Hulk Hogan’s Death A Blow To Vince McMahon’s Heart

Vince McMahon has explained how hurt he was by the passing of perhaps his biggest ever star in WWE, Hulk Hogan.

Hulk Hogan passed away at the age of 71 on July 24th 2025, following a cardiac arrest at his Clearwater, Florida home. Hogan’s death came after weeks of speculation about his health, with conflicting reports from those close to him causing plenty of confusion.

WWE led tributes to Hulk Hogan, with Vince McMahon also making a rare public statement to pay tribute to the man who helped change the wrestling industry forever in the eighties.

Vince McMahon Shocked By Hulk Hogan’s Death

Speaking in an interview with TMZ for a documentary on Hulk Hogan, Vince McMahon shared his thoughts on Hogan’s passing and said it was such a shock, as Hogan had already overcome so much:

You just don’t think about someone, a family member or someone that close to you, you don’t think about them passing away. Terry had kicked out, so to speak, of so many surgeries…and, you know, he overcame that. It was a tremendous shock. It was a blow to my heart.

Ironically, Hulk Hogan’s passing took place at almost the exact same time that Vince McMahon was involved in a car crash. The driver of the other car has alleged that McMahon was driving at excessive speeds and was already being tailed by police before the collision.

This interview is the first time Vince McMahon has given an interview since he resigned as Executive Chairman of TKO. McMahon was told to quit by his bosses under the Endeavor banner after he was the subject of a lawsuit filed by a former WWE employee. Vince McMahon is accused of serious sexual abuse and sex trafficking in the ongoing legal saga.

Brock Lesnar is named 44 times in that lawsuit as the person McMahon allegedly attempted to traffic Janel Grant to as part of Lesnar’s WWE contract negotiations. Despite that, Brock Lesnar returned to WWE at SummerSlam 2025.