Hulk Hogan Dead At 71

Hulk Hogan, the charismatic showman who helped catapult professional wrestling into the mainstream and became one of pop cultures most enduring figures, has died at 71.

The WWE confirmed his death Thursday, saying the two-time WWE Hall of Famer died after going into cardiac arrest at his Clearwater, Fla., home.

TMZ first reported emergency crews responded Hogan’s home just before 10 a.m. Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, was transported to Morton Plant Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

“WWE is saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away,” the organization said in a statement. “One of pop cultures most recognizable figures, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s. WWE extends its condolences to Hogans family, friends, and fans.”

Hogans career began in Florida in the 1970s, but his rise to superstardom came in the 1980s as the face of “Hulkamania.” He headlined the first WrestleMania at Madison Square Garden and became the face of the then-World Wrestling Federation, drawing record crowds and transforming the industry.

Hogan dominated the wrestling scene for decades until his 2012 retirement from the sport, though he remained a pop culture fixture across film and television. He made appearances in “Rocky III,” “Mr. Nanny,” “The A-Team” and “Baywatch,” to name just a few, and in the mid-2000s starred in the reality series “Hogan Knows Best” alongside his family.

He is survived by his third wife, Sky Daily, and his two children, whom he shared with first wife Linda.