The wrestling world mourns the loss of one of its most emblematic figures. Hulk Hogan, who brought professional wrestling to national fame and became an icon of the industry, passed away on Thursday at the age of 71, according to Florida authorities and WWE.
Clearwater, Florida authorities responded to a call on Thursday morning due to cardiac arrest. Hogan was pronounced dead at a hospital, according to a police statement.
There were no signs of foul play or suspicious activity.
Maj. Nate Burnside
WWE, through its social media, expressed its sadness over the passing of the Hall of Fame member. “One of the most recognizable figures in pop culture, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s. WWE extends its condolences to Hogan’s family, friends, and fans,” they communicated.Hulk Hogan fue la estrella principal en siete de los primeros ocho eventos de WrestleMania y revivió el interés en la lucha libre en la década de 1990 con su cambio para crear la NWO.Hulk Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, had faced several health problems in recent years, including a persistent back injury resulting from his wrestling career. Although he hadn’t wrestled since 2012, he remained in the public eye as the founder of the wrestling promotion Real American Freestyle and the owner of a bar in New York, near Madison Square Garden, the site of many of his most important matches.
In 1985, Hogan starred in the first WrestleMania, teaming up with 80s television star Mr. T to face Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff. WrestleMania I, at MSG, drew an audience of around 1 million people through closed-circuit television and is credited with bringing professional wrestling, specifically the then WWF (now WWE), to the national spotlight.
The match between Hogan and Andre the Giant at WrestleMania III took the wrestling business, and Hogan’s career, to new heights. Around 80,000 people filled the Pontiac Silverdome in Michigan for the match. The rematch, several months later on NBC, drew 33 million viewers.
Hogan was the main star of seven of the first eight WrestleMania events. He was the face and hero of the wrestling world, and he made his way into popular culture with numerous appearances on television talk shows, as well as starring roles in films, including the third “Rocky” film, and on television, including “Thunder in Paradise” in the 1990s. Hogan won the WWF World Heavyweight Championship six times, including a reign of 1,474 days. Only Bruno Sammartino and Bob Backlund held the belt for more consecutive days.
In 1996, with interest in him as a hero waning, Hogan made the shift to the biggest heel turn in wrestling history as a second act. Working for WWE’s competition, World Championship Wrestling, Hogan became a villain, leading a group of invaders called the New World Order. This change, 29 years ago, captured the public’s interest in a way that wrestling hadn’t achieved since WrestleMania I. The NWO, with “Hollywood” Hogan as the ruthless leader dressed in black and white instead of his signature red and yellow, gave new life to the wrestling industry during the counterculture of the 90s, when the public demanded a darker and more adult product. Hogan rose to the challenge, helping WCW beat WWF in television ratings for 83 consecutive weeks starting in 1996.
Hogan returned to WWE in 2002 to face The Rock at WrestleMania 18 in Toronto. His character was the villainous version of the NWO, but the more than 68,000 attendees were not interested in booing Hogan. They cheered him over The Rock, the biggest “good guy” in WWE at the time, which forced Hogan to return to Florida that weekend to retrieve his old red and yellow wrestling shirts and tights.
He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005.
Ric Flair and Triple H were some of the most prominent figures in wrestling who reacted to Hogan’s death on social media.
Former President Donald Trump also reacted to the news. Hogan gave a speech at the Republican National Convention last July to support Trump’s presidential campaign.
After his wrestling career, Hogan was embroiled in controversies. In 2015, video recordings were leaked where he used the word “N” and referred to himself as “racist to a certain extent.” WWE terminated his legends contract at that time, although they reinstated him three years later as an ambassador with infrequent television appearances. Hogan appeared on WWE’s Netflix debut show in January to promote his new Real American beer, but was booed by fans in Los Angeles.
A sex tape involving Hogan was leaked by the website Gawker in 2015, and Hogan subsequently sued for defamation, invasion of privacy, and emotional distress. Hogan won the case and received $115 million.
