Hulk Hogan, a mustachioed, headscarf-wearing icon in skilled wrestling who turned the game into a large enterprise and cultural touchstone, died Thursday at age 71, Florida police mentioned.
In Clearwater, Florida, authorities responded to a morning name a few cardiac arrest. Hogan was pronounced lifeless at a hospital, police mentioned in an announcement on Fb.
Hogan, whose actual identify was Terry Bollea, was maybe the largest star in WWE’s lengthy historical past. He was the primary draw for the primary WrestleMania in 1985 and was a fixture for years, dealing with everybody from Andre The Large and Randy Savage to The Rock and even firm chairman Vince McMahon.
He gained no less than six WWE championships and was inducted into the WWE Corridor of Fame in 2005.
“One of popular culture’s most recognizable figures, Hogan helped WWE obtain world recognition within the Nineteen Eighties. WWE extends its condolences to Hogan’s household, pals, and followers,” WWE mentioned.
“Hulkamania,” because the power he created was known as, began working wild within the mid-Nineteen Eighties and pushed skilled wrestling into the mainstream. He was a flag-waving American hero with the horseshoe mustache, pink and yellow gear and large arms he known as his “24-inch pythons.”
Lately, Hogan has waded additional into politics.
On the 2024 Republican Nationwide Conference, Hogan merged traditional WWE maneuvers with President Donald Trump’s rhetoric to vociferously endorse his longtime acquaintance.
“Let Trumpamania run wild! Let Trumpamania rule once more! Let Trumpamania make America Nice Once more!” Hogan shouted into the gang.
He ripped off a T-shirt emblazoned with an image of himself on a bike to disclose a brilliant pink Trump-Vance marketing campaign shirt beneath. Then-presidential candidate Trump stood to applaud the transfer.
In 2016, a Florida jury awarded Hogan $115 million in his intercourse tape lawsuit towards Gawker Media after which added $25 million in punitive damages. Hogan sued after Gawker in 2012 posted a video of him having intercourse along with his former finest pal’s spouse. He contended the submit violated his privateness.
Hogan smiled and wore black all through the three-week trial.
“In every single place I present up, folks deal with me like I’m nonetheless the champ,” he mentioned of the help from followers.
Hogan first grew to become champion in what was then the World Wrestling Federation in 1984, and professional wrestling took off from there. His reputation helped result in the creation of the annual WrestleMania occasion in 1985, when he teamed up with Mr. T to beat “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and “Mr. Fantastic” Paul Orndorff in the primary occasion.
He slammed and beat Andre the Large at WrestleMania III in 1987, and the WWF gained momentum. His feud with the late “Macho Man” Randy Savage – maybe his biggest rival — carried professional wrestling even additional.
Hogan was a central determine in what is named the Monday Evening Wars. The WWE and World Championship Wrestling have been battling for rankings supremacy in 1996. Hogan tilted issues in WCW’s favor with the delivery of the Hollywood Hogan character and the formation of the New World Order, a villainous secure that put WCW forward within the rankings.
He returned to the WWE in 2002 and have become a champion once more. His match with The Rock at WrestleMania X8, a loss throughout which followers cheered for his “dangerous man” character, was seen as a passing of the torch.
He was maybe as recognized for his larger-than-life character as he was his in-ring exploits. He was beloved for his “promos,” hype periods he used to attract followers into matches. He typically would play off his interviewer, “Imply” Gene Okerlund, beginning his interviews off with, “Effectively, lemme inform ya one thing, Imply Gene!”
He crossed over into films and tv as nicely. He was Thunderlips within the film Rocky III in 1982.
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White reported from Detroit. AP author Safiyah Riddle contributed from Montgomery, Alabama.
