Hulk Hogan, real name Terry Bollea, has died at 71. The Clearwater Police Department confirmed he passed due to cardiac arrest, treated at the scene and taken to Morton Plant Hospital. Hogan was a pioneer of wrestling fame, starting with the American Wrestling Association in 1979 and later aiding Vince McMahon's transition of wrestling into a national phenomenon in 1984. His popularity led him to explore film and television, including an animated series. Born on August 11, 1953, in Augusta, Georgia, Hogan was influenced by wrestling legend Dusty Rhodes during his youth.
"Clearwater Fire Department and Clearwater Police Department personnel responded to a medical call at 9:51 a.m. today in the 1000 block of Eldorado Avenue on Clearwater Beach... A 71-year-old resident, Terry Bollea, also known as Hulk Hogan, was treated by Clearwater Fire & Rescue crews before being taken by Sunstar to Morton Plant Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased."
"In 1984, the then-unknown Vince McMahon lured Hogan away to join his wrestling venture. Together, the pair would take a once-regional entertainment sport into a nationwide spectacle."
"It was Dusty Rhodes who was the one who got me hooked on wrestling. If Dusty Rhodes was not on TV on Saturday or Sunday morning here in Tampa, we were pissed off."
Collection
[
|
...
]