Hulk Hogan dies at 71: Tributes pour in for WWE legend — follow live updates
The professional wrestling icon and entertainer died in Clearwater, Fla., on Thursday morning.
Hulk Hogan was a larger-than-life personality who rose to great heights in sports entertainment and buoyed a successful career in the ring into an iconic one outside of it.
Hogan died after suffering a possible “cardiac arrest” at his home in Clearwater, Florida, TMZ Sports reported on Thursday. Emergency personnel reportedly rushed to his home and he was seen being carried out of it in an ambulance.
WWE released a statement later.
Hulk Hogan gets the crowd going at WrestleMania 21 at Staples Center in Los Angeles on April 3, 2005. (Mike FANOUS/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
“WWE is saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away,” the company wrote. “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.”
Clearwater Police Department released a statement.
“Clearwater Fire Department and Clearwater Police Department personnel responded to a medical call at 9:51 a.m. today in the 1000 block of Eldorado Avenue on Clearwater Beach,” the statement read. “The nature of the call was for a cardiac arrest. A 71-year-old resident, Terry Bollea, also known as Hulk Hogan, was treated by Clearwater Fire & Rescue crews before being taken by Sunstar to Morton Plant Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.”
The news of Hogan’s death came weeks after he was alleged to be having a health crisis. However, his wife, Sky, denied those reports, saying he was “strong” and was recovering from surgeries.
Hulk Hogan is introduced during the Texas Longhorns versus the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on Nov. 16, 2024 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. (Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
“It is with a heavy heart and deep sadness that we confirm we have lost a legend,” the post read. “Our beloved Terry Bollea, known worldwide as Hulk Hogan, passed away today surrounded by his loved ones.
“At this time of grief, we ask that everyone please respect the privacy of his family and friends. May we all take solace in the wonderful memories he left behind for the millions of fans worldwide whose lives he touched for more than four decades. He will be missed, but never forgotten.”
Hogan was set to join former pro wrestling executive Eric Bischoff in a new venture called Real American Freestyle. It was a fresh attempt at putting freestyle wrestling on the map. Hogan also dipped his toe into the political waters. He stumped for President Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention and at a Madison Square Garden rally last year.
“We lost our Commissioner. We lost a friend. And the sport of wrestling lost one of its greatest champions, not just in the ring, but in spirit,” Real American Freestyle (RAF) CEO and co-founder Chad Bronstein said in a statement,.
“Hulk Hogan believed wrestling was more than just entertainment. He saw it as a brotherhood, a proving ground and a platform for greatness. That’s what Real American Freestyle was built to be, a new stage for the toughest, most passionate athletes on Earth. And Hulk was at the center of it.
“From day one, he threw his weight behind this league. He met with athletes. He watched tape, shared stories, and showed up like only he could. RAF was personal to him, something bigger than all of us. This league is part of his legacy, and we intend to honor it.”
The superstar pro wrestler, whose real name was Terry Bollea, got his start in Championship Wrestling from Florida (CWF) in the late 1970s before he eventually joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1979. However, it wasn’t until his return to the WWF, now the WWE, when he really turned into the superstar that fans came to know.
Vince McMahon had purchased the WWF from his father and picked Hogan to be the main attraction for the company. He started to wrestle as a babyface when he saved Bob Backlund from an attack by the Wild Samoans. “Hulkamania” became the rage from there.
Hulk Hogan has died at the age of 71. (Al Dunlop/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
Hogan demanded his followers to train, say their prayers and eat their vitamins. As his catchphrases and personality caught on, Hogan began one of his most famous feuds with Andre the Giant. The rivalry culminated in an epic match at WrestleMania III as Hogan, the champion, was going up against the so-called “undefeated” Giant.
Hogan was seen picking up the 520-pound behemoth and slamming him down on the ground. The move was dubbed “the bodyslam heard around the world” and became the calling card for WWE’s promotional events in the future.
He would continue with classic rivalries against Ric Flair, Randy Savage, Earthquake, Yokozuna and the Honky Tonk Man. As he left the WWF, Hogan would later rebrand himself and kick off another wild six years of him being on top of the wrestling world.
World Championship Wrestling (WCW) brought over WWF stars Kevin Nash and Scott Hall in a shrewd free agency move. The two branded themselves as The Outsiders and teased they were working together with a third man.
Nash and Hall took on Savage, Sting and Lex Luger at Bash at the Beach in 1996. Hogan came out toward the end of the match to a huge pop. Commentator Bobby “The Brain” Heenan famously wondered on the broadcast which side Hogan was on. Sure enough, Hogan delivered a leg drop onto Savage and changed the pro wrestling world forever.
Hogan’s new faction would be dubbed the New World Order, and the storyline would allow WCW to control the ratings for 83 consecutive weeks.
Hulk Hogan rips his shirt on RAW at Intuit Dome on Jan. 6, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (WWE/Getty Images)
Hogan would later return to WWE after the company bought WCW for another run and had a dream match against The Rock. He had a four-year run with Total Nonstop Action wrestling and would make sporadic appearances in WWE after that.
He was a six-time WWE champion, won the Royal Rumble twice and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as an individual in 2005 and as a member of the NWO in 2020. He was also a six-time world heavyweight champion in WCW as well as the IWGP champion in New Japan Pro-Wrestling once.
He left an indelible legacy on pro wrestling.
He is survived by his two children, Nick and Brooke, who he had with his first wife, Linda Claridge, and his current wife, Sky Daily. source
The WWE, or World Wrestling Entertainment Inc., is the world’s largest professional wrestling promoter and a global media entertainment company. The company has two flagship television programs: Smackdown, which airs every Friday on Fox, and Monday Night Raw on the USA Network. The WWE also produces films and licenses its brand for video games and action figures. Every year, Wrestlemania and Summer Slam are the largest pay-per-view events for the WWE. The company’s content is available in over 1 billion homes and brings over a billion in revenue annually. The headquarters for the WWE is located in Stamford, Connecticut, and it employs more than 800 people
Founded in 1953 under Capital Wrestling Corporation, the company was acquired by Titan Sports Inc and changed its name to the World Wrestling Federation and later to its current brand in 2002. WWE’s founder Vince McMahon holds a majority stake in the company at 36% and was its CEO from 1982 until his resignation in 2022. The company has affiliate offices worldwide in Los Angeles, Shanghai, Singapore, Dubai, Munch, and New York City. During McMahon’s leadership, the company became a global entertainment and media group.
All wrestling content produced by the WWE is pre-staged performances that feature storylines, scripts, and pre-planned matches. Regardless, performers have still been seriously injured and even died in the ring. McMahon was forced to publicly acknowledge the staged aspects of its wrestling content in 1989. Officially, the company is branded as sports entertainment while having aspects of dramatized acting and wrestling. The WWE’s most well-known performers include the Undertaker, John Cena, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, and Ric Flair.
McMahon resigned as the CEO in 2022 due to a company investigation into alleged misconduct. He was replaced by his daughter Stephanie McMahon, who serves as Co-CEO and chairwoman. source
Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan has died at 71 years old, TMZ Sports has learned.
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