Eight-time Mr. Olympia Lee Haney paid his tribute following the death of the media mogul Ted Turner, who passed away on Wednesday, surrounded by his family at the age of 87.

Haney shared a thoughtful post on Instagram and wrote, "I believe in giving honor where honor is due. The world has lost a giant of a man with the passing of Ted Turner. His legacy will live on in the institutions he created and the lives he touched. Rest well, Sir 🙏🏽❤️🌹."

Turner was no ordinary media person; he transformed the world of television when he invented 24-hour news with CNN and pioneered national basic cable.

He also pioneered in sports, owned the Atlanta Braves, founded WCW, and built an empire that includes TBS, TNT, Turner Classic Movies, and Cartoon Network.

Turner also had a lot of philanthropic ideologies and was one of the first individuals to give away huge sums while still alive, donating a record $1 billion to create the United Nations Foundation.

He was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia in 2018 and recovered from a mild case of pneumonia in 2025. However, the cause of death has not been made public yet.

CNN Chairman and CEO Mark Thompson said in a statement, "He was and always will be the presiding spirit of CNN. Ted is the giant on whose shoulders we stand."

From Bodybuilding to the Ring: How Ted Turner Changed Combat Sports Forever

What Ted Turner did for the sport of wrestling is also a commendable thing. After his demise, the pro wrestling circles outpoured their tributes for him.

Turner founded World Championship Wrestling in 1988 after purchasing Jim Crockett Promotions, and the promotion he built became the most serious challenge Vince McMahon's WWE had ever faced.

WCW was home to many named icons, including Ric Flair, Sting, Booker T, and Goldberg. WCW was one of the major forces during the Monday Night Wars of the 1990s, and it directly competed with WWE.

WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair also paid his tribute by posting a throwback picture with Turner.

"He created so many opportunities for so many wrestlers because of his love for wrestling," Flair wrote. "Rest in peace, my friend. Thank you for the memorable personal times that we spent together."

Haney referred to him as the "giant." The wrestling fraternity described him as a "founder." However, the most defining aspect about Ted Turner is the fact that a man who never wore any shoes in wrestling left his footsteps in every combat sport shown on TV.

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Written by

Proma Chatterjee

Edited by

Ashvinkumar Patil