The wrestling world mourns the loss of one of its most iconic figures. Hulk Hogan, the star who brought this sport to national stardom and became the highest-grossing wrestler in history, 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.
Mayor Nate Burnside
WWE expressed its sadness at the death of the Hall of Fame member through its social media.
WWE sent its condolences to Hogan’s family, friends, and fans.
Hulk 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 recently remained active as the founder of the wrestling promotion Real American Freestyle and owner of a bar in New York, near Madison Square Garden, the site of many of his most important matches.Hulk Hogan fue el evento principal en siete de las primeras ocho ediciones de WrestleMania y revivió el interés en la lucha libre en la década de 1990 con su cambio para crear la NWO.In 1985, Hogan headlined the first WrestleMania, teaming with 1980s television star Mr. T, to face Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff. WrestleMania I, at MSG, drew an audience of around 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 against 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 event in seven of the first eight editions of WrestleMania. He was the face and hero of the wrestling world, and crossed over to the mainstream with numerous appearances on television shows, as well as starring roles in films and television.
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 competitor, 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 public interest in a way that wrestling hadn’t done since WrestleMania I. The NWO, with “Hollywood” Hogan as the fierce leader, wearing 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 helped 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 among several notable wrestling icons who reacted to Hogan’s death on social media.
Former President Donald Trump also reacted to the news.
Trump posted on Truth Social: “We lost a great friend today, the ‘Hulkster.’ Hulk Hogan was MAGA to the core: Strong, tough, smart, but with the biggest heart. He gave an absolutely electrifying speech at the Republican National Convention, which was one of the highlights of the whole week. He entertained fans from all over the world, and the cultural impact he had was massive. To his wife, Sky, and his family, we give our best wishes and love. Hulk Hogan will be greatly missed!”
After his wrestling career concluded, Hogan found himself embroiled in some controversies. In 2015, video recordings were leaked in which he used the N-word and referred to himself as “racist to a certain degree.” WWE terminated his legends contract at the time, although they brought him back 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 featuring 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 was awarded $115 million.
