Terry Gene Bollea, universally known as Hulk Hogan, died on July 24, 2025 in Clearwater, Florida, at the age of 71, following cardiac arrest. His passing marks the end of an era for global wrestling and entertainment, leaving an unbridgeable void in millions of fans who have followed and admired him for decades.

Hulk Hogan was a world wrestling icon, a costume phenomenon who went beyond the boundaries of sport, becoming a recognizable figure all over the world with his blond mustache, bandanas and his unmistakable energy. His career has seen him not only dominate the WWE rings for decades, but also appear in numerous films and television shows, cementing his image as a superstar.

But what perhaps many do not know is Hulk Hogan’s strong bond with Piedmont. His origins lie in our region: his paternal grandfather, Pietro Bollea, was born in Cigliano, in the province of Vercelli, back in 1886. It was from here that Pietro emigrated to the Americas in search of fortune, bringing with him the Piedmontese roots that would later be inherited by his nephew, the future “Hulkster“. Although Hulk Hogan never had the opportunity to visit his grandfather’s homeland, the connection to Cigliano and the Vercelli rice fields remains a fascinating and little-known part of his story.

His death is a loss for the world of sport and entertainment, but for us Piedmontese it is also an opportunity to remember a man whose roots unite us with a figure of global reach.

To further explore Hulk Hogan’s Piedmontese origins, we invite you to read the full article that inspired this piece: “Hulk Hogan had Piedmont in his blood: from the ring to the Vercelli rice fields” on the newspaper La Voce.