Hulk Hogan was always larger than life as one of the first major stars to emerge from the World Wrestling Federation (now the WWE). For Nick Hogan, he was always dad. 

TMZ was the first to report that the wrestling legend diedat the age of 71 on July 24. The reported cause of death, per the media outlet, is “cardiac arrest.” The family has yet to make a statement, but Nick’s June 15 Father’s Day post on Instagram shows exactly how he felt about his dad.

He posted a throwback snapshot of Hulk in his full yellow-and-red wrestling regalia while showing off his ripped biceps. Adorably, Nick had a matching outfit while flexing his tiny-tot muscles too — it’s a sweet photo! “Had a great Father’s Day with the goat! Happy Father’s Day to all the awesome dads! 💪💪,” he wrote in the caption. 

Hulk stood by his now 34-year-old son after a horrific 2007 car crash with Nick behind the wheel. His passenger, John Graziano, was not wearing his seatbelt and suffered a traumatic brain injury in the drag-racing accident. Nick served eight months in prison for reckless driving involving serious bodily injury, using a motor vehicle in the commission of a felony, and underage DUI— he was only 17 at the time of the crash. 

Nick continued to show loyalty to his father even though is older sister, Brooke Hogan, 36, is estranged from both of her parents (mom is Linda Hogan). In April, an Us Weekly insider revealed how Nick was handling the family rift. 

“He’s caught in the middle,” they shared. “He has pressure from a lot of different people to just kind of stay where he is. You know, just stay quiet. He has a lot to lose from a few different ends. He can’t really support anybody in the situation. He’s just trying to stay out of it as much as possible to make sure he’s in good graces with as many people as he can be.”

The Hogan Knows Best star hasn’t stayed out of trouble, though. His most recent DUI arrest was in November 2023, and it was his father who came to rescue him. “This is crazy. Sorry about this,” Hulk told the arresting officers, per body-cam footage that was released. 

Nick is married to former adult star Tana Lea. Hulk attended the January wedding with wife, Sky Daily, whom he married in 2023. 

Before you go, click here to see celebrity sons who look just like their fathers.