Hulk Hogan, one of the most accomplished figures in the history of professional wrestling, has died at 71, according to TMZ. He had been battling health issues after complications from recent neck fusion surgery, and the outlet reported that he died of cardiac arrest.
Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, became a professional wrestler in 1977, made his debut in the WWF (now WWE) in 1979, and landed there on a full-time basis in 1983. He would go on to lead two boom periods in the genre, first in the 1980s with WWF and later in the 1990s with WCW (World Championship Wrestling).
“WWE is saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away,” WWE 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.”
Hogan was a 12-time world champion, six times apiece in WWF and WCW. His WWF run helped catapult Vince McMahon’s promotion from being a regional organization to an international conglomerate, as he had high-profile battles with wrestlers including Andre the Giant, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, The Ultimate Warrior, and Randy “Macho Man” Savage. Fans lived and died with “Hulkamania” as Hogan donned trademark red and yellow ring gear.
In 1996, Hogan had the most famous “heel turn” in professional wrestling, as he joined forces with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall to form the NWO (New World Order). WCW’s Monday “Nitro” would beat WWF’s Monday Night “Raw” in the ratings for 83 consecutive weeks, the only time in the modern era that a competitor got the better of WWF/WWE in the battle for relevance and TV ratings.
Hogan’s fame transcended professional wrestling, as he was an actor in films including Rocky III, Mr. Nanny, and Suburban Commando. He also had cameos on Baywatch and The A-Team, and a reality show on VH1 called Hogan Knows Best.
Hogan’s contract with WWE was terminated in 2015 after audio leaked from eight years prior in which he used racial epithets to describe his daughter’s boyfriend. Hogan returned to WWE in 2018.
Hogan had been working with former WCW boss Eric Bischoff on launching Real American Freestyle Wrestling, which recently landed a live rights deal with the Fox Nation streaming service.
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