Hulk Hogan is no more. The wrestling icon who enjoyed a cult popularity has passed away after reportedly suffering a cardiac arrest. Hulk Hogan was 71. On Thursday morning, Hulk Hogan, whose real name is Terry Gene Bollea, was found dead in his Clearwater, Florida, home.
As per reports, first responders were called to Hogan's Florida residence on Thursday morning. It was reported earlier this year that he suffered neck and back injuries and had to be hospitalised. Hogan's ex-manager and long-time friend, Jimmy Hart, said that he was "unable to speak."
Reports also claim that he experienced a bad reaction to a surgery, post which he was being monitored at home by medical staff. Hogan was hospitalised last month and reportedly experienced an adverse reaction to cervical surgery.
On an episode of Bubba The Love Sponge's YouTube channel, co-host Lummy claimed he was told by Hart, "Hogan's not doing well. He he can't speak. His trachea or whatever was damaged and he's having problems and it does not look good. It does not look at all."
Hulk Hogan was one of the WWE’s first superstars; he had joined WWF in 1979, the predecessor to the WWE. Hulk Hogan’s massive popularity gave rise to what became known as Hulkamania, a cultural phenomenon where crowds erupted the moment his entrance music played.
Hogan also gained visibility thanks to his rivalries with iconic figures like Andre the Giant, The Rock, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, and Randy Savage. This crossover appeal eventually led to appearances in films like Rocky III, Gremlins 2, The A-Team, and Gnomeo and Juliet.
In the recent years, Hulk Hogan made a few appearances during WWE shows, including a recent appearance during WWE Raw’s debut on Netflix.
Hulk Hogan was inducted in the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005 but was removed in 2015 after the leak of a video featuring a sex tape in which he repeatedly used the N-word.
The video was published a media outlet and Hogan sued for $115 million before ultimately settling for $31 million. The use of racist language in the video also led WWE to cut ties with Hogan.
Hogan later issued an apology, stating: “It was wrong. I'm embarrassed by it but a lot of people need to realize that you inherit things, you're your environment.”
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