The End of an Era: Hulk Hogan’s Legacy and Impact

Hulk Hogan's Final Bell: A Tribute From a Lifelong Fan

I’ve been a nurse for over a decade, and if there's one thing I've learned, it’s how to stay calm when the unexpected hits. But sometimes, something outside the hospital blindsides you — and this week, it came in the form of news I never wanted to hear: Hulk Hogan is gone.

He wasn’t just a wrestling icon. To me — and millions of others — he was the icon. The man in the red and yellow who taught us how to stand tall, flex through the pain, and always fight back. I was a Hulkamaniac from day one. I had the bandana. I had the action figures. I tried (and failed) to rip my T-shirts like him. To me, Hulk Hogan wasn’t just entertainment. He was strength personified.

So when reports confirmed he died of cardiac arrest at 71, I froze. This wasn’t just about a celebrity passing. It felt like the end of something bigger — the end of an era.

Hogan was found unresponsive in his Clearwater, Florida home. Paramedics rushed him to a nearby hospital, but it was too late. The Immortal had fallen.

As a nurse, I couldn’t help but think about the toll a body takes after years of punishment. Hulk Hogan had undergone numerous back and neck surgeries over the years. He lived in chronic pain, battled stiffness, and was reportedly experiencing nerve damage that affected his legs. These weren’t just rumors — you could see it in how he walked, how carefully he moved in public appearances.

In my experience, I’ve seen firsthand what cardiac arrest looks like. The suddenness. The confusion. The agonized gasp before consciousness fades. There’s often a moment of panic in the patient’s eyes — as if they know something is wrong but can’t control it. The feeling of helplessness in that moment is unbearable, not just for the person experiencing it, but for everyone around them trying desperately to bring them back.

Thinking about Hulk Hogan — a man who once appeared invincible — going through something so fragile and human, reminded me just how merciless the body can be, even to our strongest heroes

And yet, he always showed up. He smiled, flexed, and waved to the fans. He kept the persona alive because, in many ways, Hulk Hogan was his persona — someone who never gave up, even when his body told him to.

But even legends are human.

As I sat there reading the headlines, the nurse in me was wondering: Was this inevitable? Was there something more his body was trying to say in those final days? Was the stress, the wear-and-tear, and years of pushing through pain too much, even for the Immortal?

Then the fan in me took over.

Yes, Hulk Hogan had his controversies. In 2015, he was temporarily removed from the WWE Hall of Fame for racially insensitive remarks — something that shocked many of us who idolized him. But people are complicated. Heroes aren’t perfect. And while some never forgave, many did.

He reminded us that legacies aren’t built in a single match — they’re built over a lifetime.

Even in his final years, he still inspired.

I remember telling my son Matthew to “say his prayers and eat his vitamins,” just like Hogan told me when I was a kid. Matthew (yes, Matthew know most all of the old WWE wrestler).

Today, Hulk Hogan is survived by his wife, Sky, and his two children, Brooke and Nick. But in truth, his legacy is far bigger than blood. It lives on in everyone who ever flexed in front of a mirror, everyone who believed in the comeback, and everyone who still says, “Whatcha gonna do, brother?”

Hulk Hogan may be gone, but the strength he stood for? That stays.

So to the man who made me believe in heroes — thank you. Thank you for the memories, the strength, and the fight.

And to the fans like me: What did Hulk Hogan mean to you? Drop your favorite memory in the comments. Let’s remember him not just for how he died, but for how he lived.

Stay healthy,

Nurse Oliver