The wrestling world mourns the loss of Hulk Hogan, the iconic figure who brought this sport to stardom nationally and became the highest-grossing wrestler in history. Hogan passed away on Thursday at the age of 71, according to Florida authorities and WWE.
Emergency services responded to a call for cardiac arrest in Clearwater, Florida, on Thursday morning. Hogan was pronounced dead at a hospital, according to a police statement.
There were no signs of foul play or suspicious activity.
Mayor Nate Burnside
WWE expressed its sadness at the passing of the Hall of Fame member in a post on X.
Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, had been dealing with several health problems in recent years, including a persistent back injury suffered during his wrestling career. Although he hadn’t wrestled since 2012, he had recently been in the news as the founder of the wrestling promotion Real American Freestyle and the owner of a bar in New York, located opposite Madison Square Garden, the scene of many of his most important matches.Hulk Hogan fue el evento principal de siete de los primeros ocho eventos de WrestleMania y revivió el interés de la lucha libre en la década de 1990 con su cambio para crear la NWO.In 1985, Hogan starred in the first WrestleMania, teaming up with 1980s television star Mr. T to face Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff. WrestleMania I, held at MSG, drew an audience of approximately 1 million people via closed-circuit television and is credited with bringing professional wrestling, specifically the then WWF (now WWE), to national awareness.
Hogan’s match with 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 headlined seven of the first eight WrestleMania events. He was the face and hero of the wrestling world, and he entered the mainstream with numerous appearances on television talk shows, as well as starring roles in films, including the third “Rocky” film, where he faced the main character played by Sylvester Stallone, and television, including the syndicated show “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 biggest villain 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. The villain turn, 29 years ago this summer, captured the public’s interest in a way that wrestling hadn’t done 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 1990s, when the public demanded a darker, more adult product. Hogan rose to the challenge, helping WCW beat the 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, then the biggest hero in WWE, which forced Hogan to return to Florida that weekend to pick up his old red and yellow wrestling shirts and trunks.
He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005.
Ric Flair and Triple H were some of the notable wrestling figures who reacted to Hogan’s death on social media.
Former President Donald Trump also reacted to the news.
Hogan, after his wrestling career, was involved in controversies. In 2015, video recordings were leaked in which he used the “N” word and referred to himself as “racist to a certain extent.” WWE terminated his legend 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.
In 2015, the website Gawker leaked a sex tape involving Hogan, and Hogan subsequently sued for defamation, invasion of privacy, and emotional distress. Hogan won the case and received $115 million.
