Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan dies aged 71
Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, was the biggest professional wrestler of the 80s and 90s and went on to achieve crossover fame
He debuted in 1977 and became the defining figure of the industry
Known for red and yellow outfits, "Real American" entrance music, and army of "Hulkamaniac" fans, he continued wrestling well into his 50s
In 2018, he was reinstated into the WWE Hall of Fame after being ejected for using a racist slur
Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan dies aged 71
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Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
This Fitness Influencer Is Receiving A Lot Of Backlash After Using "Colored" In Defense Of His Tribute To Hulk Hogan
This is fitness influencer Joey Swoll. He is the self-proclaimed "CEO of Gym Postivity," with millions of followers on TikTok, X, Instagram, and YouTube. He describes himself as "somebody who doesn't like bullies in the gym or on social media. That tries to teach people to treat others the way you want to be treated and hopefully makes the world a little better of a place." On July 25, Joey posted a now-deleted tribute to wrestling legend Hulk Hogan, 71, who died on July 24, 2025. Joey shared an old video of himself dressed as the wrestler, working out in the gym with the caption "RIP to a legend and one of my inspirations to start working out." Related: Then, Joey received backlash for supporting Hogan, a wrestler whose WWE contract was terminated in 2015 over his use of racial slurs. In 2016, a Florida jury awarded Hogan $115 million against Gawker Media, which posted a sex tape of him. The case led to the discovery that he used racial slurs in 2007 to describe his daughter, Brooke Hogan's ex-boyfriend. According to the transcript, Hogan even said, "I am racist, to a point, f—ing n—s." Despite Hogan's contributions to wrestling entertainment, this controversy, among others, regarding his personal life and his relationship with the wrestling organization, tainted his legacy. And unfortunately for the fitness influencer, Joey learned the hard way about what it means to support Hulk Hogan in 2025. In response to the backlash he received for the tribute, Joey responded in a live stream, defending his support of Hogan. "I can post Hulk Hogan if I want to. Just because somebody makes a mistake in their life, doesn't mean that they haven't done good things," he said. "I don't know what he did. He said something 20 years ago and apologized for it. "If you're going to attack me, you better go after colored athletes, who are black and minority who posted him as well. Okay. The man was nice to me, and he made a mistake. I'm not God. People make mistakes in life. If you have a problem with that, look at yourself." Related: When Joey used the term "colored athletes," it went viral, and everything really hit the fan. The influencer found himself in the middle of even more backlash, which led to a follow-up apology. On July 28, he shared an apology video on social media. "Instead of listening and understanding like I should have, I became defensive and said that I was posting to celebrate the wrestling icon, the person that so many of us looked up to as kids. I didn't know the extent of all the horrible things that he had done," Joey said. "Since last night, I've done a lot of research and learned all of the horrible things that man has done. Which is way more than just making a mistake and being human. I have taken the video down, and I apologize to anyone that I have offended." After apologizing for the Hulk Hogan video and his TikTok Live, he apologized using the wrong terms to address people of color. "I used the word colored instead of saying person of color, which is a very outdated and very offensive term," he added. "A few moments later, somebody educated me and told me that it wasn't okay to use that. I immediately apologized." Related: As the backlash and criticism continued, Joey posted another series of explanations on social media that, in my opinion, only made the matter worse. On July 29, he shared an X post explaining he was "done" with back and forth. "All the good I've done, all the people I've helped, all for nothing. I truly hope all the people I've inspired do great things in their life and pay it forward to help others and carry on my message. But no matter how much good you do, people just wait for a reason to hate you and tear you down. You either die a hero, or live long enough to be the villain. Thank you for your support. I am done," he wrote. Following his apology, some fans were upset with Joey, claiming he didn't do anything wrong, and called him out for apologizing: In response to those criticisms, Joey posted a follow-up X post defending his decision to "take a break" from social media. "A lot of people upset with me calling me weak and a quitter or worse... So yea, maybe I am done with social media or need to take a break and get my head right. But I will say there so many incredible people being supportive and telling me how much I've helped them, to be stronger, and keep fighting. Thank you to everyone even those giving me a kick in the ass telling me to stop being weak and a quitter. You need to hear it once in awhile. I just need to breathe." There have been a lot of mixed reactions to Joey's apologies, which, in my opinion, highlight the worst parts of the internet echo chambers. One person wrote, "You were reactive and on top of your incredibly tone-deaf hulk hogan post, doubled down and referred to black people as 'colored' on a live stream. You are not a victim, and this is not accountability, which is ironic given you built your platform demanding it from others." Related: "Respectfully, you used language like 'coloured', 'the blacks' & then excused racism as 'just a mistake 20 years.' I find it hard to believe that you had no idea that Hulk Hogan (who was your idol) had said racist things. Go learn from your mistakes, don't run away. Be better," another person wrote. But for every person who attempted to hold Joey accountable for his mistakes, three more doubled down on why he or Hulk Hogan did nothing wrong. "As soft as Charmin. This is some woe as me bullshit. You got called out like you call out all of the losers in your videos and now you're acting like a whiny little teenager. Sack up, Swoll. Ya need to do better," one fan wrote. Another fan wrote, "You trashed your idol, someone who was important to a huge portion of this country right after he died. Why? Some people will never forgive you complained. Don't act like we're the bad guys. You did this." After reading through all these explanations, apologies, and backlash, I want to know what you think about the situation. Sound off in the comments. Also in Celebrity: Also in Celebrity: Also in Celebrity: Solve the daily Crossword
CNN
19 minutes ago
- CNN
Meet Atlanta's singing, rollerblading icon ‘Beltline Kevin'
Over the past two decades, this city has reimagined its industrial past by transforming former railway corridors into the Beltline — a 22-mile loop of mixed-use trails now woven into the fabric of city life. Lined with parks, shops, restaurants and public art, Atlanta's Beltline has become much more than a path for foot traffic. It's a hub for the city's community — a place where skateboarders zip past street performers playing makeshift drums and couples push strollers past murals of rappers. Bustling and brimming with life, some parts of the trail are so popular, it's hard for most cyclists to weave their way through the crowds. Among the over 2 million visitors the trail attracts each year, few are as unique as Beltline Kevin. Kevin Randolph, 61, visits the Beltline almost daily, gliding past pedestrians in his rollerblades while smiling and singing. The former long-distance runner with bad knees took up rollerblading during the pandemic to stay active. He added singing to his routine when he said it seemed like people were afraid to interact after quarantine. 'The Beltline is not a place to be tense,' he said. 'You could feel the tension — cut it with a knife.' In his early days of performing on the Beltline, Randolph said people didn't understand what he was doing. 'Now they come up to me and sing with me, dance with me,' he said. 'This is what we used to do in the South. That's part of why I do it now, just so people can get back to being nice to people.' Randolph sings a range of songs from artists like Celine Dion to Gwen Stefani. One of his favorites to perform is 'Party in the U.S.A.' by Miley Cyrus because he said everyone knows it. 'I was singing The Beatles yesterday, and someone told me to create a playlist on Spotify,' he said. 'I'd say I have a good 100 songs that I really, really like, and then probably 20 of them are my favorites.' Randolph said he spends two to three hours a day rollerblading, covering over 300 miles a week. His usual gear for a skating session: a tank top, shorts, his favorite roller blades with rainbow laces and headphones covered with Ziploc bags. He uses the bags to prevent his sweat from damaging his headphones. 'I've gone through three or four pairs of $200 Beats not putting the plastic bag on,' he said. 'So, I'm like, I don't care what it looks like.' His body is used to all of the physical activity — so when he takes a day off, it's to rest his voice. 'I've always been a performer, dancer, singer,' he said. 'My minor was ballet in college.' Randolph might be the most educated street performer on Atlanta's Beltline: he has an undergraduate degree in computer science and a master's in math education. He was a middle school teacher and taught courses in the Navy. Yet, he's always found a way to entertain others: he once sang in a gay men's choir, performing at weddings, funerals and church services. But, he explained, it didn't always come easy. 'People would never believe that I was introverted and a nerd,' he said. A Chicago native turned Atlantan in the 1990s, Randolph is considered an icon of the city, particularly on social media. He said he changed his Instagram username to beltlinekevin after local business owners started to call him 'Mr. Beltline.' Now, TikTok and Instagram users record their Beltline Kevin sightings. TikTok user posted a video of herself walking on the Beltline and waving to Randolph as he passed by singing. She captioned the video: 'this guy makes my day every time i go on the beltline :') ILYSM kevin!!' Another TikTok account with the username _kaydani posted a video of Randolph with overlaying text that says: 'What's the beltline without running into the beltline king?' 'I get approached by people looking for me on the Beltline and they come from other cities and countries,' he said. 'The last time someone posted me, they got 3 million views.' Randolph is among the wave of personalities that have found fame on the city's Beltline. Jack Naunau gained popularity on TikTok for his recommendations of Beltline shops and restaurants. Celebrity barber Victor Fontanez, aka VicBlends, has racked up millions of followers for his inspiring videos on the Beltline, sharing life advice to strangers while giving them free haircuts. VicBlends even made a video giving a haircut to Randolph. But despite all of the buzz about him on social media, Beltline Kevin said he doesn't do any of it to be recognized. 'It's sometimes lonely to be yourself because me, being so unique, there's no club or clique or anything,' he said. 'It takes an act of faith, it takes courage to not wear the clothes that everyone is wearing, to follow these set rules.' Randolph has become a beloved figure in the community. To Randolph's surprise, artist Matthew Jerome Simpson painted a Beltline Kevin mural on a pillar next to the trail. 'I'm not the average rollerblader,' he said. 'I'm not the average person. I'm just Kevin.'
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
The Rock's Heartfelt Tribute for Hulk Hogan Is Making Fans Emotional
The Rock's Heartfelt Tribute for Hulk Hogan Is Making Fans Emotional originally appeared on Men's Fitness. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson shared a heartfelt tribute to Hulk Hogan following the wrestling legend's death on July 24 at age 71. "Rest in Peace, Terry Bollea aka The Immortal Hulk Hogan," Johnson started his Instagram caption. "To millions of little kids you were a childhood hero - myself included." Johnson then shared a personal story from his childhood, recalling a moment that would shape his lifelong admiration for Hogan. "In 1984, I gave you your 'HULKSTER' headband back, in the locker room in Madison Square Garden - I was the lucky kid caught it when you threw it in the crowd. You were wrestling 'Mr Wonderful', Paul Orndorff that night in the main event," he wrote. "You were shocked and so happy after the match because you told me that was your very last headband and if it weren't for me, you'd have no way of getting that exact one made again. You promised me that you would get more made and give me a Hulkster headband of my own as a thank you gift. "A month later in Madison Square Garden, you did just that. You kept your word, with a handshake and a 'thanks kid'. And that meant the world to that little 12 year old boy."Years later, Johnson would face his childhood hero in one of the most iconic matches in wrestling history: WrestleMania 18's "Icon vs. Icon" showdown. The matchup also marked Hogan's return to WrestleMania after nearly a decade. "Just 17 years later, and still a kid at the age of 29 years old — I'm standing in the middle of the ring and facing you - one of my wrestling heroes in the main event of WRESTLEMANIA. The match was to decide who would go down in history, as The Greatest of All Time. When you kick out of my Rock Bottom finisher - just listen and FEEL that crowd go ELECTRIC…all for you. I've never felt anything like that in my entire wrestling career. It takes two to tango, but that historic crowd reaction was all for you," Johnson shared. Johnson acknowledged that while he may have won the match, it was Hogan who "drew the house," meaning his name being the reason arenas and stadiums sold out across the country. "From deep in my bones, and on behalf of this wild and crazy world of professional wrestling that we love, I say to you now, and forever…," Johnson concluded. "Thank you, for the house."The Rock's Heartfelt Tribute for Hulk Hogan Is Making Fans Emotional first appeared on Men's Fitness on Jul 25, 2025 This story was originally reported by Men's Fitness on Jul 25, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword
