We previously reported that the legendary former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan died on Thursday morning. He passed away at age 71 after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Now, sad new details are coming to light about Hogan’s final days. According to a close friend of Hogan’s, the iconic wrestler was so “embarrassed” about how “weak” he had become in his final days that he didn’t want to be seen at all.
Hogan’s Final Meeting With Close Friend
Hogan’s close friend Eric Bischoff, 70, opened up about his last meeting with the wrestler on Tuesday’s episode of his “83 Weeks with Eric Bischoff” podcast. There, he revealed that in his final months, Hogan was eager to get back to work.
“I could tell he was weak. He sounded tired,” said Bischoff, who is a longtime producer and wrestling booker.
“[Hogan] said, ‘I really want to see you, but I’m kind of embarrassed for you to see me this way because I’ve been pretty sick,'” Bischoff recalled. In response, he told Hogan, “When I look at you, I don’t see the same thing you see when you look in the mirror, so [expletive] that, I’ll be down Monday.”
In their last time seeing each other, Bischoff visited with Hogan for about an hour. For much of their meeting, Hogan was asking Bischoff about upcoming events and Real American Freestyle updates.
“All he wanted to talk about was business, but in a fun, energetic way,” Bischoff recounted. He added that while Hogan wasn’t necessarily “struggling” for breath, he was noticeably exerting “more effort” than usual during the visit.
“It was work for him to have a conversation but he was the same guy,” Bischoff remembered.
‘Something To Look Forward To’ For Hogan
Bischoff wanted to give Hogan “something to look forward to other than being taken care of.” That’s why he told Hogan that he’d look into setting up promotional interviews for him.
“I knew it was going to be quite a while before he was going to be able to do interviews,” Bischoff admitted. “I wanted to leave him looking forward to something.”
“He said, ‘Brother, I can’t wait. I may not be able to do anything on camera for a couple weeks but I’ll be good on the phone. You can set some stuff up for me,'” he continued.
Afterwards, Bischoff sent a text to Hogan’s wife Sky Daily letting her know that there would be no pressure for her husband to take part in these interviews. Instead, Hogan would only need to do them if he wanted to.
“She got it and she appreciated it,” he stated.
Bischoff concluded by reiterating that Hogan was “so anxious to get back to work” before his passing.
“He loved the hunt, the thrill of the hunt,” Bischoff said.
Hogan’s Painful Final Weeks
This comes after a source close to Hulk’s family told Daily Mail that in his final weeks, the iconic wrestler was well aware that he was suffering from a very “weak heart.” Indeed, it appears that Hulk knew that the end was near for him.
“He was suffering from shortness of breath, got tired easily, had lost a lot of weight and was on oxygen,” the source alleged.
Hogan’s 40 year wrestling career left him with a wide variety of painful injuries. He also battled health issues stemming from decades of steroid use.
“I’ve had like 25 surgeries in the last ten years. 10 of them were back surgeries,” Hulk said while appearing on the IMPAULSIVE podcast in September of 2024. “I’ve had 10 back surgeries, both knees and both hips replaced, shoulders—everything.”
Related: Police Reveal Disturbing Details About Hulk Hogan’s Final Moments Before He Dies At 71
Hogan’s Death
Emergency services were called to Hogan’s home in Clearwater, Florida at around 9:51am last Thursday, July 24. First responders immediately began performing CPR on the legendary wrestler. CPR was still “in progress” at 10:28am, when medics were “working on getting him out to the ambulance.”
Hogan was then rushed to Morton Plant Hospital. Sadly, he was pronounced dead there at 11:17am.
Hulk Hogan was a true legend, and there will never be another one like him. While it’s devastating that he’s gone, we can all find comfort in knowing that he is no longer suffering.
Rest in peace, Hulk Hogan.
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