WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair has revealed heartbreaking details about the death of his longtime friend and wrestling icon Hulk Hogan, stating that Hogan ultimately died due to “street drugs” after doctors stopped prescribing pain medication. Flair explained that Hogan had been battling extreme chronic pain for years, the result of a career filled with back and joint injuries that required numerous surgeries.
“I talked to him the day before he died,” Flair said, before adding, “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.” According to Flair, Hogan had endured an exhausting list of medical procedures, including “10 back surgeries, two knees, two hips,” as well as a neck surgery that became infected, forcing him back into the hospital. Flair said that when doctors could no longer ethically prescribe painkillers, Hogan turned to illegal sources. “When the doctor would not prescribe any more pain medicine… they went and got their drugs off the street, his body just said, You know what? Bingo, I can’t do it anymore,” Flair said, calling the situation “sad” and “terrible.”
Flair also revealed what he believes to be the root cause of Hogan’s long-term physical decline: the iconic leg drop. “You know what caused the back surgeries? Dropping the leg,” Flair said. “Dropping the legs, jabbed his bones. That’s what did it.” He highlighted the devastating cumulative impact of performing the move for decades. Flair added that Hogan’s shrinking stature over the years became noticeable. “I would tell him how much taller I’m getting, not telling him, you’re shrinking, I’m growing. And the last time we were together in LA and he looked at me goes, I know what you’re doing here, brother.”
Reflecting on Hogan’s death, Flair expressed concern for other veterans who are currently struggling. “I just hope to live another day. Pray for your friends that are suffering now, because a lot of people are,” he said, noting that his friend Mike Rotunda is “real sick right now” and that his best friend Joe Gomez recently suffered a stroke.
Flair also spoke about the dangers of steroid use and modern athletic training, pointing out that steroids can create a dangerous imbalance between muscle growth and ligament strength. “What happens when you take these steroids? You got to remember that steroids make the muscle grow, but they don’t make the ligament grow… You put too much beef on them. That’s why all those guys were… tearing everything up because they were gassed to the gills.” Flair said he personally only used small amounts of DECA and Anavar and never took testosterone or Anadrol 50.
He concluded by emphasizing the real dangers of professional wrestling, noting the high number of severe injuries that have occurred in recent years. “I can think of it in the last three years. Last three years, two broken necks, Big E and Yeah, he’ll never wrestle again, and somebody else broke his neck. But I mean in the last 10 years, people. I mean, we’ve had seven broken necks, yeah, so it’s not a game.”
