The wrestling world mourns the loss of one of its most iconic figures. Hulk Hogan, who brought this sport to stardom and became a global symbol, passed away on Thursday at the age of 71, according to Florida authorities and WWE.
Clearwater, Florida, officials responded to an emergency call on Thursday morning due to cardiac arrest. Hogan was pronounced dead at a hospital, as authorities announced in a statement.
According to the official statement, there were no signs of suspicious activity.
WWE expressed its sorrow over the passing of the Hall of Fame member through its social media. The organization highlighted Hogan’s impact, who helped WWE achieve worldwide recognition in the 1980s. WWE extended its condolences to Hogan’s family, friends, and fans.
Hulk Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, faced various health problems in recent years, including a persistent back injury. Although he hadn’t wrestled since 2012, he remained active in the world of wrestling as the founder of the Real American Freestyle promotion and owner of a bar in New York.
In 1985, Hogan starred in the first WrestleMania, teaming up with Mr. T to face Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff. The event, held at Madison Square Garden, attracted an audience of approximately one million people and is considered a milestone that brought professional wrestling to national fame.
The match between Hogan and Andre the Giant at WrestleMania III marked a turning point in Hogan’s career. The event took place in front of 80,000 spectators at the Pontiac Silverdome in Michigan. The rematch, broadcast on NBC, attracted 33 million viewers.
Hogan was the main star in seven of the first eight WrestleMania events. He was the face and hero of the wrestling world, appearing on television shows and starring in films, including “Rocky III”. He won the WWF world championship six times, including a reign of 1,474 days.
In 1996, Hogan made an unexpected turn by becoming a villain and joining World Championship Wrestling, leading the New World Order group. This change revitalized the public’s interest in wrestling. The NWO, with Hogan in the role of “Hollywood”, helped WCW surpass 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, where the audience cheered him despite his villainous character.
He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005.
Ric Flair and Triple H were some of the figures who reacted to the news of Hogan’s passing on social media.
