Ric Flair opened up about the death of Hulk Hogan and admitted he “shouldn’t say,” but chose to anyway.
Speaking on the DOUBL3 COVERAGE PODCAST, Flair said he spoke to Hogan the day before he died and revealed that Hogan’s cause of death stemmed from years of physical destruction, chronic pain, and ultimately turning to street drugs when doctors could no longer prescribe him medication.
Flair described Hogan as a man whose body had simply been pushed past the point of no return. “I talked to him the day before he died. What killed him was street drugs,” Flair said plainly, explaining that Hogan’s pain had reached a level where medical professionals couldn’t justify prescribing anything more.
“When the doctor wouldn’t prescribe anymore… he was in so much pain.” He then detailed the staggering number of operations Hogan endured: “Imagine 10 back surgeries, two knees, two hips, all this. And then… he had a neck surgery and got infected.”
Because of the infection and the unending pain that followed, Hogan sought relief elsewhere once his prescriptions ran out. According to Flair, that’s when things took a tragic turn. “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 emphasized that Hogan’s long-term physical damage wasn’t from the moments fans would expect. It wasn’t lifting giants or the iconic slam on Andre the Giant that broke him down – it was his signature move.
“You know what caused the back surgeries? Dropping the leg. Dropping the leg jammed his bones.” He explained that Hogan performed the leg drop tens of thousands of times over his career, telling him, “If you hadn’t insisted on dropping that leg on everybody, you’d be walking around just fine.”
Despite the hard truth he shared, Flair spoke about Hogan with clear affection, calling him a “great guy” and reflecting sorrowfully that so many of his friends are now gone.
He noted that news about other wrestlers’ deteriorating health would soon surface as well, saying, “It’s all going to come out in the media in the next 30 days. You’ll read about it anyway.”
After Flair’s comments went viral, The Nature Boy issued the following statement on social media:
“There Seems To Be Some Controversy Over My Remarks That Street Drugs Killed Hulk Hogan. I Only Was Repeating What I Know To Be A Fact Through Family Members.
After 11 Back Surgeries, Hip Replacements, Knee Replacements, Shoulder Replacement, And Two Neck Surgeries, I Am Sure The Pain Was Unbearable. A Doctor As I Know Can Only Prescribe So Much Pain Medication Under Medical Guidelines.
I’ve Been Told That All They Did Was To Help Him Not To Hurt Him. To Help Him Get Through The Night And The Pain. Eventually That Catches Up With You As We Know With Everybody.
He Was My Friend, A Man I Respected, And I’m Only Reporting What I’ve Been Told. Nothing More, Nothing Less. This Was Not An Attempt To Demean Hulk Hogan Or His Legacy.
I Have Always Referred To Him As Being One Of The Two Biggest Stars In The Industry, Himself And Steve Austin. I Apologize If People Misunderstood My Statement. Hulkamania Forever!”
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