Bubba the Love Sponge Sparks Concern Over Rumor that Hulk Hogan Is Dying

Celebrity death hoaxes are nothing new. If you get famous enough, you'll experience a death hoax at some point. But it can be hard to tell the difference between a rumor or hoax and a real headline.

Which is exactly what happened when streamer Todd Alan Clem, who uses the handle Bubba the Love Sponge, shared dark rumors about the health of one famous retired wrestler.

That wrestler is Terry Gene Bollea, known to fans as Hulk Hogan. After Bubba dropped some dark predictions about the turn of Hulk's health, fans took to the internet to try to determine the truth and the prognosis for their favorite wrestler-turned-reality-star.

Here's what we know about what Bubba had to say and the state of Hulk's health in June 2025.

In June 2025, an X (formerly Twitter) account post circulated about a months-old livestream that Bubba conducted as usual. Not as usual, however, was a dire prediction he made about Hulk's health.

He told his co-hosts and viewers that Hulk wasn't doing so well, and it sparked a wave of concern for the former wrestler, who is now 71 years old. Wrestlers are known for struggling with complex health issues even long after retirement, often due to the demands that the high-impact sport has on their bodies.

So what did Bubba say?

During the livestream, Bubba told viewers that Hulk was in the hospital and "might not make it." On June 18, 2025, X account @WebGuyJames reposted the livestream and delivered the dire rumor to fans.

Luckily, it quickly became clear that the livestream was both old and inaccurate, as Hulk is alive and well.

However, he has been dealing with some health issues recently, and WCW president Eric Bischoff even felt compelled to speak up about the issues to clear up the rumors.

Another X account, @DerekSabato, quoted Eric as explaining, "Hulk Hogan had a very successful cervical surgery and is experiencing some adverse reaction. He’s doing well and should be home later today. Doctors expecting a full recovery.”

TMZ Sports added to the good news, reporting that they had spoken to someone close to Hulk who shared that the former wrestler "isn't close to death — he's just dealing with more of the same ailments he's had for years."

TMZ also reported in May 2025 that Hulk underwent a neck surgery, in an attempt to address many of the lingering pain and mobility problems that he has faced since leaving the world of wrestling in 2012.

Luckily, it would seem that, despite all the furor to the contrary, Hulk is doing well and recovering as quickly as is possible to recover at 71 years young.

While a neck surgery is hardly a walk in the park, the former wrestling star is already said to be up and moving around, hoping to get back to normal quickly. And most definitely not on his deathbed.