As news of Hulk Hogan’s death broke on Thursday (July 24), many have mourned the loss of the legendary WWE wrestler and pop culture icon. There have also been many conversations about Hogan’s recent faith journey, which radically changed his life.
Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, had a spiritual awakening just a few years before his passing. It started with an invitation from professional boxer Laila Ali to go to church. That sparked a desire in Hogan to figure out what he truly believed in.
He ended up accepting Christ, and it wasn’t long before he and his wife Sky Daily became devout church attendees at Indian Rocks Church in Largo, Fla. The couple were baptized together in December of 2023 at the same church.
“Total surrender and dedication to Jesus is the greatest day of my life,” Hogan wrote on social media at the time. “No worries, no hate, no judgement… only love!”
He also shared a video of the moment and included photos of Daily’s kids joining them in the water.
Why Did Hulk Hogan Become a Christian?
Hogan talked about his faith in several interviews before his passing.
Although he believed in God at a younger age, he had walked away from his relationship with God. It wasn’t until he came to the end of himself that he turned back to what was instilled in him before.
“I was sick and tired of myself, you know what I mean?” he said in an interview. “Just the two people in here: my real self and the ego. And I decided to turn back to my faith.”
He also explained that this moment of surrender also inspired him to get a massive tattoo on his back that read “Immortal.” Hogan said because he accepted Jesus Christ as his savior and received eternal life, he wanted to put that message on his back.
That idea of eternity became the message he wanted to proclaim to the world.
“[What’s] gonna be important to me moving forward, is being the vessel to spread this message because it’s the only truth there is. Everything else is just temporary. Everything. The fame, the money, the ego, the physical look — everything is just temporary.
“Being a messenger for my Lord and Savior, that’s gonna take me to where I need to to,” he added.
How Did Hulk Hogan Die?
Although a cause of death has yet to be confirmed, TMZ reports he went into cardiac arrest on Thursday morning at his home in Florida. Hogan was pronounced dead 90 minutes later at a Clearwater hospital.
His widow, Daily, has alluded to several health battles that her late husband faced. Hogan had many surgeries as a result of his long wrestling career, including 10 back surgeries in 10 years.
She shared her grief in a statement on social media.
“I wasn’t ready for this… and my heart is in pieces,” she writes in a lengthy note.
11 Country Artists Who Are Bold in Their Faith
When it comes to country music, you don’t have to search for too long to find songs that have a bit of faith mixed into them. Many singers are unafraid to sing about their love for Jesus or the struggles they’ve had trying to walk that straight and narrow path. It’s also no surprise that many of our favorite artists have either released Christian-leaning songs or have collaborated with our gospel-singing neighbors.
We’ve rounded up several country singers who have boldly claimed their faith for the world to see and are spread the Gospel, one song at a time.
Gallery Credit: Jess Rose
