Wrestling fans mourn death of Hulk Hogan
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Wrestling fans around the world are mourning the death of Hulk Hogan.
One venue in South Philadelphia has a rich history of wrestling influenced by Hogan's legacy.
"If you come here during a show, you get 1,000 people chanting the same thing at the same time," said Roger Artigiani, owner of 2300 Philadelphia, an events venue that hosts a variety of sporting events, including wrestling matches by smaller and mid-sized wrestling companies.
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"Here you're right on top of everything. You can reach out and touch somebody," he said about the intimacy of the atmosphere.
It's why fans crowd into the wrestling matches at 2300 Arena and fill bigger arenas like Lincoln Financial Field, which hosted WWE Wrestlemania in 2024.
"Philadelphia is one of the strongest wrestling cities in the whole country," said Artigiani
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It's a city that Hulk Hogan wrestled in dozens of times. More than 50 of those matches were held at The Spectrum. 2300 Arena owner Roger Artigiani says that though Hogan never fought in his venue, his presence was felt.
"Hulk Hogan was one of those guys who always took care of the kids, always took time to take a photo, shake a hand, make a kid smile," he said.
Now he and others are coming to grips with the news of Hogan's passing. Police say they got a 911 call for someone in cardiac arrest at Hogan's Clearwater, Florida, home at around 10 a.m. Thursday.
The 71-year-old, whose real name was Terry Bollea, was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police are conducting a death investigation, which they say is typical in cases like this.
"There are no signs of foul play or suspicious activity related to this call for service at this time," said Nate Burnside with the Clearwater Police Department.
Hogan was the face of WWE, bringing pro-wrestling mainstream in the 80s. He was a figure in pop culture, and in recent years, politics as he stumped for then-presidential candidate Donald Trump.
Hogan also faced controversy from a 2007 recording of him making racist remarks and using racial slurs. He apologized while appearing on Good Morning America.
"I never should have said what I said. It was wrong. I'm embarrassed by it," Hogan said.
Hogan visited the Phillies for training camp in Clearwater in 2018, still spreading his signature "Hulkamania" style. It's one that'll remain legendary on the Philadelphia wrestling scene and worldwide.
"We all feel for the loss of Hulk Hogan," said Artigiani. "He was one of the greats."
