The unexpected death of 2-time WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan (Terry Bollea) in July 2025 began a lot of speculation regarding what happened.
Ric Flair recently suggested during an appearance on the DOUBL3 COVERAGE podcast that Hogan’s death, officially recorded as a heart attack at age 71, was complicated by his reliance on “street drugs.”
Flair claimed that the extensive pain Hogan suffered from numerous injuries – including ten back surgeries, two knee replacements, two hip replacements, and a shoulder replacement – led him to seek “alternative methods” to manage his chronic pain after his doctors would no longer prescribe him the necessary medication. Flair further asserted that he had spoken to Hogan the day before he died, learning of the Hulkster’s declining condition.
Hulk Hogan’s widow, Sky Daily Hogan, moved quickly to shut down Flair’s claims, calling them entirely inaccurate. In a statement to TMZ Sports, Sky dismissed the account, simply saying, “That didn’t happen at all.”
She clarified that her husband was under continuous, close supervision by doctors at Morton Plant Hospital in Florida in the days leading up to his death. She further disputed the claim that Flair spoke with Hogan on his final day.
According to Sky, the only medication adjustments made by doctors were those aimed at protecting Hogan’s lungs following a neck procedure, contradicting the notion that painkiller restrictions pushed him toward illicit substances.
Two other family sources later backed Daily’s account, confirming Flair had received bad information, though the family expressed no ill will toward Flair due to his long friendship with Hogan.
Their primary concern was correcting the public record to ensure Hogan’s final weeks were not misrepresented.
Following the public pushback, Ric Flair took to social media to retract his statement, writing:
“Okay Sky! I Got Bad Information According To You. I Should Have Never Mentioned It. I Have Known Hogan Since 1979. Let’s Just Move Past This And Concentrate On His Legacy. Period, End Of Story. Let’s PRESERVE HIS LEGACY Rather Than Dwell On Any Negative Energy. I Repeat- Hulkamania Forever!”
In an update, Flair posted:
“This Text From Sky Hogan Should Clarify A Lot Of Things For People Who Have No Clue What They’re Talking About!”
You can read Sky’s text message below:
“Good morning Ric. Im not sweating this media thing… I know how they love to twist things up and take one sentence out of context in an interview to make a headline. I’ve been off of all social media, so I haven’t heard the podcast or seen much of anything… It’s just better while I’m grieving. But I know you loved Hulk and he loved you!”
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