Pro wrestling legend Hulk Hogan, whose charisma and shirt-ripping showmanship brought the theatrical sports genre to new heights of mainstream popularity, died Thursday in Florida, officials said.
He was 71.
Clearwater police and firefighters rushed to his home to answer a “cardiac arrest” call at 9:51 a.m., according to a city statement.
First responders then took him “to Morton Plant Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased,” the statement added.
Hogan died surrounded by loved ones, manager Chris Volo told NBC Los Angeles.
“WWE is saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away,” World Wrestling Entertainment 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.”
He’d become a fixture in Republican politics in recent years and appeared at last year’s GOP convention, ripping open his shirt to hype then-candidate and former President Donald Trump.
Vice President JD Vance said he vividly recalled how much fun he had watching Hogan perform in his childhood.
“Hulk Hogan was a great American icon. One of the first people I ever truly admired as a kid,” Vance said in a statement.
“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.”
Donald Trump Jr., the president’s son, paid tribute to him on X with stars and stripes emojis alongside “R.I.P to a legend.”
The wrestler also played a huge role in the demise of popular news and gossip website Gawker.com.
He won a $140 million, invasion-of-privacy lawsuit in 2016 against the New York City outlet — a lawsuit funded by tech billionaire Peter Thiel — after it posted graphic video of him having sex with the wife of his friend, shock jock Bubba the Love Sponge Clem.
Gawker shut down months after the devastating verdict.
Hogan — whose real name was Terry Gene Bollea — earned fame for his theatrical wrestling performances. His career began in 1977, spending his early years wrestling in regional promotions across the U.S., including the World Wrestling Federation, and even competing in Japan.
Hogan’s over-the-top performances led to the “Hulkamania” craze of the 1980s, which reached its apex when he was pitted against fellow wrestling superstar André the Giant in a famously heated feud.
Hogan’s body slam of André the Giant at Wrestlemania III is now one of the iconic moments in professional wrestling history.
In “The True Story of WrestleMania,” Hogan said he never dreamed he could have had the chance to wrestle in New York City’s Madison Square Garden.
“And then once I’d made that huge step into the big leagues, WrestleMania was something that I didn’t understand,” Hogan said.
Hogan made what was considered a massively controversial move by leaving the WWF in the 1990s and later joining the rival organization of the time, World Championship Wrestling.
The move gave his career new life as he led the New World Order, a faction of black-and-white-clad wrestlers who played the roles of supervillains in the league.
While Hogan was well-known to wrestling fans, he became a household name after making appearances in several films and television shows that widened his appeal in popular culture.
He famously appeared in the third installment of the “Rocky” film franchise in which he took on the title character, played by Sylvester Stallone, in a fight between wrestler and boxer.
Hogan’s family had a reality series on VH1 in the mid-2000s named “Hogan Knows Best,” following the lives of his then-wife, Linda, and their two children, Brooke and Nick.
The show was canceled in 2007 after his son was seriously injured in a car accident in Clearwater and was charged with reckless driving.
Linda Hogan filed for divorce the same year, ending more than two decades of marriage.
Hogan was dogged allegations of racism about 10 years ago, when he was accused of racism due to his apparent casual use of the n-word.
The WWE removed him from its Hall of Fame in 2015, saying it was “committed to embracing and celebrating individuals from all backgrounds as demonstrated by the diversity of our employees, performers and fans worldwide.”
Hogan’s apologies, though, earned him a second chance and the WWE reinstated him in 2018.
“I’ve been praying for this day and I finally feel like I made it back home,” he said in a statement at that time.
