match in 2013, but as part of an angle, he had to sit it out at the last minute.
• Hulk Hogan's actual last match on record occurred in another six-man tag bout in 2012.

While Hulk Hogan had two different stints in two different eras, the final match of his illustrated wrestling career wasn't in WWE. After his second WWE stint, The Immortal One had a lengthy run in TNA, where he hung up his boots.

What would have been his last official match was a six-man tag team match on February 21, 2013, in TNA. However, Hogan didn't get the opportunity to wrestle in that match as he was kidnapped and assaulted backstage. The last time Hogan was in the ring for a match was on January 27, 2012, for a six-man tag match during a house show in the United Kingdom. Hogan teamed up with Sting and James Storm to defeat the team of Bobby Roode, Bully Ray, and Kurt Angle.

Hulk Hogan's Billed Height Is 6'7"

While He Was Famous For Wrestling Giants, Hulk Hogan Was A Very Large Man Himself

• Wrestling measurements are often fabricated, but there's still no denying Hulk Hogan was huge human being.
• Hulk Hogan famously hyperbolized about his 24" pythons.
• Hulk Hogan says he's lost about 3 inches of height due to surgeries.

Hulk Hogan rose to fame back in the Golden Era when it was a trademark for wrestlers to be big. Consequently, the wrestlers, especially the top guys, were big.

Likewise, Hulk Hogan is a big guy. His official billed height is six feet and seven inches. Although he has lost about three inches in height due to surgeries. With his 24 inches pythons and impressive physique, he also weighed over 300 pounds in his prime.

Hulk Hogan Wrestled In Japan

Hulk Hogan Had A High Profile Run With NJPW In The 1980s

• Hulk Hogan enjoyed success in Japan, including winning an IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
• Hulk Hogan mostly portrayed a monster heel in Japan.
• Footage of Hulk Hogan wrestling in Japan is often used to suggest he was a better in-ring worker than he gets credit for.

Hulk Hogan had two famous stints in WCW and WWE. But he also tried his luck outside of the United States. He sporadically made appearances in NJPW in the early 1980s.

He won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship once. In 2003, he returned to NJPW for a solo match, which was his final match in New Japan Pro Wrestling.

Hulk Hogan Is 70 Years Old

Hulk Hogan Enjoyed His Greatest Wrestling Successes In His 30s And 40s

• Hulk Hogan debuted in wrestling in his 20s.
• Hulk Hogan was the face of WWE in his 30s.
• Hulk Hogan starred for WCW in his 40s.

When Hulk Hogan made his debut as a wrestler, he was in his 20s. By the time he attended success in WWE, Hogan was in his 30s. On the other hand, he dominated WCW while he was in his 40s.

Hulk Hogan was born on August 11, 1953. The Hulkster's current age is 70 years. He is around the same age as his contemporaries "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and "Macho Man" Randy Savage.

Hulk Hogan Was A Musician

Hulk Hogan Played Rock Music Before He Pursued Wrestling

• Hulk Hogan played bass guitar for multiple bands in Florida.
• Hulk Hogan's band Ruckus in the Tampa Bay area enjoyed some success.
• Hulk Hogan made playing air guitar a signature part of his entrance as a heel.

It might be surprising, but before Hulk Hogan decided to pursue a career in wrestling, he was into music. He played fretless bass guitar for various rock bands in Florida. However, when he got serious about it, Hogan teamed up with two Florida-based musicians to form a new band called 'Ruckus'. As a matter of fact, his band also became famous in the Tampa Bay area.

But when Hogan discovered his passion for wrestling and started getting serious about it, he gave up his career as a musician. He left Ruckus and became a wrestler full-time.

Hulk Hogan Was Also Into Baseball

Hulk Hogan Enjoyed Some Success On The Baseball Diamond

• Hulk Hogan played high school baseball.
• Hulk Hogan was scouted by MLB teams.
• An elbow injury curtailed Hulk Hogan's baseball ambitions.

Hulk Hogan's talent wasn't just limited to wrestling and music. The Immortal One was into baseball in his younger years.

He played baseball in high school. Meanwhile, MLB teams such as the Cincinnati Reds and the New York Yankees also scouted him, but an elbow injury didn't allow him to make it big.

The Origin Of Hulk Hogan's Ring Name

A Combination Of Factors Led To The Name Of Terry Bollea's More Famous Wrestling Persona

• Hulk Hogan tried several different ring names.
• The first name Hulk stemmed from The Incredible Hulk superhero.
• The last name Hogan was an invention of Vince McMahon Sr. to try to pass him off as Irish.

As it was mentioned above, Hulk Hogan tried and tested different ring names in the 1970s before finally getting the iconic ring name. But the origin of his ring name was interesting.

Hogan was on a talk show with actor Lou Ferrigno, who was popular for playing the title character in the TV series The Incredible Hulk. The host of the show pointed out that Hulk Hogan was bigger than the actor who played the superhero. But he didn't get his ring name until two years after the show's pilot TV movies. The origin of his name ties back to Vince McMahon Sr. who suggested he make his name Irish-sounding, and he adopted the name Hulk Hogan.

Hulk Hogan Is Currently Married To Sky Daily

Hulk Hogan Is On His Third Marriage

• Hulk Hogan married his first wife, Linda, in 1983.
• Hogan was divorced in 2009.
• He started dating Jennifer McDaniel in 2008, married her in 2010, and divorced her in 2021

Hulk Hogan is currently married to Sky Daily. They started dating soon after his prior divorce from Jennifer McDaniel. Before Sky and Jennifer, Hulk Hogan was married to Linda Claridge.

Hulk Hogan and Linda tied the knot in 1983 and got divorced in 2009. They were married for 26 years and had a daughter, Brooke Hogan, and a son, Nick Hogan.

Hulk Hogan Was Reluctant To Turn Heel In WCW

Hulk Hogan Wasn't Completely Sold On Being The NWO's Third Man