Famed professional wrestler Hulk Hogan, known for his trademark mustache and bandanas, has died. He was 71.
TMZ reports that medics were sent to Hogan’s home in Clearwater, Florida, Thursday morning for a report of a cardiac arrest.
“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, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s. WWE extends its condolences to Hogan’s family, friends, and fans.”
Born Terry Gene Bollea, Hogan rose to fame in the 1980s as a professional wrestler with the American Wrestling Association and the World Wrestling Federation (which later became known as the WWE). His stature, especially among young kids and teens at the time, helped elevate professional wrestling into the major attraction it is today.
Known for his gruff, charismatic manner and his habit of tearing off his shirts, he quickly became the most famous wrestler of that era, getting his own Saturday morning cartoon show as well as starring in several movies, including Mr. Nanny and Thunder in Paradise. He famously had a small part going up against Sylvester Stallone in Rocky III.
Rumors about Hogan’s ill health have been spreading lately, with some saying he was in a coma and dying.
The rumors became so rampant that earlier this month his wife Sky Daily took to social media to try to quash them.
“No, he’s definitely not in a coma!” she wrote. “His heart is strong, and there was never any lack of oxygen or brain damage. None of those rumors are true.”
“He’s been recovering from a major four-level Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusin (ACDF), which is an intense surgery with a long and layered healing process,” she said. “If you look it up, you’ll see what the last six weeks have involved… not just for his spine, but also for his vocal cords, and the eating/breathing tubes that are clamped over during surgery.
“We’ve been in an out of the hospital to support that recovery,” Dailey added. “So truly, there’s no need for the drama or panic some people try to stir up. He’s healing and we’re taking it one day at a time with love, strength, and patience.”
Hogan was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005 but was removed in 2015 after racist comments he made while he was being secretly recorded came to light. He was inducted again in 2020, this time as a member of the NWO.
His death comes a few days after heavy metal icon Ozzy Osbourne died at 76 and Cosby Show star Malcom Jamal-Warner died while vacationing in Costa Rica at 54.
Chris Mautner
pennlive.com
(TNS)
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