Hulk Hogan called the Netflix biopic's script "powerful," even hoping Chris Hemsworth would receive Oscar attention for his role

To say the world is mourning Hulk Hogan, who died on Thursday at 71, would be disingenuous. Few celebrity deaths have been as polarizing as Hogan’s.

WWE honored the late wrestling icon to kick off the Friday, July 25 episode of 'Friday Night Smackdown' live from Cleveland, Ohio

Hulk Hogan's close friend Jimmy Hart talks exclusively to PEOPLE about the WWE star's health in his final days and reflects on his friendship, after Hogan's death on Thursday, July 24.

Hogan was influential in the rise of wrestling worldwide and was WWE's first major star. He was a six-time WWE Champion and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame twice, once in 2005 and in 2020 as part of the New World Order.

"WWE is saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away," they said in a statement to PEOPLE on July 24, after the news of his death was first reported by TMZ. "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."

WWE icon Hulk Hogan has died at the age of 71. He talked Skyline Chili and Trump during one of his final visits to Cincinnati in 2024.

Hogan stands as the most recognizable name in wrestling history whose star power extended well beyond the ring, making him an American pop culture icon