WWE Hall of Famers and former WWE Superstars who have died in recent years include Hulk Hogan (2025), and Bray Wyatt, Terry Funk, and The Iron Sheik (all 2023). This guide answers the core questions people search for around WWE wrestler deaths: who died, when, at what age, and — where it’s actually known — how. Every entry below is checked against medical examiner records, police reports, official WWE statements, and named news outlets. Where a cause of death has never been made public, that’s stated directly instead of guessed at.
Entities covered in this article:
Hulk Hogan (Terry Bollea), Bray Wyatt (Windham Rotunda), Terry Funk, The Iron Sheik (Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri), Sika Anoa’i, Afa Anoa’i, Roman Reigns, WWE Hall of Fame, Pinellas County Medical Examiner, Clearwater Police Department.
Most Recent WWE Wrestler Death (Updated August 2026)
Hulk Hogan is the most recent WWE Hall of Famer confirmed to have died — July 24, 2025, at age 71, of a heart attack. A follow-up Clearwater Police Department investigation into his death closed in June 2026, ruling it natural with no criminal wrongdoing. As of this update, no other WWE Hall of Famer or active-roster death has been confirmed by named outlets since.
Quick Answer Box
- Most recent major WWE Hall of Famer death: Hulk Hogan — July 24, 2025, age 71.
- Hulk Hogan’s cause of death: Heart attack (acute myocardial infarction), per the Pinellas County medical examiner’s cremation approval report. A Clearwater Police Department investigation, closed June 2026, found no criminal wrongdoing and ruled the death an “attended natural death.”
- Bray Wyatt (Windham Rotunda): Died August 24, 2023, age 36, from a heart attack linked to a COVID-19-related heart complication earlier that year.
- Terry Funk: Died August 23, 2023, age 79; WWE confirmed the death, but no cause was ever released publicly.
- The Wild Samoans, Afa and Sika Anoa’i: Died two months apart in 2024 — Sika on June 25, Afa on August 16.
- As of August 2026, no other WWE Hall of Famer or active-roster death has been confirmed by named outlets since Hogan’s.
Average age at death across this list: 71.2 years.
WWE Wrestler Deaths Table (Dates, Ages, Causes)
| Wrestler | Real Name | Date of Death | Age | WWE Hall of Fame Status | Cause of Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hulk Hogan | Terry Gene Bollea | July 24, 2025 | 71 | 2x Hall of Famer | Heart attack (medical examiner–confirmed) |
| Bray Wyatt | Windham Rotunda | August 24, 2023 | 36 | Former WWE Champion | Heart attack, tied to a COVID-19-related heart issue |
| Terry Funk | Terrance Dee Funk | August 23, 2023 | 79 | Inducted 2009 | Not publicly disclosed |
| The Iron Sheik | Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri | June 7, 2023 | 81 | Inducted 2005 | Not publicly disclosed |
| Sika Anoa’i | Leati Sika Amituana’i Anoa’i | June 25, 2024 | 79 | Inducted 2007 (Wild Samoans) | Not publicly disclosed |
| Afa Anoa’i | Afa Amituana’i Anoa’i | August 16, 2024 | 80 | Inducted 2007 (Wild Samoans) | Heart attack (per family statement) |
Hulk Hogan’s Death: Full Timeline (2025–2026)
Hulk Hogan’s death is both the most significant and the most thoroughly documented loss covered in this list. He collapsed from cardiac arrest at his Clearwater, Florida home on July 24, 2025, and was pronounced dead roughly 90 minutes later at Morton Plant Hospital.
Official cause of death
The District Six Medical Examiner’s Office, which covers Pinellas and Pasco counties, listed acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) as the cause in a cremation approval report, with a history of atrial fibrillation and chronic lymphocytic leukemia noted as contributing factors, per NBC News. The cause was certified by Hogan’s physician; no autopsy was performed by the medical examiner because the death wasn’t considered suspicious.
Family-arranged private autopsy
Hogan’s wife and son separately commissioned a private autopsy, which concluded he died “exclusively from compelling natural disease, with no reasonable traumatic or terminal toxicologic contributions,” according to pathologist Dr. Daniel Schultz’s report.
Clearwater Police investigation (2025–2026)
A separate, roughly 11-month Clearwater Police Department inquiry followed, prompted by concerns an occupational therapist raised about Hogan’s health after recent surgeries. That investigation closed in June 2026 with a 72-page report; police said they found no evidence the death was anything other than natural and closed the case as solved, non-criminal.
Hogan, a two-time WWE Hall of Famer and six-time world champion, is widely credited with helping bring professional wrestling into mainstream entertainment during the 1980s.
No other WWE Hall of Famer’s death has been confirmed by named outlets since. Several wrestlers with independent-circuit or older-territory backgrounds have died in 2026, but without meaningful WWE tenure they fall outside the scope of this WWE-specific list.
WWE Deaths in 2023–2024
Bray Wyatt (Windham Rotunda)
Died August 24, 2023, age 36 — one day after Terry Funk. WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque announced the death as unexpected. Reporting authorized by Wyatt’s family (via Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp) indicated he had contracted COVID-19 earlier in 2023, which worsened a preexisting heart condition, leading to a fatal heart attack during recovery.
Terry Funk
Died August 23, 2023, at age 79. WWE confirmed the death and honored a career spanning more than fifty years across the NWA, WWF/WWE, WCW, and ECW. No cause of death was ever released by his family or WWE.
The Iron Sheik
WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2005. Died June 7, 2023, at age 81, in Fayetteville, Georgia. His official account confirmed the death; no cause was stated.
Sika Anoa’i
One half of the Wild Samoans tag team and father of Roman Reigns. Died June 25, 2024, at age 79. Family described the passing as peaceful but released no specific cause. WWE and Roman Reigns confirmed and paid public tribute.
Afa Anoa’i
Sika’s brother and longtime tag-team partner. Died less than two months later, on August 16, 2024, at age 80. His son Samu announced the passing; outlets including Wrestling Inc. reported a period of declining health beforehand, including pneumonia and multiple prior heart attacks. Afa and Sika were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame together in 2007 as the Wild Samoans.
Why Some Causes of Death Aren’t Listed
Not every family discloses a cause of death, and WWE generally follows the family’s lead rather than releasing one independently. That’s the case with Terry Funk and The Iron Sheik above — both deaths are fully confirmed by WWE and reputable outlets, but no official cause has ever been published for either. This list marks those entries as “not publicly disclosed” rather than speculating, and will be updated if that changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which WWE wrestler died most recently?
As of August 2026, Hulk Hogan is the most recent major WWE Hall of Famer confirmed to have died, on July 24, 2025.
How did Hulk Hogan die?
Heart attack (acute myocardial infarction), per the Pinellas County medical examiner’s office. A later Clearwater Police investigation, closed in June 2026, found no evidence of foul play and ruled the death an attended natural death.
Did Bray Wyatt die of COVID-19?
Not directly. Family-authorized reporting says he contracted COVID-19 earlier in 2023, which worsened an existing heart condition, and that he died of a heart attack months later.
What did Terry Funk die of?
Never made public. WWE and multiple outlets confirmed his death on August 23, 2023, at age 79, but no cause was ever released.
Are Afa and Sika Anoa’i related to Roman Reigns?
Yes. Sika Anoa’i was Roman Reigns’ father; Afa was his uncle. Both were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame together in 2007 as the Wild Samoans.
Has any current WWE roster member died recently?
No active WWE Superstar’s death has been confirmed by named outlets as of this writing. Every death covered here involves a Hall of Famer or former Superstar.
Where does this information come from?
Medical examiner reports, police investigations, official WWE statements, and named reporters at outlets including NBC News, CBS Sports, the Associated Press, and Post Wrestling. Full source list below.
Key Takeaways
- Hulk Hogan’s July 2025 death is the most recent, and most fully documented, WWE Hall of Famer death as of mid-2026.
- Bray Wyatt died of a heart attack in 2023 following a COVID-19-related heart complication, per family-authorized reporting.
- Terry Funk and The Iron Sheik both died in 2023; neither cause of death has been publicly disclosed.
- The Wild Samoans, Sika and Afa Anoa’i, died two months apart in 2024; Afa’s death was attributed to a heart attack, Sika’s was not disclosed.
- No confirmed WWE Hall of Famer or active-roster death has been reported by named outlets so far in 2026.
Conclusion
This list reflects only what medical examiners, police reports, WWE, and named reporters have confirmed as of August 2026. Where a cause of death hasn’t been made public, this page says so rather than filling in a guess, and will be updated as new deaths are confirmed or families release further details.
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