Hulk Hogan died today at the age of 71 by Anaiya Cromartie

Hulk Hogan died at the age of 71 on Thursday. He was famous for starring in WrestleMania on numerous occasions. Hogan became an overwhelming crowd favorite, riding a huge wave of popularity he called “Hulkamania.” “There are golden rules, even in Tokyo, Japan, where there are all kinds of Hulkamaniacs running wild. That’s why it’s so popular,” said Hulk Hogan in a CNN interview.

While the world mourns the star, a local wrestler reminisces about their time in the ring together.

“To finally be in the ring and program with him was like a pinch yourself moment. The atmosphere was amazing, and his charisma was on a whole new level,” said Rob Kellum. “Sharing the limelight with Hulk Hogan just elevates your game that much more.”

Kellum went by the name “Maestro” in the ring. He spent 30 years of his life traveling and taking on opponents in the ring, but credits the start of his career to Hogan.

“It was because of Hulk Hogan and Machoman Randy Savage that I got into World Championship Wrestling (WCW). They looked out, advocated, and stuck up for me. They were the first ones to welcome me,” said Kellum.

Terry Gene Bollea (/bəˈleɪə/; August 11, 1953 – July 24, 2025), better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his work with WWE and World Championship Wrestling. Known for his flamboyance and massive physique, and his trademark blond horseshoe moustache and bandanas, Hogan was widely regarded as the most recognized wrestling star worldwide, the most popular wrestler of the 1980s and one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time.

Hogan began his professional wrestling career in 1977, but gained worldwide recognition after signing with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) in December 1983. There, his persona as a heroic all-American helped usher in the 1980s professional wrestling boom, where he headlined eight of the first nine editions (1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9) of the WWF’s flagship annual event WrestleMania. Hogan also was a regular headliner of Saturday Night’s Main Event and its spin-off The Main Event. During his initial run, he was a five-time WWF Champion, with his 1,474-day reign being the longest of the WrestleMania era ever. He was the first wrestler to win consecutive Royal Rumble matches, winning in 1990 and 1991. His match with André the Giant on WWF The Main Event on February 5, 1988, still holds American television viewership records for wrestling with a 15.2 Nielsen TV rating and 33 million viewers. To read more go to the link below:

https://www.wect.com/2025/07/24/local-wrestler-remembers-his-time-ring-with-hulk-hogan/