Professional wrestling legend Hulk Hogan has died at the age of 71.
According to TMZ medics were summoned to Hogan’s home in Clearwater, Florida early Thursday morning, with operators reporting he had suffered cardiac arrest.
In the early ’80s, Hogan and “Hulkamania” led professional wrestling to unprecedented levels of mainstream fame, sending live ticket sales, television ratings and pay-per-view purchases through the roof.
He had a small but memorable role as Thunderlips in 1982’s Rocky III, squaring off against Sylvester Stallone’s titular character in the movie’s opening fight. He went on to leading roles in several lower-budget action comedies, most notably 1989’s No Holds Barred.
Hogan teamed up with Rocky III co-star Mr. T to headline the first Wrestlemania in 1985, kicking off an annual tradition that has become the sport’s Super Bowl. He also partnered with pop superstar Cyndi Lauper as part of the Rock ‘n Wrestling connection for several events around this time.
Watch Hulk Hogan in ‘Rocky III’
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His character’s yellow and red ring attire and unbreakable spirit made him particularly popular with a younger audience. Rock guitar hero Rick Derringer wrote his theme song, 1985’s “Real American.”
Watch Hulk Hogan’s First ‘Wrestlemania’ Match
As great as Hogan was as a good guy, he may have been better as a villain. In 1996 he shocked the wrestling world by turning “heel” (bad guy) for the first time in 15 years, trading in his famous red and yellow for black and white while launching an innovative and extremely popular faction named the New World Order.
Watch Hulk Hogan Turn Heel
Six years later, in one of the more remarkable moments in recent wrestling history, the audience refused to stop cheering Hogan in his Wrestlemania 18 match against the Rock, although he was still portraying a bad guy. The two wrestlers adapted and changed roles on the spot, launching another red and yellow “good guy” revival for Hogan.
Watch Hulk Hogan’s Wrestlemania 18 Match
A 2015 scandal involving leaked tapes of Hogan espousing racist views caused him to lose his wrestling contract, several endorsements and a great deal of his popularity. After a few years away he made sporadic appearances on WWE over the following decade, but was noticeably booed by a portion of the crowd during his last live appearance for the company on January 6, 2025.
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Gallery Credit: Ultimate Classic Rock Staff
