Kimberly P. Mitchell / USA TODAY NETWORK, George Walker IV-Imagn Images
For reasons known only to him, pro wrestling legend Ric Flair decided to make a wild, unsubstantiated claim about the death of Hulk Hogan. While appearing on a podcast this week, Flair claimed Hogan was killed by street drugs.
“I talked to him the day before he died,” Ric Flair told the Doubl3 Coverage podcast. “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. And he had that neck surgery and it got infected so back in the hospital.
“And then when the doctor would not prescribe any more pain medicine. they just couldn’t do it in all good conscience. so they went and got the drugs off the street. His body just said, ‘You know what? Bingo. I can’t do it anymore.’”
After dropping that stunning revelation, Flair doubled down, adding, “It’s all going to come out in the media in the next 30 days. You’ll read about it anyway. I just don’t feel free to talk about it.”
He then tripled down on social media, writing on X (Twitter), “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!”
Hulk Hogan’s widow denies Ric Flair’s claim about her late husband
Hulk Hogan’s cause of death was officially ruled a heart attack by the Pinellas County Forensic Science Center. The report also mentioned the WWE Hall of Famer was suffering from a form of leukemia. No mention was made of drugs being a factor in his passing.
Following Ric Flair’s bold pronouncement, TMZ reached out to Hulk Hogan’s widow Sky and asked her about his claim. Her response? “That didn’t happen at all,” she said.
Sky Daily Hogan also told the media outlet that Flair did not speak to Hulk the day before his death. She also said the only changes to Hogan’s medication occurred after a neck procedure. In that case, it was only done to ensure the drugs he was taking did not impact his lungs.
Ric Flair backtracks on his claim about Hulk Hogan using street drugs
After Hulk Hogan’s widow refuted his claim, Rick Flair took to X (Twitter), to walk back his statement.
“Okay Sky! I got bad information according to you,” he wrote. “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!”
TMZ reports that two other family sources also denied Ric Flair’s claim about Hogan. They aren’t angry with the “Nature Boy,” however. They reportedly said they understood that they don’t think Flair deliberately meant any harm with what he said.