Remembering Hulk Hogan

As a boy, I counted Hulk Hogan among my heroes. He told me (and millions of others) to say our prayers and take our vitamins, and I listened. I was the only son of a single mother, and Hulk Hogan offered a picture of manhood (cartoonish as it was) that taught me to protect the weak, work hard, and be courageous. Those exhortations were simplistic, but they pointed me to virtues much more real than the world of wrestling kayfabe.

When I was 18, working at a Kinko’s, Terry Bollea (his real name) came in several times to get copies made. I was always struck by the fact that if a family with kids came in, he would immediately stop whatever he was doing, step fully into the Hulk Hogan character, and spend time talking to the kids (always encouraging them to obey their parents and work hard). That momentary theater seemed, for him, a kind of joyful duty. It was clear that he understood the weight of his position of influence. Hulk Hogan was a character, but Terry Bollea was a genuine human being.

In December 2023, Bollea and his wife were baptized at Indian Rocks Baptist Church in Largo, Fla. He called it the greatest day of his life, describing the event as one of “total surrender and dedication to Jesus.” Of course, many raise an eyebrow at celebrity conversions. Some doubt the sincerity of such professions, or point to past scandals as disqualifying. But the gospel does not operate according to our suspicions or cynicism. Scripture calls every sinner to repentance and faith, and it promises mercy to those who come. If Terry Bollea’s confession was sincere—and I have no reason to doubt that it was—then he died in Christ. The man who spent a lifetime calling everyone “brother” may now be, in the truest sense, my brother.

His death is a sobering reminder that no man, however strong, can escape mortality. It is humbling to consider that the man with the 24-inch pythons who beat Andre the Giant, The Iron Sheik, and Yokozuna could not defeat death. But neither physical strength nor fame nor fortune can conquer the grave. That victory belongs to Christ alone. As Isaiah declares, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever” (Isaiah 40:8). Strength fades. Fame passes. Only the Word of God endures. And in that Word, we find the promise: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13).

We can be thankful for the good we received from a flawed man without whitewashing his failures. Hogan’s public record includes sin, scandal, and foolishness. So does yours. So does mine. But the proper response is not to highlight moral failures as if grace were a reward for the worthy. It is to marvel that God saves sinners, even in the eleventh hour. The thief on the cross had mere hours to live, yet Christ said to him, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). So long as breath remains, the door of mercy stands open. Those who delay repentance under the presumption that time will always be there should be warned. But those who believe it is too late for salvation should be encouraged. The gospel of Christ is not hindered by lateness. “Now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

The memory of Terry Bollea will mean different things to different people. For some, he was a nostalgia-soaked hero of childhood. For others, he was a relic of an over-the-top industry. Still others remember a series of moral collapses that dimmed the spotlight. But for those with eyes to see, his final confession points beyond all of that. If his faith was genuine, then his most important move was not the atomic leg drop but bowing the knee to Christ.

Farewell, Hulkster. May the Lord comfort your family. May your late-life conversion encourage those who think it is too late to repent. And may Christ be glorified as countless fans remember your life and consider their own souls.