CLEARWATER, Fla. — WWE Hall of Fame wrestler and popular entertainer Hulk Hogan has passed away at age 71.
Officials said Clearwater police responded to a call just before 10 a.m. Thursday about a cardiac arrest. According to the City of Clearwater, 71-year-old resident Terry Bollea, best 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.
Watch Lauren St. Germain interview Hulk Hogan's childhood neighbor:
The star who was marred by controversy later in life has had deep ties to the Tampa Bay area for decades.
His short-lived cable television show "Thunder in Paradise" in 1994 was filmed in and around Tampa and St. Pete Beach.
Hogan's Hangout, a restaurant and bar, is located in Clearwater.
Hogan also sparked much fandom as "Thunderlips" in the movie "Rocky III," as well as "Hollywood Hulk Hogan" during his heel turn with the WCW in 1996, when he led the culture shifting "New World Order" faction.
The superstar showman has died just a couple weeks shy of his 72nd birthday on August 11.
Fans mourn wrestling icon Hulk Hogan at his Clearwater Beach businesses
Hulk Hogan’s Beach Shop remained closed Thursday following news of the professional wrestling icon’s death at age 71.
