The Babe Ruth of professional wrestling.

A pop culture sensation whose popularity transcended the sport and became a must-see attraction in households across the nation.

The “Hulkamania” phenomenon he created will unquestionably live on forever in the hearts and souls of his legions of fans.

But despite his 24-inch pythons, charismatic personality, and larger than life persona, in the end, even Hulk Hogan himself was not immortal.

Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea, died Thursday morning at age 71.

The Associated Press reported authorities in Clearwater, Florida, responded to a call about a cardiac arrest.

Hogan was pronounced dead at a hospital, police said in a statement on Facebook.

Fellow wrestler reflects

Veteran wrestler A.J. Petrucci Jr., of Jim Thorpe, was there for the rise of Hulkamania and locked horns with Hogan during the Hulkster’s legendary run.

Petrucci was the first person from Carbon County to sign a professional wrestling contract with the then WWF with the help of referee Tom Chapman (also from Jim Thorpe).

Petrucci trained several pro wrestlers, including Ted Arcidi and Hillbilly Jim.

Petrucci also wrestled with most of the superstars, including Hogan himself, during the Golden Era, which was centered around Hogan whose character resonated with the mainstream audience.

“When Vince (McMahon) Jr. came in he started bringing in all the big shots from all the other places,” Petrucci said. “Vince had a dream, and that era, it was just like magical.”

Petrucci recalled the first time he met Hogan in person.

“When we first met him, we thought ‘what a monster’,” Petrucci said. “When we would do tapings, he was always nice.”

Petrucci was also featured as one of the trainers along with Hogan for Hillbilly Jim when Hillbilly first arrived in the then WWF.

“When we were training at a school up in Connecticut, he (Hogan) would come in with some of the stars and would get in the ring with us and do some trainings,” he said. “They brought him (Hillbilly Jim) into our training camp and Hogan comes over and says “‘do you mind doing these videos?

Petrucci said he got to know Hogan on a more personal level.

“Hogan was nice to me,” he said. “It was one hell of an experience; it was the beginning.”

Petrucci, who has worked as a counselor for the Valley Youth House with troubled, homeless and runaway youths, said he always encouraged them to dream big.

“It was a great, great run, and I became a counselor for youth,” he said. “I tell them ‘follow your dreams; you never know what’s going to happen.’ ”

Cultural phenomenon

For over 40 years, Hulkamania ran wild as generations of Hulkamaniacs heeded his advice to say their prayers and take their vitamins.

Hogan became synonymous with the sport by taking professional wrestling into the mainstream to heights that had never before been seen.

His presence helped bring together the rock and wrestling communities that resulted in appearances on MTV in its formative years.

That exposure helped spur Hogan into being the main draw of the first WrestleMania, which went on to become a cultural phenomenon largely because of his charismatic personality and flamboyant showmanship.

Widely heralded as the biggest star in the WWE’s long and illustrious history, Hogan is a former six-time WWE and WCW champion, as well as a two-time inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame.

At the height of his popularity in the mid to late-1980s, Hogan’s merchandise flooded shelves at toy stores, and his likeness graced television screens across the country and around the globe.

Following his departure from WWE in the mid 90s, Hogan embarked on the next wildly successful chapter in his career when he moved to rival World Championship Wrestling.

After failing to fully recapture the magic of his initial superhero run over a decade earlier, Hogan did the unthinkable.

His character’s persona changed of that from the all American role model to a despised villain that eventually led to the formation of the wildly successful New World Order faction that for a time ran roughshod over and nearly put the promotion he originally helped put on the map out of business.

Over the year’s, Hogan’s legacy became tainted due to personal controversies and allegations of racism.

What cannot be disputed is the indelible impact he left on professional wrestling, which continues to flourish decades after his rise to superstardom.