The legendary professional wrestler Hulk Hogan died on Thursday morning. He was 71 years-old.
Hogan Dead At 71
Medics were reportedly called to Hogan’s home in Clearwater, Florida early Thursday morning. Operators said at the time that the call was about a “cardiac arrest.”
Sources told TMZ that they saw a slew of police cars and EMTs parked outside Hogan’s home. Hogan was then carried out of the residence on a stretcher before being loaded into an ambulance.
Few further details have been made about Hogan’s death at this time. It’s currently unknown if he died in his home, in the ambulance, or at the hospital.
Hogan’s ‘Deathbed’ Rumors
This comes weeks after Hogan’s wife Sky denied that the iconic wrestler was in a coma. She claimed that his heart was “strong” as he recovered from various surgeries.
Last month, it was reported that Hogan was on his “deathbed.” His rep disputed this at the time, claiming that there was “no reasons to panic.”
The rep told E! News that for years, Hogan “had problems with his back.” That’s why he underwent neck surgery, with the rep alleging that the procedure “has indeed been successful.”
Indeed, Hogan was no stranger to surgeries, as he underwent many procedures over the years.
“I’ve had like 25 surgeries in the last ten years. 10 of them were back surgeries,” Hogan said while appearing on the IMPAULSIVE podcast in September of 2024. “I’ve had 10 back surgeries, both knees and both hips replaced, shoulders—everything.”
Related: Hulk Hogan’s Daughter Brooke Accuses Her Mom Of ‘Vicious’ Abuse After Viral Crying Video
Wrestling Took A Toll On Hogan’s Body
After the “deathbed” reports were shot down, an insider told Daily Mail that Hogan has “the body of a 140-year-old man.” It seems that Hogan’s wrestling career had taken a major toll on him physically, according to this source. However, this insider also disputed claims that Hogan was having issues with his heart.
“Hulk has a body ravaged by wrestling, his body is the body of a 140-year-old man with all the bumps and bruises through the years, and his recent neck and back surgeries have been harder to come back from,” said this insider, who was a close friend of Hogan’s. “But the rumors of heart issues is not a thing, and talk of him dying is farfetched. He is just having some struggle and trouble to get back to being 100 percent faster.”
“He is getting older, he still is in good shape, works out. But he’s a beaten man, just trying to get as right as possible,” the source continued. “Obviously, he will never wrestle again, but it isn’t because he is dying, it is because his bones are deteriorated.”
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Hogan’s History
Hogan was known for transforming professional wrestling into a form of family entertainment. His theatrics in the ring were something that children and parents alike could enjoy. This gave the WWE mainstream success like it had never enjoyed before.
Hogan was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005. However, he was removed in 2015 after he was secretly recorded making racist comments during a sexual encounter. The clip was posted to social media by Gawker. Hogan sued the publication and came out victorious. He was later inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame again in 2020, this time as a member of NWO.
In recent years, Hogan found God. He was baptized in December of 2023.
“Total surrender and dedication to Jesus is the greatest day of my life,” Hogan wrote on social media at the time. “No worries, no hate, no judgment… only love!”
Hogan stayed busy right up until the end of his life. In May of this year, Hogan announced that he was launching Real American Freestyle, an amateur wrestling league. The first event is scheduled to take place on August 30 on Fox Nation.
Hogan was a true legend, and there will never be another one like him. Rest in peace, Hulk Hogan.
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