Hulk Hogan, Professional Wrestling Legend, Dies at 71
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) announced Thursday that Hulk Hogan, the iconic mustachioed figure of professional wrestling, had passed away at the age of 71.
Following a cardiac arrest call that sent medics to the WWE legend's Clearwater, Florida, home Thursday morning, Hogan was declared dead at a hospital, according to a Facebook statement from the police.
The biggest star in WWE history was Hogan, whose real name was Terry Gene Bollea. With his extravagant ring antics, he contributed to the transformation of professional wrestling from a specialized pseudo-sport into a family-friendly pastime.
Following his 1984 World Heavyweight Championship victory over the Iron Sheik, Hogan sparked "Hulkamania," a craze that persisted for over ten years.
Connections in Vegas
Hogan's story in Las Vegas started when he was a young wrestler in the American Wrestling Association (AWA), competing in the Showboat Sports Pavilion from 1981 to 1984 as "The Incredible Hulk Hogan." In November 1982, he engaged in a 14-man battle royale with Andre the Giant at the casino's showroom, which was his most memorable performance.
On April 5, 1993, Hogan's Las Vegas wrestling career reached its zenith at Caesars Palace's WrestleMania IX. Hogan made wrestling history at this outdoor event, which was dubbed the "World's Largest Toga Party." He displayed his usual determination when he and Brutus Beefcake challenged Money Inc. for the WWF Tag Team Championship that evening.
In a stunning turn of events, Hogan took center stage in an unplanned main event and won the WWF Championship by pinning Yokozuna in a match that lasted 22 seconds following Yokozuna's triumph over Bret Hart.
In 2005, Hogan was admitted into the WWE Hall of Fame. After a crisis broke out in 2015 about racist remarks he made while being surreptitiously recorded during a sexual encounter, he was dismissed. After Gawker shared the video, Hogan filed a lawsuit, which he eventually won.
In 2018, Hogan was brought back.
TMZ claimed last month that Hogan was on his "deathbed," but the gossip site was informed that he was only recuperating from neck surgery that was performed in May.
At the most recent Wrestlemania, No. 41, in April at Allegiant Stadium, Hogan was first promoted to take part in a “Real American Suite” VIP experience. The experience was canceled, though. Looking back, that was probably because of his neck issue.
Due to his wrestling injuries, Hogan had over 20 surgeries, including numerous back, hip, knee, and shoulder operations. He used to joke that he had lost all of his original bodily parts.
