Augusta-born wrestling legend Hulk Hogan dies at 71
AUGUSTA, Ga. - Augusta-born professional wrestling legend Hulk Hogan is dead.
He suffered a cardiac arrest Thursday morning at his home in Clearwater, Fla., and was pronounced dead at a hospital at the age of 71.
“There were no signs of foul play or suspicious activity,” Maj. Nate Burnside told reporters.
Hogan was born in Augusta on Aug. 11, 1953, the son of construction foreman Pietro “Peter” Bollea and homemaker and dance teacher Ruth Moody Bollea.
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When he was a young boy, his family moved from here to Florida.
WWE posted a note on X saying it was saddened to learn the WWE Hall of Famer had passed away.
“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,” it said.
MEETING HULK HOGAN:
His death comes about a month after rumors circulated on the internet that he was on his deathbed - ones his rep said were false.
The WWE Hall of Famer underwent neck surgery just before those rumors, according to his rep, and the procedure was successful.
Hogan is credited with popularizing professional wrestling from a narrow cult phenomenon into family entertainment in the 1980s.
He also went from the ring to the big screen, appearing in movies starting with 1982’s “Rocky III” and many other films. He also appeared on the small screen in a VH1 reality series.
Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, was perhaps the biggest star in WWE’s long history. He was the main draw for the first WrestleMania in 1985 and was a fixture for years, facing everyone from Andre the Giant and Randy Savage to The Rock and even company chairman Vince McMahon.
He won at least six WWE championships and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005.
HULK HOGAN: HIS LIFE IN PICTURES
“Hulkamania,” as the energy he created was called, started running wild in the mid-1980s and pushed professional wrestling into the mainstream. He was a flag-waving American hero with the horseshoe mustache, red and yellow gear and massive arms he called his “24-inch pythons.”
Hogan was also a celebrity outside the wrestling world, appearing in numerous movies and television shows, including a reality show about his life on VH1, “Hogan Knows Best.”
In recent years, Hogan added his celebrity to politics. At the 2024 Republican National Convention, he merged classic WWE maneuvers with then-candidate Donald Trump’s rhetoric to passionately endorse him for president.
“Let Trumpamania run wild, brother! Let Trumpamania rule again! Let Trumpamania make America great again!” Hogan shouted into the raucous crowd.
He ripped off a T-shirt emblazoned with a picture of himself on a motorcycle to reveal a bright red Trump-Vance campaign shirt underneath. Trump stood to applaud the move.
Hogan lately began to invest in alternatives to theatrical, professional wrestling, announcing plans in April to serve as the first commissioner for the Real American Freestyle organization, which describes itself as “the first unscripted pro wrestling” leagues in the world. The first event is Aug. 30 at Cleveland State University.
“The idea was so exciting that I get a chance to be involved with all these young people and help guide them in any way, especially to make them huge stars and create a future for them,” Hogan said. “People might be surprised, but wrestling is wrestling, brother.”
Hogan first became champion in what was then the World Wrestling Federation in 1984, and pro wrestling took off from there. His popularity helped lead to the creation of the annual WrestleMania event in 1985, when he teamed up with Mr. T to beat “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff in the main event.
He slammed and beat Andre the Giant at WrestleMania III in 1987, and the WWF gained momentum. His feud with the late “Macho Man” Randy Savage – perhaps his greatest rival -- carried pro wrestling even further.
Hogan was a central figure in what is known as the Monday Night Wars. The WWE and World Championship Wrestling were battling for ratings supremacy in 1996. Hogan tilted things in WCW’s favor with the birth of the Hollywood Hogan character and the formation of the New World Order, a villainous stable that put WCW ahead in the ratings.
He returned to the WWE in 2002 and became a champion again. His match with The Rock at WrestleMania X8, a loss during which fans cheered for his “bad guy” character, was seen as a passing of the torch.
Hogan was perhaps as well known for his larger-than-life personality as he was his in-ring exploits. He was beloved for his “promos” — hype sessions he used to draw fans into matches. He often would play off his interviewer, “Mean” Gene Okerlund, starting his interviews off with, “Well, lemme tell ya something, Mean Gene!”
In 2016, a Florida jury awarded Hogan $115 million in his sex tape lawsuit against Gawker Media. Hogan sued after Gawker in 2012 posted a video of him having sex with his former best friend’s wife. Hogan contended the post violated his privacy.
The lawsuit bankrupted Gawker, which had to shut down.
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