Wrestling superstar Hulk Hogan passed away on Thursday at the age of 71. Florida authorities had responded to a medical emergency call at his home — with the WWE icon reportedly being wheeled out on a stretcher and taken to the hospital in an ambulance.
According to the Florida Police, Hogan had suffered a cardiac arrest on Thursday morning. Paramedics were dispatched to his residence following an emergency call regarding a “cardiac arrest”. Florida authorities said he was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Dozens of surgeries over the past decade
Hogan had dealth with multiple health issues in recent years — including back operations, knee and hip replacements, shoulder surgeries as well as proceedures for his eyes and abdomen.
Biggest star in WWE history
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 company chairman Vince McMahon. He won at least six WWE championships and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005.
“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 mustache, red and yellow gear and massive arms he called his “24-inch pythons.”
In recent years, Hogan has waded further into politics. At the 2024 Republican National Convention, Hogan merged classic WWE maneuvers with President Donald Trump’s rhetoric to vociferously endorse his longtime acquaintance.
“Let Trumpamania run wild! Let Trumpamania rule again! Let Trumpamania make America Great Again!” Hogan shouted into the 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.