Florida Republicans mourned the loss of wrestling legend Hulk Hogan, who passed away at the end of 71 on Thursday. Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, reportedly suffered a cardiac arrest at his home in Clearwater.
"RIP to the great Hulk Hogan, who lived right here in FL-13," Florida Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna said. "It was an honor to be your Representative. Gone, but the legend of Hulkamania will run wild forever."
Hogan spoke at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in support of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump. Standing 6-foot-7, the larger-than-life Hogan called Trump a "hero" in a passionate speech before ripping off his shirt, akin to his wrestling career with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in the 1980s, now known as World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
Gov. Ron DeSantis also addressed Hogan's death at a press conference in Bradenton.
"[Hulk Hogan] was a major icon for anybody in Gen X, I can tell you, growing up then in the 80s and particularly the early 90s," DeSantis said. "As a young kid, I'm growing up, and it's like that was like, 'Wow, that's our superhero.'"
Hogan headlined the first-ever WrestleMania, WWE's marquee event, in 1985. The main event featured Hogan and Mr. T in a tag team match, where they defeated "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff.
".@HulkHogan is an American icon who brought families together— a larger than life personality, unapologetically patriotic, and a symbol of strength for a generation," State Sen. Jay Collins said.
In 1987, Hogan successfully defended the WWF World Heavyweight Championship against Andre the Giant at WrestleMania III in one of the most important matches in professional wrestling history. Hogan, who famously body slammed Andre to retain the title, appeared in the main event in seven of the first eight WrestleMania cards.
"In addition to being an American legend and a Pinellas resident, my favorite thing about him is that he recently came to Christ and had been attending church in House District 59," State Rep. Berny Jacques said. "Rest easy, brother. We’ll see you again."
Hogan also wrestled for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) beginning in 1994, where he launched his famous "Hollywood" persona with the New World Order (NWO) in 1996. The transformation marked a heel shift for Hogan after his "Hulkamania" persona in the 1980s.
Hogan was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005. Outside of wrestling, Hogan also starred as "Thunderlips" in Rocky III alongside Sylvester Stallone in 1982.
"Hulk Hogan was an American legend, a true patriot, and a great Floridian. There will never be another great showman quite like Thunderlips," Patronis said. "RIP BROTHER!"
