Shock and mourning have swept the world of sports following the death Thursday evening of WWE icon Hulk Hogan at the age of 71.
Emergency medical teams were dispatched to his Florida home early in the morning and reported that he died of cardiac arrest. According to TMZ, multiple police vehicles responded to the scene, and his body was transported by ambulance.
Just weeks ago, his wife Sky denied rumors that he had been in a coma, insisting his heart was "strong" as he recovered from surgery. As recently as last month, rumors swirled that Hogan was "on his deathbed," but reports claimed he was merely dealing with side effects from neck surgery he underwent in May.
Let me tell you something, brother
WWE icon Hogan, the man who turned American wrestling into a global phenomenon and forever changed how audiences perceive a hero, was much more than a wrestler to millions of fans worldwide. He was a larger-than-life, flamboyant figure who conquered 1980s and '90s pop culture and left a deep imprint on generations to come.
Hogan was born on August 11, 1953, as Terry Gene Bollea in Augusta, Georgia, and grew up in Tampa, Florida. Before stepping into the ring, he played in local bands, but his true breakthrough came in the early 1980s. After wrestling in several regional circuits, he joined Vince McMahon's WWF, and the Hulk Hogan brand was born.
In January 1984, he defeated the Iron Sheik, an Iranian villain character, to win the world championship - marking the birth of "Hulkamania." A year later, in the iconic WrestleMania 3 showdown, he body-slammed André the Giant, who weighed over 230 kilograms (more than 500 pounds), a spectacle that became the defining moment of professional wrestling's golden era.
Hogan was the champion, the face, and the symbol. With ripped shirts, bulging muscles, platinum-blond hair, and the immortal catchphrase, "Whatcha gonna do when Hulkamania runs wild on you?" he became a household name. Children saw him as a hero, and the brand built around him - toys, shows, posters - grew into a full-fledged industry.
After retiring from regular competitive wrestling, Hogan appeared in films, television shows, and reality programs, and even launched a successful beer brand bearing his name. At one point, he attempted to start an independent wrestling organization, but the venture never took off.
In recent years, Hogan stirred public controversy. His vocal support for President Donald Trump became a hot topic, but the most significant backlash came after the release of an old recording in which he was heard making racist remarks. As a result, he was suspended from WWE, and even when he eventually returned to the stage, parts of the crowd responded with boos. The incident marked a shift in public perception of him, while underscoring how he remained a central, if polarizing, figure.
In 2005, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. His career spanned more than four decades, filled with countless unforgettable moments - victories, defeats, surprising moves, dramatic comebacks - and at every turn, a character the audience simply couldn't ignore.
Hogan leaves behind children, family, a generation of fans - and above all, the iconic image etched into many childhoods: a towering man in the ring, tearing his shirt, pointing at the crowd, and finishing with the call, "Say your prayers, eat your vitamins, and believe in yourself."
