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Jimmy Hart, Hulk Hogan’s longtime friend and former manager, was shocked by the news of the wrestling icon’s death this week, revealing that he had heard good news about Hogan’s health just a day before his passing.
The WWE Hall of Famer recalled his final moments with Hogan in an interview with People on Friday. He said he had called Hogan on Wednesday, and spoke to his assistant, who had assured Hart that the former wrestler had been “doing great.”
Hulk Hogan and manager Jimmy Hart sighted at the ITV Studios in London, England. (Alex Huckle/GC Images)
“I called [Hogan] on Wednesday night, and then Thursday morning is when everything took place,” Hart told the outlet. “So just…just overnight it all happened, but it was so positive the day before.”
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Hogan reportedly underwent neck surgery earlier this year – the latest in a long list of surgeries that include at least 25. Hart said that he hadn’t seen his friend out of concern for his recovery.
“It just hits so fast,” he said of Hogan’s death. “It was like, ‘Oh my God.’ We thought he was doing so well, you know? We didn’t go to see him at the house and didn’t go to see him at the hospital, because we wanted to make sure that he didn’t get any infections or anything else, like if anybody had a cold or brought anything in. So, that’s what we all did.”
Hart told People that he had last seen Hogan about a month before his passing, and that he had been in good spirits talking to fans.
Hulk Hogan with Jimmy Hart along side address the crowd during RAW at Intuit Dome on January 6, 2025, in Inglewood, California. (WWE/Getty Images))
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“Well, tell him I love him,” Hart recalled of the final message he shared to Hogan’s assistant.
Initial reports on Wednesday indicated that Hogan suffered a medical emergency at his home in Florida on Thursday morning.
The Clearwater Police Department later confirmed that emergency personnel responded to a medical call just before 10 a.m. at Hogan’s residence. He was treated on site for a cardiac arrest before being transported to Morton Plant Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
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The news of Hogan’s death came weeks after he was alleged to be having a health crisis. However, his wife, Sky Daily, denied those reports at the time, saying he was “strong” and was recovering from surgeries.
Terry “Hulk Hogan” Bollea poses with wife Sky Daily during the Jake Paul vs Mike Perry main event at Amalie Arena on July 20, 2024, in Tampa, Florida. (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Like Hart, she posted a statement on Friday morning revealing her shock at his “sudden” passing.
“I wasn’t ready for this… and my heart is in pieces,” her message read. “He had been dealing with some health issues, but I truly believed we would overcome them. I had so much faith in his strength. I thought we still had more time.”
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