UPDATED 12/1/25, 5:30 p.m. ET: Hulk Hogan's widow has since denied Ric Flair's claims. Head here to read more about what she had to say.
See original story below.
Ric Flair is shedding new light on the death of fellow wrestling icon Hulk Hogan, saying the WWE legend’s final days were marked by pain and dependence on street drugs after doctors stopped prescribing medication.
During a November 22 appearance on the Doubl3 Coverage podcast, Flair revealed that he spoke with Hogan the day before he passed away. Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, died on July 24 at age 71 after suffering a heart attack at his Clearwater Beach home.
“I talked to him the day before he died,” Flair told host Mystic Zack. “I shouldn’t say this, but what killed him was street drugs. When the doctor wouldn’t prescribe anymore, he was in so much pain.”
Flair went on to describe the toll decades of physical punishment had taken on Hogan’s body. “He had a neck surgery and got infected,” Flair continued. “Imagine—ten back surgeries, two knees, two hips, all this. And then when the doctor would not prescribe any more pain medicine, they just couldn’t do it. So they went and got the drugs off the street. His body just said, ‘You know what? Bingo. I can’t do it anymore.’”
Flair called the situation “sad,” adding that Hogan’s legacy as one of wrestling’s most beloved performers made his decline especially difficult to accept. “What a great guy,” Flair said somberly. “All my buddies are gone.”
Finally, Flair remarked that Hogan's death was the price to pay for a brutal life spent in the ring. “Ten back surgeries, guys,” Flair said. “When you’re putting Andre the Giant on your back, that’s what it does to you. Dropping that leg a hundred thousand times—it just broke him down.”
Hogan’s death remains the subject of ongoing scrutiny. In September, his widow, Sky Daily, and son, Nick Bollea, filed a petition in Pinellas County, Florida, seeking a 90-day extension on the statute of limitations to pursue a medical malpractice investigation.
Court documents list health-care providers at both Morton Plant Hospital, where Hogan was pronounced dead, and Tampa General Hospital, where he underwent prior treatment.
The Pinellas County Medical Examiner initially ruled Hogan’s death as a “natural” cardiac event, citing his history of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and atrial fibrillation.
However, TMZ previously reported that an occupational therapist present at Hogan’s home told police she believed malpractice had occurred. According to Sky Daily, her husband’s phrenic nerve—which controls the diaphragm and plays a vital role in breathing—had been “compromised” during a surgical procedure earlier this year.
Detectives with the Clearwater Police Department have confirmed that Hogan’s case remains open as they continue reviewing medical records and interviewing witnesses.