Wrestling icon Hulk Hogan is dead at 71
Medics were dispatched to Hogan's Florida home shortly before 10 a.m. Thursday in response to a cardiac arrest, the Clearwater Police Department said on Facebook. Hogan was pronounced dead at Morton Plant Hospital.
Law enforcement officers and EMTs were reportedly spotted outside Hogan's home as the wrestler was delivered to an ambulance via stretcher, according to TMZ, which first reported the wrestler's death.
The outlet shot down rumors last month of Hogan being near death, claiming the star, born Terry Gene Bollea, had been hospitalized to address lingering neck and back issues and was otherwise fine.
Hogan was arguably the most famous wrestler of all time. He catapulted to super stardom after appearing as the fictional wrestler Thunderlips in the 1982 film 'Rocky III' in which he tossed Sylvester Stallone out of a wrestling ring before Stallone's Rocky Balboa returned the favor.
The bigger than life showman stood 6 feet and 7 inches, weighed around 300 lbs. and sported a trademark bleached blond mustache that matched his receding long blond hair.
He frequently referred to friend and foe alike as 'brother' in the unmistakably deep voice that asked 'Whatcha gonna do when Hulkamania runs wild on you?'
Hogan fans are referring to as 'Hulkamaniacs.'
World Wrestling Entertainment, formerly known as the World Wrestling Federation, mourned the loss of its star Thursday.
'WWE is saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away,' the organization said in a statement. 'One of pop culture's most recognizable figures, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s. WWE extends its condolences to Hogan's family, friends, and fans.'
Hogan was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005, but removed from its ranks in 2015 after recordings of him making racist comments emerged. He was reinstated in 2018 after apologizing for his words.
Audio leaked to the National Enquirer from a sex tape revealed him using the N-word when discussing his daughter Brooke Hogan's relationship with a Black man.
The initial release of a portion of that tape led to a controversial 2012 lawsuit that bankrupted the gossip site Gawker after it reported on Hogan having sex with the wife of a close friend. A jury awarded the plaintiff $140 million, but his reputation was damaged by the revelation. He settled for $31 million, according to Forbes. Hogan later accused Gawker of leaking the tape to the Enquirer.
Brooke said in March that she'd stopped contact with her parents 'to dodge the public negativity surrounding my family that has continuously and relentlessly overshadowed anything I do.'
The public got a look inside the unconventional family's activities from the 2005 reality show 'Hogan Knows Best,' which ran for two years on VH1. That program was succeeded by 'Brooke Knows Best' starring Hogan's now 37-year-old daughter.
Hogan was also featured prominently at the 2024 Republican National Convention where he offered his full-throated support for Donald J. Trump's successful candidacy.
'We're gonna' bring America back together one real American at a time, brother,' he told a roaring crowd during the nationally televised event.
He is survived by his third wife, Sky Daily, and two children: Brooke and Nick Hogan, whom he shared with his first wife, Linda Hogan.
Hogan's longtime associate Darren Prince called news of his client's death 'devastating' in an email to the Daily News.
'I was blessed to not only be his marketing agent for 25 years, but got to know the real Terry Bollea as a dear friend and family,' Prince said.
Professional wrestler Ric Flair also took the news hard.
'I am absolutely shocked to hear about the passing of my close friend @HulkHogan!' he wrote on X. 'Hulk has been by my side since we started in the wrestling business.'
Flair remembered Hogan as a good friend who was with him through his own health challenges and even helped him financially.
'Hulkster, no one will ever compare to you! Rest in peace my friend!' Flair posted.
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