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Terry Bollea, also known as Hulk Hogan, died Thursday at the age of 71. | đ·: Chris Unger/Zuffa/Getty
It is a sad day for some of those who grew up watching professional wrestling.
Legendary wrestler Hulk Hogan, born Terry Bollea, died on Thursday morning, as first reported by TMZ. According to a TikTok video captured when medical officials arrived at Hoganâs house, the emergency response personnel were conducting chest compressions in an effort to resuscitate the 71-year-old wrestler. The report, according to emergency response officials, suggested that Hogan had suffered cardiac arrest.
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Hogan was brought in an ambulance, through Clearwater Fire & Rescue in Clearwater, Florida, and arrived at the hospital for treatment. He later died in the hospital. This follows recent reports where Hogan was gravely ill, whether due to a recent neck surgery or other procedures he had endured. Rumors even suggested he was in a coma for some time, although wife Sky Daily stated otherwise.
The Clearwater Police put out a brief statement on social media in regards to Hoganâs passing.
âClearwater Fire Department and Clearwater Police Department personnel responded to a medical call at 9:51 a.m. today in the 1000 block of Eldorado Avenue on Clearwater Beach,â the report wrote. âThe nature of the call was for a cardiac arrest. A 71-year-old resident, Terry Bollea, also known as Hulk Hogan, was treated by Clearwater Fire & Rescue crews before being taken by Sunstar to Morton Plant Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.â
Hulk Hoganâs Costuming, Antics and Personality Won Fans Over Worldwide
The influence of Hogan on professional wrestling cannot be denied, as many fellow wrestlers suggest he is the best to ever performâand if not the best, likely in the top three. The 6-foot-8 Georgia-born Hogan got his start in wrestling inspired in part by Dusty Rhodes and Billy Graham, beginning his training in 1976 and rarely slowing down.
As Hogan tested the waters while training with noteworthy coach Hiro Matsuda, he moved up the regional scene in the south to reach the World Wrestling Federation in the tail end of 1979. After a few years with the WWF, including his first encounter with Andre the Giant, Hogan went overseas to compete in New Japan Pro Wrestling. His successes, which included numerous meetings with Antonio Inoki for the companyâs heavyweight belt, springboarded him into numerous other opportunities, namely his first appearance in cinema as the Thunderlips character who fought Rocky in âRocky III.â
Growing into his character of Hogan, the towering wrestler caught on by turning from a heelâa villainâto a face characterâone generally more heroic and âgood.â Everything turned to 11 when Hogan won the WWF Heavyweight Championship, beating bitter rival The Iron Sheik while the commentary team introduced âHulkamaniaâ to the world. Hogan built his image around self-belief, and his three core tenants of sticking to training, saying oneâs prayers and taking proper vitamins.
For a decade, Hogan ruled the WWF, winning multiple belts and even taking home a Tag Team title with Edge. Additionally, he prevailed in multiple Royal Rumble events, currying favor with audiences domestic and abroad. When his WWF title was set to end, he jumped ship to World Championship Wrestling, where he joined names like Ric Flair, Lex Luger and Randy Savage. Again, the career continued to flourish for the gigantic Georgian, and he redeveloped himself once more to form the âNew World Orderâ with Scott Hall and Kevin Nash.
In order to turn to his new persona of âHollywoodâ Hulk Hogan, he turned heel once more to try to take over the WCW and run it his way. This carried WCW into a battle for audiences with the WWF, until the former fell apart after Hogan departed its ranks. Hogan went back to the WWFâwhich soon transformed to become World Wrestling Entertainment after the World Wildlife Fund claimed the acronym of WWFâand fought for some time, he had passed his prime while others like Brock Lesnar and The Rock had found their groove. He proudly entered its Hall of Fame in 2005.
In 2015, a sex tape of Hoganâs leaked, where he was found making numerous racially insulting remarks including several racial slurs. This ended Hogan as a celebrity for some time, as his contract with WWE had ended while he had been cut from numerous other deals, endorsements and projects. Despite that, Hogan ended up suing the leaking site of Gawker, winning over $100 million in a defamation case where he successfully proved emotional harm and an invasion of privacy. As time passed, the WWE felt comfortable putting Hogan back into their Hall of Fame, but his subsequent appearances with the organization were slim and infrequent.
Hoganâs last endeavors included launching his own beer company of Real American Beer, while starting a wrestling organization called Real American Freestyle. Of note, Bo Nickal plans on competing in that league without violating his deal with the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Tributes and comments, positive and negative, poured out for the deceased wrestling staple. The WWE posted on social media about his death.
âWWE is saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away,â it wrote. âOne of pop cultureâs most recognizable figures, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s. WWE extends its condolences to Hoganâs family, friends, and fans.â
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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