Hulk Hogan passed away on July 24, 2025 at the age of 71. He is credited with being one of the main reasons that professional wrestling boomed in the 1980s, leading to continued global success long after his retirement. In his prime, Hogan had the crowd in the palm of his hand and is still considered to be one of, if not the biggest names to lace up a pair of boots.
When he began his career in the wrestling business, territories still existed, and there weren't any national wrestling brand like WWE (then WWF) or AEW is today. When Vince McMahon pursued the radical idea of competing against all of the territories and going national with professional wrestling, he needed a face of the company to market and sell. That became Hogan, and he was the perfect choice.
The Hulkster, as he would eventually be called, created a movement in wrestling called Hulkamania, and it was running wild. He was the first wrestler whose fans clamored to buy any merchandise of their favorite wrestler that they could get their hands on. As McMahon took wrestling from small venues to big stadiums, fans in attendance and at home could see the sea of Hulkamaniacs in the crowd cheering on Hogan wearing the trademark yellow and red colors.
He paved the way for everyone still in the business today. Hogan also capitalized on his success by appearing in movies and other pop culture ventures. He was in "Rocky III," "Gremlins 2: The New Batch," "Mr. Nanny," "No Holds Barred," "3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain," and "Muppets from Space," to name a few.
Here are Hogan's best quotes from his wrestling and acting careers.
MORE: Wrestling world mourns the passing of Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan's best quotes
"Whatcha gonna do when Hulkamania runs wild on you?!?!?!"
This is probably the most iconic quote from his illustrious career. It was short, and to the point, and it let his opponent's know that they were in for a battle when they matched up in the squared circle. This is not only the most memorable quotes from his career, but it is one of the biggest catchphrases in wrestling history.
"Brother!"
This doesn't seem like much of a quote, but Hogan used this sentence enhancer all of the time. He would use it to describe friends and foes a like — it didn't matter who you were. If anyone was going to do an impression of the Hulkster, it had to include at least one "Brother" in there.
MORE: Breaking down Hulk Hogan's greatest rivals and matches
"You know something, Mean Gene"
Hogan is one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. While his in-ring work left something to be desired in many cases, he had a knack for cutting promos and mesmerizing audiences during his interviews. His biggest assistant in that realm was announcer/interviewer "Mean Gene" Okerlund. When Hogan would start an interview with him, his first line was almost always some variation of "You know something Mean Gene?"
"24-inch pythons"
Hogan was a physical specimen in his prime. Sure, he likely had some help there, but at the end of the day, he had massive arms. Hogan would frequently bring attention to his "24-inch pythons", referencing his biceps in promos, which would usually lead to a flex.
"To all my little Hulkamaniacs, train, say your prayers, eat your vitamins ..."
Hulkamania wasn't just for adults. Hogan was also a symbol for children. He famously told the "little Hulkamaniacs" to say their prayers and eat their vitamins. Later in his career, he would add a part about staying true to yourself and your country.
"When you're nWo, you're nWo for life"
Hogan was involved with some of the greatest storylines in wrestling history, and you'd be hard-pressed to find something that tops the formation of the nWo. Scott Hall and Kevin Nash were terrorizing the WCW roster, and they alluded to a third man. Good guy Hogan arrived on the scene, and everyone was happy that finally Hall and Nash would get what was coming to them. The wrestling world was flipped upside down when it was revealed that Hogan was the third member, and it was one of the first times in his career that he became a heel, a.k.a. a bad guy. The crowd was so heartbroken that they pelted the ring with whatever garbage they could get their hands on.
The group, despite being heels, became one of the most popular factions in wrestling history. There was nothing better than the nWo in its prime, and Hogan continued to say that once you're in the nWo, you're nWo for life.
MORE: Hulk Hogan's most memorable pop culture moments, from hosting SNL to Rocky III role
"The Ultimate Man against the Ultimate Meatball" — 'Rocky III' as Thunderlips
I wouldn't argue that any of Hogan's movies were good, but that doesn't mean that they didn't deliver some memorable moments.
In the third installment of the Rocky franchise, Hogan played a character named "Thunderlips." This character was basically Hogan himself, with a little more flair. In fact, his appearance in the film is what helped launch him to superstardom. He cuts a promo at the beginning of the match against Rocky and says the exhibition is "The Ultimate Man against the Ultimate Meatball."
"What's that smell? ... Dookie?" — 'No Holds Barred' as Rip Thomas
In this movie, Hogan played Rip Thomas, who again, was basically himself. The movie concerns Thomas as the big draw for a television network who's rival is desperate to either get Thomas to join him or get rid of him. When Thomas refuses, the rival network president sends men to take out Thomas, and it led to one of the funniest quotes of all time.
"Oh! You mean my leotard? — 'Mr. Nanny' as Sean Armstrong
Hogan plays a male nanny for a family in this comedy. It turns into security guard duty, but one of the running jokes from the movie is that he is a male nanny. The kids pull pranks on him "Home Alone" style, but he wins over the daughter by donning a leotard and performing ballet.
At one point Hogan says, "Oh! You mean my leotard? Ah, the ballet. It enhances grace. I'm a changed man." He then trips over a rug and says, "Darn, I jet'ed when I should've pli'ed.'
MORE: CM Punk timeline back to WWE, from wedding day firing to WrestleMania 41 main event