US professional wrestler Hulk Hogan dies aged 71
The Florida native became a household name around the world in the 1980s with the WWF, headlining early WrestleMania events.
He also built a career as a Hollywood actor, along with selling his image widely in advertising and as merchandise.
TMZ reported that the wrestler died of 'cardiac arrest', citing the emergency call.
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His family confirmed the death to Us Weekly.
Hogan, born Terry Bollea, began his career in the ring in 1977, travelling to different territories in the US, including Florida, Memphis and Minneapolis, as well as spells in Japan.
However, his career took off from 1983 when he began to wrestle consistently for the World Wrestling Federation, whipping up 'Hulkamania' among his fans and developing a large following.
His rivalry with the 7'4″ French wrestler Andre the Giant helped to make him an international star as he headlined eight of the first nine WrestleMania events.
After time out to develop his Hollywood career, he returned to the ring at World Championship Wrestling, a rival promotion, in the 1990s, joining the villainous NWO.
His in-ring appearances became sporadic in the 2000s, but he remained in the spotlight through Hogan Knows Best, a reality TV show depicting daily life for his family.
In 2016, he received a $31m settlement from the US website Gawker after he sued over the publication of sections of a sex tape featuring Hogan, effectively shutting down the publication.
He later campaigned for Donald Trump, speaking at rallies.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
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The Irish Sun
44 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
‘Diabolical timing' of stag do reveller dressed as Hulk Hogan as he looks glum after learning of wrestler's death
A STAG do reveller dressed as Hulk Hogan is pictured looking glum — 40 minutes after news broke of the wrestler's death. YouTuber ChaboyyHD, from Scotland, posted the photo of his brother in a Hulk wig and tache, T-shirt, kilt, feather boa, headband and socks with the WWE star's face on. 3 A stag do reveller in a Hulk wig and tache, T-shirt, kilt, feather boa, headband and socks with the WWE star's face on 3 The brothers later shared a selfie while still in fancy dress at a bar 3 Hogan died aged 71 following a suspected cardiac arrest at his home Credit: Getty He wrote at 5.16pm on Thursday: 'Diabolical timing for my brother's stag costume tonight.' The brothers later shared a selfie while still in fancy dress at a bar. One follower said: 'Should get a lot of free drinks!' Another wrote: 'A fitting tribute I feel.' Read more on Hulk Hogan A third responded: 'He lives on.' Hogan, real name Terry Gene Bollea, died aged 71 following a suspected cardiac arrest at his home in Clearwater, Florida. His family said in a statement: 'It is with a heavy heart and deep sadness that we confirm we have lost a legend. "Our beloved Terry Bollea, known worldwide as Most read in Sport Heartbreaking Hulk Hogan 911 audio as ambulance rushed to wrestling icon's home after he suffered cardiac arrest
The Irish Sun
5 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Hulk Hogan looked full of life delivering classic hype wrestling speech in last live TV interview weeks before death
HULK Hogan appeared full of life in one of his final TV interviews as he promoted an exciting new wrestling league. Hogan was in the midst of 6 Hulk Hogan was full of energy when he gave one of his final TV interviews in May Credit: Fox News 6 The WWE star, seen in 2010, died on Thursday after suffering cardiac arrest Credit: Getty 6 First responders rushed to his mansion in Clearwater, Florida and desperately tried to save his life for 30 minutes Credit: AFP In May, the The freestyle wrestling promotion, which was cofounded by the late star, combines the athleticism of the collegiate and Olympic sports with the entertainment of WWE, Hogan said. Hogan and his league partners looked bright-eyed as they chatted with the Fox morning hosts about the fresh talent they were introducing to viewers. The star was dressed in his iconic bandana with his bleach blonde hair peeking through and his horseshoe mustache shining bright against his tanned skin. read more on hulk hogan The WWE legend gushed about the young wrestlers competing in the league and said they understood how to put on a good show. At the end of the interview, Hogan launched into one of his iconic promo speeches and said, "It's gonna be crazy brother!" "I'm in New York City. I got all lit up last night." By the end of the vibrant speech, Hogan had every Fox & Friends host vowing to tune in to the first match at the end of the summer. Most read in Sport Real American Freestyle's events are set to stream exclusively on Fox Nation. When approached for comment, a Fox Nation spokesperson said the network was "deeply saddened" to hear of Hogan's death. Ric Flair in Tears: Wrestling World Mourns Hulk Hogan After Tragic Passing "Our hearts go out to his family, friends, and his many fans," the spokesperson said. A source inside the network confirmed they would move forward with two inaugural events for Real American Freestyle that will take place on August 30. Hulk Hogan career timeline 1977: Made his professional wrestling debut. 1979: Joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) and gained recognition. 1982: Appeared as "Thunderlips" in the film Rocky III , significantly boosting his mainstream exposure. 1984: Defeated The Iron Sheik to win his first WWF Championship, ushering in the "Hulkamania" era. 1985: Main evented the first-ever WrestleMania, teaming with Mr. T against Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff. 1987: Slammed Andre the Giant at WrestleMania III in one of wrestling's most iconic moments. 1993: Departed WWF for World Championship Wrestling (WCW). 1996: Shocked the wrestling world by turning heel and forming the New World Order (nWo) with Scott Hall and Kevin Nash at Bash at the Beach, becoming "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan. 2001: Returned to WWE after WCW was acquired. 2002: Had a memorable match against The Rock at WrestleMania X8. 2005: Inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. 2005-2007: Starred in the reality TV show "Hogan Knows Best." 2012: Had his last official televised match for TNA Impact, though he made sporadic appearances in WWE afterward. 2020: Inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame for a second time as a member of the nWo. HOGAN'S HEALTH Hogan had been suffering from for the past several months. He was hospitalized last month as he recovered from a neck surgery that he underwent in May. In June, a series of downturns left him reportedly or walk without a cane. Some people feared that he was on his deathbed, though multiple friends close to the wrestler denied or downplayed his poor health . 6 Hogan looked full of life as he promoted his new league Credit: Fox News 6 Hogan was inducted to the WWE Hall of Fame twice after a historic career Credit: Getty 6 He gave a rousing speech at the Republican National Convention around one year before his death Credit: AFP Hogan suffered cardiac arrest at his $11.5 million Clearwater, Florida, mansion on Thursday morning, police confirmed. Paramedics rushed to the property after getting a frantic 911 call and spent a desperate 30 minutes Hogan's wife, Sky, She admitted that her husband had been "dealing with some health issues" but insisted she thought he would pull through. "I had so much faith in his strength. I thought we had more time," she said. Sky remembered Hogan as "my partner" and "my heart" and had faith that, as a Christian, he had been "welcomed home." "Please keep his family and all of us who loved him in your prayers as we try to navigate this new reality," she wrote. Hulk Hogan tributes Tributes have poured in for Hulk Hogan following his death at 71 years old. "When I nearly lost my dad 8 years ago, one of the few people who was there for all of it was Hulk Hogan. My heart breaks for Nick and Brooke. Rest in peace, brother." - "Saddened To Hear About The Passing of Hulk Hogan…I Guess God Needed An Incredible Angel. R.I.P. My Friend." - "He Was One Of The First To Visit Me When I Was In The Hospital With A 2% Chance Of Living, And He Prayed By My Bedside. Hulk Also Lent Me Money When Reid Was Sick. Hulkster, No One Will Ever Compare To You! Rest In Peace My Friend!" - "WWE is saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away. 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." - "R.I.P to a legend. HULK HOGAN." - "Hulk Hogan was a great American icon. One of the first people I ever truly admired as a kid. The last time I saw him we promised we'd get beers together next time we saw each other. The next time will have to be on the other side, my friend! Rest in peace." -
Irish Examiner
9 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Hulk Hogan: A larger-than-life character, as notorious outside the wrestling ring as in it
Hulk Hogan, the moustachioed, headscarf-wearing, bicep-busting icon of professional wrestling who turned the sport into a massive business and stretched his influence into TV, pop culture and conservative politics during a long and scandal-plagued second act, has died in Florida at age 71. Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, was perhaps the biggest star in WWE's long history. He was the main draw for the first WrestleMania in 1985 and was a fixture for years, facing everyone from Andre the Giant and Randy Savage to The Rock and even WWE co-founder Vince McMahon. But outside the ring, Hogan also found trouble. WWE in 2015 cut ties with him for three years, even removing him from its Hall of Fame, after it was reported he was recorded using racial slurs about blacks. He apologised and said his words were 'unacceptable'. Hogan won at least six WWE championships and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005 and reinstated there in 2018. WWE matches are now held in professional sports stadiums, and millions of fans have watched the company's weekly live television programme, Raw, which debuted in January on Netflix. 'He was a trailblazer, the first performer who transitioned from being a wrestling star into a global phenomenon,' McMahon said of Hogan. Hogan's own brand of passion 'Hulkamania,' as the energy he created was called, started running wild in the mid-1980s and pushed professional wrestling into the mainstream. He was a flag-waving American hero with the horseshoe moustache, red and yellow gear, and massive arms he called his '24-inch pythons.' Crowds were hysterical when he ripped off his T-shirt in the ring — a trademark move — revealing a tan, sculpted body. Hogan was also a celebrity outside the wrestling world, appearing in numerous movies and television shows, including a reality show about his life on VH1, Hogan Knows Best. Hulk Hogan at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2006 at Radio City, New York. In recent years, Hogan added his celebrity to politics. At the 2024 Republican National Convention, he merged classic WWE manoeuvres with then-candidate Donald Trump's rhetoric to passionately endorse him for president. 'Let Trumpamania run wild brother! Let Trumpamania rule again! Let Trumpamania make America great again!' Hogan shouted into the raucous crowd. He ripped off a T-shirt emblazoned with a picture of himself on a motorcycle to reveal a bright red Trump-Vance campaign shirt underneath. Mr Trump stood to applaud the move. 'We lost a great friend today, the 'Hulkster,'" Trump said on Thursday on Truth Social. 'Hulk Hogan was MAGA all the way — Strong, tough, smart, but with the biggest heart.' Broken leg and a new attitude Hogan was born in Georgia but lived much of his life in the Tampa, Florida, area. He recalled skipping school to watch wrestlers at the Sportatorium, a professional wrestling studio in Tampa. 'I had been running my mouth, telling everybody I'm going to be a wrestler, and in a small town, the word gets out,' Hogan told the Tampa Bay Times in 2021. 'And so when I went down there, they were laying low for me. They exercised me till I was ready to faint.' The result: a broken leg and a subsequent warning from his dad. 'Don't you ever let anybody hurt you again,' Hogan recalled his father saying. 'So I went back four or five months later with a whole new attitude. The rest is history.' Hogan first became champion in what was then the World Wrestling Federation in 1984, and pro wrestling took off from there. His popularity helped lead to the creation of the annual WrestleMania event in 1985, when he teamed up with Mr T to beat 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper and 'Mr Wonderful' Paul Orndorff in the main event. He slammed and beat Andre the Giant at WrestleMania III in 1987, and the WWF gained momentum. His feud with the late 'Macho Man' Randy Savage — perhaps his greatest rival — carried pro wrestling even further. Hogan was a central figure in what is known as the Monday Night Wars. The WWE and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) were battling for ratings supremacy in 1996. Hogan tilted things in WCW's favour with the birth of the Hollywood Hogan character and the formation of the New World Order, a villainous stable that put WCW ahead in the ratings. Passers-by outside of Hulk Hogan's Beach Shop in Clearwater Beach, Florida, on Thursday, hours after it was announced he had died. Picture: Douglas R Clifford/Tampa Bay Times via AP He returned to the WWE in 2002 and became a champion again. His match with The Rock at WrestleMania X8, a loss during which fans cheered for his 'bad guy' character, was seen as a passing of the torch. Hogan was perhaps as well known for his larger-than-life personality as he was his in-ring exploits. He was beloved for his 'promos' — hype sessions he used to draw fans into matches. He often would play off his interviewer, 'Mean' Gene Okerlund, starting his interviews off with, 'Well, lemme tell ya something, Mean Gene!' Outside the ring He crossed over into movies and television as well. He was Thunderlips in the movie Rocky III in 1982. In 2016, a Florida jury awarded Hogan $115m in a lawsuit against Gawker Media and then added $25m in punitive damages. Hogan sued after Gawker in 2012 obtained and posted a video of him having sex with his former best friend's wife. He said the post violated his privacy. Hogan ended up settling the case for millions less after Gawker filed for bankruptcy. There was other fallout. The litigation led to the discovery that Hogan had used racial slurs on the tape. 'It was unacceptable for me to have used that offensive language; there is no excuse for it; and I apologise for having done it,' Hogan said. After Hogan was booed at the premiere of Netflix's new WWE show in January, former WWE wrestler Mark Henry, who is black, said the scandal was a 'dark cloud' over Hogan's career. Henry said he believed in second chances but Hogan 'never wanted to go forward and fix it' Outside Hogan's Hangout, his restaurant in Clearwater Beach, people talked about their admiration for Hogan as news of his death spread. Rich Null of St Louis said the two men worked out together. 'Thirty minutes into our workout in the gym, he said, 'cut the Hulk Hogan crap, call me Terry',' Null said. 'He was a really super nice guy, and we're gonna miss him.' Associated Press
