Hulk Hogan, who helped lead professional wrestling’s rise in popularity in the 1980s and beyond, has died, Florida police and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) said Thursday. He was 71.<\/p>\n
“WWE is saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away,” the organization said in a statement. “One of pop culture’s most recognizable figures,\u00a0Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s.\u00a0WWE extends its condolences to Hogan’s\u00a0family, friends,\u00a0and fans.”<\/p>\n
According to the police statement<\/a>, fire and police in Clearwater, Fla., responded to a medical call at 9:51 a.m. ET, with the nature of the call being cardiac arrest. Hogan\u00a0was treated on scene before being transported to hospital\u00a0where he was pronounced deceased, the statement said.\u00a0<\/p>\n “We are heartbroken. He was such a great human being and friend,” Linda Bose, listed on IMDB as Hogan’s manager, told CBC News in an email confirming his death.<\/p>\n Born Terry Bollea, Hogan began wrestling in the mid-1970s.\u00a0His popularity soared in 1984 after he defeated the Iron Sheik to win the heavyweight championship of what was then called the World Wrestling Federation.<\/p>\n Vince McMahon, former chairman and\u00a0CEO of WWE, called Hogan the “greatest WWE\u00a0superstar of all time” in a post on <\/a>X.<\/p>\n “His grit and unbridled thirst for success were unparalleled \u2014 and made him a consummate performer. He gave everything he had to the audience whom he appreciated, respected and loved,” McMahon wrote.<\/p>\n Other wrestling greats, including Ric\u00a0Flair and Brutus Beefcake,\u00a0have also expressed their condolences for Hogan.<\/p>\n “Hulk has been by my side since we started in the wrestling business,” Flair\u00a0said on social media. “Hulkster, no one will ever compare to you! Rest in peace my friend!”<\/p>\n “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 moustache, red and yellow gear, and massive arms he called his “24-inch pythons.”<\/p>\n Wrestling historian Greg Oliver said Hogan’s passing took him right back to the ’80s.<\/p>\n “Hulkamania ran wild on everybody my age,” Oliver said. “Everybody was talking about WWF wrestling\u00a0\u2014 and Hulk Hogan was the catalyst for all that.”<\/p>\nFrom the ring to the big screen<\/h2>\n
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