Photographer from Pennsylvania reflects on personally knowing Hulk Hogan: ‘The world lost a hero’

CLEARWATER, Fla. (WTAJ) — With the sudden death of WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan Thursday, a reporter turned photographer from Altoona reflects on his time getting to personally know the larger-than-life athlete and actor.

Tim Boyles, who was born and raised in Altoona, started his career as a reporter with WTAJ in the ’90s. He later left the area for a job in Tampa, Florida. A few years after that, he stopped reporting and focused on photography for Getty Images, allowing him to meet worldwide celebrities — including ‘The Immortal’ Hulk Hogan.

Boyles told WTAJ that everyone who met Hogan talked wrestling with him, but even though he was a lifelong fan, Boyles said he would talk about things like the best fishing spots.

“I was always a bit in awe of Hulk,” Boyles recalled.  “I grew up watching and idolizing him.  I never thought I’d actually get to meet him or to know him.”

Boyles, as a photographer, saw Hogan go through good times, such as having the reality show “Hogan Knows Best,” and some bad times, including his divorce from Linda Hogan in 2009.

“He was always a gentleman, even during the most difficult of circumstances.”
Tim Boyles

Boyles supplied a few rare photos to WTAJ that can’t be found on Getty Images.

“The world lost a hero.  Those who knew him lost a dedicated friend,” Boyles added.

Hogan rose to meteoric fame in the ’80s thanks to Vince McMahon, the WWE, and, of course, “HULKAMANIA.” It truly “ran wild” around the world. Hogan (arguably) created the biggest boom period for professional wrestling twice. The second time was in 1996 in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) when the beloved hero turned his back on the fans and joined the New World Order. It’s something that changed wrestling as it was known and is lauded as the greatest “heel turn” (going from good guy to bad guy) in wrestling history.

Between the two companies, in the early ’90s, Hogan starred in various movies and TV shows, notably Mr. Nanny and Suburban Commando with Christopher Lloyd. He also starred in the series “Thunder in Paradise.”

After WCW was sold, Hogan returned for a brief run in WWE, where he had one of the biggest WrestleMania matches of all time against Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.

After the cancellation of Hogan Knows Best, Hogan went through a divorce. His son, Nick, was also in a horrific car crash that killed a friend.

Photos taken by Tim Boyles for Getty Images:

Hogan was welcomed back to WWE after years away from the ring at WrestleMania 37 in 2021.

In his last few years, Hogan became the face of “Real American Beer” and was in the process of starting a new wrestling company with longtime friend and former head of WCW, Eric Bischoff.

Hogan was pronounced dead Thursday after paramedics were called to his home for a cardiac arrest. He was 71.