WWE wrestling legend Hulk Hogan has passed away at his home in Florida.
The news comes weeks after his wife rubbished allegations that he was in a coma, claiming instead that her husband was responding well to recent surgeries and that his heart was doing well.
According to the reports, the two-time wrestling hall-of-famer succumbed to a cardiac related event.
Highlights
- Hulk Hogan passed away at age 71 after an apparent cardiac event at his Florida home.
- Just weeks earlier, his wife Sky slammed rumors he was in a coma, calling them false.
- The WWE Hall of Famer had recently undergone spinal and throat surgeries before his death.
Hulk Hogan’s passing follows weeks after a radio pundit alleged that he was on his death bed
Image credits: Bill Tompkins/Getty
A gathering of emergency vehicles outside the 71-year-old's Clearwater residence in Florida alerted a source on Thursday morning, July 24, and the WWE star was seen being wheeled into a waiting ambulance, they told TMZ.
Hulk Hogan, who's real name was Terry Gene Bollea, passed mere weeks after speculations that he was at de*th's door.
At the forefront of these claims was US radio personality Bubba Love Sponge.
Two days ago, on July 21, he took to X, writing:
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“Jimmy Hart (wrestling manager and executive) reportedly told a close source Hogan can’t speak anymore due to trachea damage.”
A gathering of emergency vehicles was seen outside his home on Thursday morning
“He’s been moved to his home in a hospital bed with private doctors. Transfer was done in secrecy — unmarked ambulances, garage entry, middle of the night,” Bubba’s claim continued.
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“How much longer do you think Hogan's camp is going to not only withhold this information from the public, but his business partners etc?” he asked.
The wrestler’s wife reacted to the report on her Instagram account, saying:
“No, he’s definitely not in a coma! His heart is strong, and there was never any lack of oxygen or brain damage… none of those rumors are true.”
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“He’s been recovering from a major four-level Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF), which is an intense surgery with a long and layered healing process,” her explanation continued.
Hulk Hogan’s wife, Sky, while admitting to ongoing medical interventions and surgeries at first, denied that her husband was fading
Sky admitted to health challenges that involved hospitalization when she said:
Image credits: Google Maps
“If you look it up, you’ll see what the last six weeks have involved… not just for his spine, but also for his vocal cords, and the eating/breathing tubes that are clamped over during surgery. We’ve been in and out of the hospital to support that recovery.
“So truly, there’s no need for the drama or panic some people try to stir up. He’s healing, and we’re taking it one day at a time with love, strength, and patience.”
Hart, a former friend of Hulk Hogan’s, seconded Sky’s stance when he denied that the leak came from him.
“Hulk is doing great, doing phenomenal! Last night at karaoke with Nick was absolutely fantastic, baby!!!” he wrote a day after Bubba Love’s X update.
The wrestler was instrumental in getting wrestling to where it is today
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Hogan played a central role in turning wrestling into family entertainment and was inducted into the sport’s hall of fame in 2005.
A decade later, he was stripped of the accolade after a video of him in a compromising position leaked and he was associated with a racial slur.
A lawsuit ensued and he won.
He would be regaled with another induction in 2020.
The public has since weighed in with a mixture of humor and sympathy
Image credits: WWE/Getty
Social media has since weighed in on his passing telegraphing nostalgia.
“Hulk Hogan made our childhood great. Hulk Hogan, the ultimate warrior,” wrote one person before naming a few of his peers: “The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Gold dust, Superfly Snuka, Andre the Giant, Macho Man, Jake the snake, Bret Hart, Roddy Piper, Kane ... Legends.”
“He had heard that Ozzy passed and said not today brother this is my spotlight,” wrote one commenter, as a nod to it being the second high-profile passing in just days.
Hulk Hogan was a significant figure for many growing up
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