The wrestling world mourns the loss of one of its most iconic figures. Hulk Hogan, the wrestler who brought the spectacle sport to national fame and became the biggest economic draw in the history of the industry, passed away on Thursday at the age of 71, according to Florida police 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 expressed its sadness at the death of the Hall of Fame member in a post on X.
The WWE publication said:
“One of the most recognizable figures in pop culture, Hogan helped WWE achieve worldwide recognition in the 1980s. WWE extends its condolences to Hogan’s family, friends, and fans,” reads the statement.Hulk Hogan headlined seven of the first eight WrestleMania events and revived interest in wrestling in the 1990s with his change to create the NWO.
Hulk Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, had been dealing with several health problems in recent years, including a persistent and problematic back injury from his wrestling days. Hogan had not wrestled since 2012, but was recently in the news as the founder of the wrestling promotion Real American Freestyle and the owner of an upcoming bar in New York City across from Madison Square Garden, the site of many of his great matches.
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 on closed-circuit television and is credited with bringing professional wrestling, specifically the then-WWF (now WWE), to the spirit of the national era.
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 in open, attracted 33 million viewers.
Hogan headlined seven of the first eight WrestleMania events. He was the face and hero of the wrestling world, who reached the mainstream with tons of 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 villainous turn in wrestling history as a second act. Working for WWE competitor World Championship Wrestling, Hogan became a bad guy, leading a group of evil invaders called the New World Order. The villainous turn, 29 years ago this summer, captured the public’s interest in a way that wrestling hadn’t had since WrestleMania I. The NWO, with “Hollywood” Hogan as the vicious leader who wore black and white instead of his signature red and yellow, gave new life to the wrestling industry during the counterculture of the 1990s, when audiences 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 good guy in WWE, which forced Hogan to return home to Florida that weekend to pick up his old red and yellow shirts and wrestling trunks.
He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005.
Ric Flair and Triple H were some of the notable wrestling legends who reacted to Hogan’s death on social media.
Former President Donald Trump was among other notable figures who posted reactions. Hogan delivered a speech at the Republican National Convention last July to support Trump’s presidential campaign.
“Today we lost a great friend, 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,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “He entertained fans from all over the world and the cultural impact he had was massive. To his wife, Sky, and his family, we send our best wishes and love. Hulk Hogan will be greatly missed!”
After his wrestling career concluded, Hogan found himself embroiled in some controversy. 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 on the Gawker website in 2015, and Hogan subsequently sued for defamation, invasion of privacy, and emotional distress. Hogan won the case and received $115 million.
