The final days of Hulk Hogan were a quiet, severe battle that unfolded far from the public eye, marked by major health complications that were much more serious than previously understood. Following a neck surgery on May 14, the wrestling icon was reportedly intubated and suffering from renal failure, fluid overload, and severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), according to a detailed report from Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
This grim reality stood in stark contrast to the public narrative maintained by his family. Just weeks before his death, Hogan’s wife, Sky Daily, publicly refuted rumors that he was in a coma or suffering from brain damage.
“No, he’s definitely not in a coma! His heart is robust… and there was never any lack of oxygen or brain damage,” she stated at the time.
The situation was dire enough that after being treated at Tampa General Hospital, Hogan was sent home for hospice care. A source close to the situation confirmed the gravity of the wrestling legend’s condition.
“Bubba pretty much had legit info the whole time. Basically, what happened with Hulk was they took him out of the hospital and made a hospital in his house as there wasn’t much left they could do,” the source told Meltzer.
In the last week of his life, Hogan’s health declined to the point where he was no longer able to speak. While one person close to him noted his condition wasn’t as extreme as some rumored, they acknowledged it was significantly worse than what was being shared publicly.
The final call came on the morning of Thursday, July 24, when emergency responders went to Hogan’s Clearwater, Florida, home for a cardiac arrest. He was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 71. Police confirmed there were no signs of foul play. Hogan, a figure whose legacy defined an era of professional wrestling, spent his last moments surrounded by family, his private struggle a world away from the spotlight he once commanded.