Hulk Hogan, Professional Wrestling Legend, Dies at 71

• Professional wrestling icon Hulk Hogan died of an apparent heart attack at age 71 in Florida
• Hogan, a former wrestling world champion, is credited with helping turn professional wrestling into the multimillion-dollar spectacle it is today

Hulk Hogan, the mustachioed icon of professional wrestling, has died at age 71, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) said Thursday.

Medics were dispatched to the WWE icon’s home in Clearwater, Fla. Thursday morning on a cardiac arrest call, and Hogan was pronounced dead at a hospital, police said in a statement on Facebook.

After defeating the Iron Sheik for the World Heavyweight Championship in 1984, Hogan ignited “Hulkamania,” a craze that lasted more than a decade.

Vegas Connections

Hogan’s Las Vegas story began as a young wrestler under the American Wrestling Association (AWA), when “The Incredible Hulk Hogan” competed at the historic Showboat Sports Pavilion from 1981 to 1984. His most notable performance at the casino’s showroom was facing off against Andre the Giant in a 14-man battle royale in November 1982.

In a dramatic twist, Hogan seized the spotlight in an impromptu main event, pinning Yokozuna in a 22-second match to claim the WWF Championship after Yokozuna’s victory over Bret Hart.

Hogan was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005. He was removed in 2015 after a scandal erupted over racist comments he made while being secretly recorded during a sex encounter. Gawker posted the clip and Hogan subsequently sued, winning the lawsuit.

Hogan was reinstated in 2018.

Last month, TMZ reported that Hogan was on his “deathbed,” but the gossip outlet was told that he was merely recovering from surgery on his neck in May.

Hogan was initially advertised to participate in a “Real American Suite” VIP experience at the most recent Wrestlemania, No. 41, in April at Allegiant Stadium. However, the experience was canceled. In retrospect, that was likely due to his neck condition.

Hogan underwent more than 20 surgeries, including multiple back, hip, knee, and shoulder procedures, as a result of his wrestling injuries. He once joked he had no original body parts left.