Wrestler who inspired ‘Hulkamania’ in his fans and branched out into film, video games, a restaurant chain and a merchandising empire
Hulk Hogan, who has died of a cardiac arrest aged 71, was the most famous personality in the world of wrestling, a flamboyant figure whose deep tan, blonde horseshoe moustache, bright bandanas and heavily muscled body were known across the globe, even to those who had little interest in the sport.
As the most recognisable face of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in the US, Hogan helped to build what had initially been a fairly parochial brand into a hugely lucrative phenomenon, watched on television by millions.
Though the wrestling was all fakery, Hogan held the WWF’s title belt a number of times across those boom years, including over a four-year stretch in the mid-1980s. Thereafter he largely maintained his dominance, while switching between the WWF and various other competitions over the next two decades.
During a typical bout he would soak up blow after blow from his opponent until defeat seemed inevitable, only to suddenly snap into a fury that would turn the encounter around, often finishing things off with a trademark leg drop by bouncing off the rope, leaping into the air and then landing, leg first, on to his foe.
