Dennis Rodman reacts to the death of 'brother' and WWE legend Hulk Hogan

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Dean Koutouratsas | Last updated Jul 24, 2025 10:57 PM ET

WWE icon Hulk Hogan died at age 71 after suffering cardiac arrest on Thursday, according to the WWE and the Associated Press.

Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, was pronounced dead at a hospital in Clearwater, Florida, after local police responded to a call earlier.

“One of pop culture’s most recognizable figures, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s,” the WWE posted on its X account. “WWE extends its condolences to Hogan’s family, friends and fans.”

Former Chicago Bulls forward Dennis Rodman mourned Hogan’s passing in a heartfelt tribute on Instagram. “N.W.O 4 Life Brother,” he wrote in the caption.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by DENNIS RODMAN (@dennisrodman)

Rodman, 64, had a close relationship with Hogan because they fought alongside one another during a tag team match at the WCW Bash at the Beach pay-per-view. The former NBA player joined Hogan’s faction known as the New World Order (nWo) where they fought Lex Luger and The Giant (Paul Wight) while on an episode of WCW Nitro they took on Diamond Dallas Page and NBA All-Star Karl Malone.

Hogan is considered an all-time great wrestler because he captured 12 world titles, split between his time in WWE, formerly known as WWF and WCW. He faced off against the likes of the Undertaker, Randy Savage, Ric Flair, Mr. Perfect, Yokozuna, Andre the Giant, Shawn Michaels and Randy Orton.

Hogan was a member of the 2005 WWE Hall of Fame class, while Rodman was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: