Hulk Hogan’s cause of death revealed — wrestling legend had secret health issue
Hulk Hogan’s cause of death was revealed on Thursday, and the wrestling legend was reportedly fighting a secret health battle.
According to the Pinellas County medical examiner’s office, Hogan (real name Terry Bollea) died of acute myocardial infarction, also known as a heart attack, on July 24 at his Clearwater, Florida, mansion.
Local police said Hogan suffered a “cardiac arrest” at his home and was pronounced dead at nearby Morton Plant hospital.
The cremation summary obtained by Deadline says the WWE icon had a history of atrial fibrillation, a condition characterized by an irregular heart rate, aka AFib.
Fans got wind that Hogan may have been struggling with more serious issues when his ex friend Bubba the Love Sponge blurted out on his radio show the 71-year-old was on his “death bed” back in June.
“If you did some sniffing around, you might find him in a hospital near you and it’s not good,” said the DJ born Todd Clem. “I got some pretty reliable information [that] there are phone calls being made to various family members about getting to town to come say your goodbyes.”
Hogan’s close circle squashed those rumors saying the reason for the Real American Beer founder’s recent hospitalizations had to do with surgeries for old ring injuries.
What was not known about Hogan’s health and revealed in the new report is he had a history of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), a blood cancer that starts in the bone marrow, the spongy tissue inside bones where blood cells are made.
As per the Mayo Clinic, this type of leukemia typically progresses slowly. The term “lymphocytic” comes from the group of white blood cells called lymphocytes, which help the body fight infection. The cause is unknown.
It is unclear when Hogan was diagnosed, what stage of cancer it was or what his treatment entailed.
The American Cancer Society reports that patients aren’t necessarily given chemotherapy anymore, but a combination of immunotherapy and targeted drugs.
The entertainer’s death was listed as “natural.”
In other news, to honor the entertainer, Gov. Ron DeSantis declared Friday “Hulk Hogan Day.” U.S. and State of Florida flags will be lowered at half-staff at the Capitol building in Tallahassee, as well as at local and state buildings in Pinellas County, from sunrise to sunset.
READ MORE: Brooke Hogan breaks silence on father’s death
This story was originally published July 31, 2025 at 2:29 PM.
