WWE Universe Comes Together to Pay Tribute to Hulk Hogan After Passing Away at 71

A number of entertainment industry figures, along with those in the realm of wrestling, have extended their condolences to Hulk Hogan and his family.

WWE Universe Comes Together to Pay Tribute to Hulk Hogan After Passing Away at 71

Hulk Hogan has died at 71 [via- The Hollywood Reporter]

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On Thursday, the pro wrestling world had its essence sucked out as the industry’s first mainstream crossover wrestler, Hulk Hogan, passed away at 71. The story was first broken by TMZ, with the outlet noting that the real-life Terry Bollea died due to a cardiac arrest. He was rushed to a nearby hospital after being attended by Clearwater Fire & Rescue personnel.

But Hogan couldn’t be saved. He was declared dead at 11:17 am, as revealed by a Clearwater Police major in a press briefing. His unfortunate demise has come almost two months after it was claimed that ‘The Hulkster’ was on his deathbed. However, a Hogan representative soon dismissed the rumblings by saying the WWE Hall of Famer was dealing with the same ailments that had troubled him in the past as well.

Even Hogan’s wife, Sky Daily, set the record straight on her now-deceased husband’s health by debunking rumors about his poor cardiac condition and alleged coma. Having said that, let’s not forget that Hogan was arguably the most influential figure to have ever laced a pair of wrestling boots. He’s often hailed as the anchor behind the boom in professional wrestling in the 1980s.

After spending over a decade being the most beloved baby face of his era, the ‘Sterling Golden’ went on to drop jaws by transforming himself into a villain, which, in wrestling jargon, translates to a heel. In 1996, Hogan aligned with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall to forge the New World Order.

In a litany of other career highs for Hogan, the WrestleMania 18 showdown he had with The Rock is, to date, regarded as one of the greatest moments in the history of this business. However, his iconic body slam of Andre the Giant at WrestleMania 3 in front of 93000 fans will always remain a watershed moment for professional wrestling.

Heartfelt reactions to Hulk Hogan’s demise flood social media

As expected, Hulk Hogan‘s passing has triggered a slew of heartwarming reactions from all walks of life, and the wrestling community in particular. The list includes Triple H, Steve Austin, Ric Flair, The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, and so many more. A ton of political leaders, including the POTUS, Donald Trump, have also expressed sheer grief at the demise of his close friend.

Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan [via- The Rolling Stone]

It’s worth noting that the former world champion earnestly endorsed Trump’s GOP and went out of his way to campaign for his presidential election last year. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has also offered homage to his fellow late Floridian. Actor Sylvester Stallone is in the same boat. He penned an emotional note for his Rocky III co-star by recalling their first meeting at a time when Hogan was merely 26.

WWE founder and its longest-serving controlling stakeholder, Vince McMahon, also paid tribute to ‘The Immortal One’. McMahon hailed Hogan as the greatest WWE Superstar of all time. Tons of other current-day wrestlers, not just from WWE but also from other promotions, are in mourning at the Hulkster’s passing.

What was Hulk Hogan’s last appearance in WWE?

This year, on January 6, Hulk Hogan showed up on WWE programming for its Netflix premiere of Raw in Los Angeles. However, he was slapped with a cascade of boos from those in attendance at the Intuit Dome, which ended up being Hogan’s last-ever WWE appearance.

Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan (via PEOPLE)

‘The Immortal One’ was taken aback by the negative crowd reaction at first glance. However, he later admitted that he was expecting a similar reaction from the Democrat-governed state of California. Hogan affirmed that his political synergy with Donald Trump and the Republican Party elicited a negative reception for him.

However, many thought it was merely the tip of the iceberg, as years of public animosity toward Hogan’s racist scandal of 2015 had led to a degradation in his goodwill. He’s been called out by a number of black wrestlers over the years underscoring the lack of his efforts to make amends.

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