The wrestling world mourns the loss of one of its most iconic figures. Hulk Hogan, 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 posted on Facebook.
The official police statement indicated that there were no signs of violence or suspicious activity.
WWE, through its social media, expressed its sadness over the passing of the Hall of Fame member.
The company highlighted that Hogan was one of the most recognizable figures in pop culture, and that he 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 several health problems in recent years, including a persistent back injury stemming from his days as a wrestler. Although he hadn’t wrestled since 2012, Hogan remained in the public eye as the founder of the Real American Freestyle wrestling promotion and the owner of a bar in New York, near Madison Square Garden, the scene of many of his most important matches.
In 1985, Hogan starred in the first WrestleMania, teaming 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 public 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 WrestleMania events. He was the face and hero of the wrestling world, and he reached the mainstream with numerous appearances on television talk 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 most impactful change to the villain side in wrestling history. Working for WWE’s competition, World Championship Wrestling, Hogan became the leader of a group of invaders called the New World Order. This character change captured the public’s interest in a way that wrestling hadn’t achieved since WrestleMania I. The NWO, with “Hollywood” Hogan as the leader, revitalized the wrestling industry during the counterculture of the 1990s. Hogan 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. His character was the villainous version of NWO, but the more than 68,000 attendees were not interested in booing Hogan. They cheered him over The Rock, the then-biggest hero of WWE, which forced Hogan to return to Florida that weekend to retrieve 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 wrestling legends who reacted to Hogan’s death on social media.
Former President Donald Trump also released his reaction. Hogan gave a speech at the Republican National Convention last July to support Trump’s presidential campaign.
We lost a great friend today, the ‘Hulkster.’ Hulk Hogan was MAGA all the way: 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 entire week. He entertained fans 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!
Donald Trump
After his wrestling career concluded, Hogan found himself embroiled in some controversies. In 2015, video recordings were leaked in which he used a racial term and referred to himself as “racist to a certain extent.” WWE terminated his legend contract at the 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 starring 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.
