Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan passed away at the age of 71.
Hogan, born Terry Jean Borea, was found dead at his Florida home Thursday morning.
In Clearwater, authorities responded to a call Thursday morning about cardiac arrest. Hogan was declared dead in the hospital, Clearwater Police Department said in a Facebook statement.
His manager, Chris Boro, confirmed with NBC Los Angeles that Hogan had passed away surrounded by his family.
“WWE is saddened to learn that Hulk Hogan, the WWE Hall of Fame, has passed away. One of pop culture's most famous numbers, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s,” WWE said in X.
It gave no cause of death.
In recent months, there have been reports that Hogan is sick, but people close to him said he was recovering from neck surgery in May.
Hogan was the main draw at WrestleMania in 1985 and a fixture for its signature event for many years, playing against everyone from Andre's Giant and Randy Savage to Rock and even company chairman Vince McMahon.
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He won six WWF/WWE Championships and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005 by Sylvester Stallone.
He transcended the fanbase of “Furukamania” and became a celebrity outside of the wrestling world, and was able to appear in many films and TV shows, including reality shows about his life in VH1.
In 2024 he appeared at the Republican National Convention, supporting Donald Trump's presidential bid, who played the host of Hulkheadlin's WrestleMania in the 1980s. Hogan said he made the decision to support the Republican candidate after seeing his combative, fist pump reaction to an attempted assassination on the campaign trail.
Hulk Hogan tears his shirt while speaking on the final night of the Republican National Convention held in Milwaukee on Thursday, July 18th, 2024.
J. Scott Apple White / Associated Press
“Let Trumpet Mania run to his brother!” Hogan yells at the cheering crowd, stripping his shirt to reveal Trump's tank top. “Trumpeteria will take control again!”
Become a “Hulk”
Born in August 11, 1953 in August 1953, the future Hulk and his family quickly moved to the Tampa, Florida area. After graduating from high school, he played bass guitar for an area rock band, but in the 1970s he felt a pull into the Florida wrestling scene.
Many of his career details showed the exaggeration of business representing the blurred line between facts and fiction in wrestling.
His first trainer reportedly discouraged Hogan from entering the business with a broken leg, but he continued wrestling, weight training, and later admitted to anabolic steroids. He gained notoriety as his biceps turned to what he called a “24-inch python.”
The “Hulk” moniker comes from a comparison with the comic book heroes that were portrayed on television at the time. He'll pay royalty to Marvel Comics for years. “Hogan” was the invention of promoter Vincent J. McMahon, owner of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), who wanted to represent Ireland in his stable.
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His appearance as Rocky III's wrestler Thunderlip. He turned mainstream Hogan into rockets. When he returned to WWF, now ruled by McMahon's son Vincent K, he defeated the Iron Shake in 1984, winning the World Championship, a belt he holds for four years.
Hogan became a popular name, appeared on the cover of sports illustration magazines and performed with pop culture stars like Mr. T.
On April 3, 2005, in file photos, Hulk Hogan fires crowds between games at WrestleMania 21 at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Chris Carlson / Associated Press
It faces the rock
Hogan then joined Rival World Championship Wrestling, swapping his trademark yellow tights for black and taking on the persona as “Hollywood” Hogan, the villain who is the head of the rules breaker gang known as the New World Order. The gimmick revitalized his career.
Hogan eventually returned to WWF, known as WWE, and faced Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson at Wrestle Mania in 2002.
“I'm in a better position than him,” Hogan told Reuters at the time. “I'll stand next to the rock and posed down with him if he wants.”
Rock finally won the match.
Hogan was led twice to the WWE Hall of Fame, calling himself “Baby Beerath” in wrestling after the famous New York Yankees baseball player.
However, Hogan's support for Trump in 2024 didn't go well with all wrestling fans, and he also faced other controversies. Gossip website Gawker was shuttered after posting some of the sex tapes between him and his friend's wife, and Hogan sued for privacy reasons and decided to be USD 140 million.
In 2015 he was interrupted by WWE after it was revealed that Hogan had used a racial slur. He was revived in 2018.
Hogan was survived by his ex-wife Linda Borea and their two children, Brooke Hogan, 37 and Nick Hogan, 34.
-Using files from Reuters
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