The world of professional wrestling is in mourning after the shocking death of WWE legend Hulk Hogan at the age of 71.
Emergency services rushed to Hogan’s Clearwater, Florida home early Thursday morning following a report of cardiac arrest, according to TMZ. Paramedics were seen at the scene, and the iconic wrestler was reportedly taken away on a stretcher. Despite previous reassurances from his representatives and his wife Sky that his condition wasn’t serious, Hogan’s death comes after months of declining health.
Just weeks ago, Sky Daily – Hogan’s third wife – dismissed online rumors suggesting the star was in a coma, insisting his heart was “strong” following neck surgery. His rep also played down concerns, saying at the time, “There’s no emergency.”
Tributes flooded social media within minutes of the tragic news. One user wrote: “Hulk Hogan was a genuine, uniquely American creation. Flawed but unbowed… an American icon.” Another remembered him as “every bit as big of an icon as Michael Jackson or Madonna.”
Born Terry Gene Bollea, Hogan was the face of professional wrestling’s golden era in the 1980s and 1990s. He headlined eight of the first nine WrestleManias, transformed the sport into family-friendly entertainment, and became known for his larger-than-life charisma and his dramatic yellow-shirt tear before matches. He also famously fought Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame twice.
Outside the ring, Hogan experienced both highs and lows. He was married three times – first to Linda Claridge (mother of his children Brooke and Nick), then Jennifer McDaniel, and most recently to Sky Daily, whom he married in 2023. He previously revealed he’d undergone 25 surgeries in the past decade, including multiple operations on his back, knees, hips, and shoulders.
Wrestling fans across the globe are grieving not just a performer, but a symbol of their childhood. As one fan summed it up: “Rest easy, brother.”
