Born Terry Gene Bollea and raised in Florida, Hogan found fame in the 1980s after triumphing over Iron Sheik to become the World Wrestling Federation’s heavyweight winner. The win sparked a phenomenon in the wrestling world known as “Hulkmania,” which he leveraged into a career outside of the sport through which he first rose to prominence.

The pro wrestler, who died on Thursday, leveraged patriotism and a demand for dominance to become a self-spun celebrity whose career catalyzed and mirrored the shifting zeitgeist.

Professional wrestling legend Hulk Hogan supported US President Donald Trump during the 2024 campaign, but an image that appears to show him posing with the American flag at the "Alligator Alcatraz" migrant detention center in the state of Florida is not authentic.