Pro wrestling legend Hulk Hogan dies at 71

Professional wrestling legend Hulk Hogan, given name Terry Bollea, has died at age 71, TMZ reports.

According to the outlet, medics were dispatched to the wrestler's Florida home on Thursday morning to respond to a "cardiac arrest." The news of his death was confirmed by the WWE.

"WWE is saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away," wrote the wrestling entertainment company on X. "One of pop culture's most recognizable figures, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s. WWE extends its condolences to Hogan's family, friends, and fans."

Hogan began his career with the World Wrestling Federation (which would become the WWE after a dispute with the World Wide Fund for Nature) as an all-American superstar in the '80s, helping propel pro wrestling into the mainstream. He later played the villain in the WCW as "Hollywood" Hogan, and also appeared in numerous films and the VH1 reality show Hogan Knows Best.

The wrestler was of course all over videogames, starring in Xbox 360 Kinect game Hulk Hogan's Main Event, and dozens of pro wrestling games from the '90s through today. His influence goes well beyond just wrestling games, though: The moves, theatrics, and wrestling fan culture that developed in part around Hogan and the WWE appears frequently in videogames and the surrounding culture (eg, the persona of controversial streamer Dr Disrespect).

Hogan was also a major influence on games media in a roundabout way.

The wrestler was dropped by the WWE in 2015 after the contents of a racist diatribe, in which he used the n-word and said "I guess we're all a little racist," were published by tabloids. The wrestler apologized for the remarks and was later reinstated to the WWE Hall of Fame.

The comments had come from a transcript of a sex tape which Hogan alleged was recorded without his consent, and came out following a lawsuit which saw Hogan (with help from billionaire tech investor Peter Thiel) take down celebrity gossip blog Gawker for publishing a clip of the tape. Gawker Media was bankrupted by the lawsuit, leading to the sale of its other websites, including gaming blog Kotaku, which ended up in the hands of a private equity firm for a time, and now Gizmodo owner Keleops Media.

Hogan is most recently known for enthusiastically supporting Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, appearing at rallies while also promoting a light beer brand called "Real American Beer."