Hulk Hogan, pro wrestling icon and pop culture mainstay, dies at 71

(NBC) Pro wrestling legend Hulk Hogan, whose charisma and shirt-ripping showmanship brought professional wrestling to new heights of mainstream popularity, died Thursday in Florida, officials said.

He was 71.

Clearwater police and firefighters rushed to his home to answer a “cardiac arrest” call at 9:51 a.m., according to a city statement.

First responders then took him “to Morton Plant Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased,” the statement added.

Hogan died surrounded by loved ones, manager Chris Volo told NBC Los Angeles.

“WWE is saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away,” World Wrestling Entertainment said in a statement.

“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- whose real name was Terry Gene Bollea- earned fame for his theatrical wrestling performances, but became a household name after making appearances in several films and television shows.

He famously appeared in the third installment of the “Rocky” film franchise in which he took on the title character, played by Sylvester Stallone, in a fight between wrestler and boxer.

Hogan’s family had a reality series on VH1 in the mid-2000s named “Hogan Knows Best,” following the lives of his then-wife, Linda, and their two children, Brooke and Nick.

The show was cancelled in 2007 after his son was seriously injured in a car accident in Clearwater and was charged with reckless driving.

Linda Hogan filed for divorce the same year, ending more than two decades of marriage.