Bruce Prichard made his return to Something To Wrestle With this week and, on his first episode back, shared an emotional and detailed account of the moment he learned of Hulk Hogan’s (Terry Bollea) passing—and the decisions that followed inside WWE.
Prichard explained that the updates he received regarding Hogan’s health in the days prior were mixed. He had been relying on Eric Bischoff for information, and as recently as the night before Hogan died, the feedback had been overwhelmingly positive.
According to Prichard, Bischoff told him Hogan was “totally optimistic” and in “great spirits,” adding that he was “out of the woods, that he turned the corner and was doing good.” Bischoff encouraged Prichard to text Hogan since he “can’t really talk.” Prichard sent the message, offering prayers, well-wishes, and ending with “love you.”
The following morning, everything changed. Prichard said Bischoff called him as he was heading into the office: “Eric called me on the way into the office and said, I just got word that they’re taking Terry by ambulance to the emergency room, had cardiac arrest.”
While the two were still on the phone, Bischoff received a text confirming Hogan had passed away.
Prichard described the moment as surreal: “Best way to describe it, and because he was there, man, you know it’s like, one day you’re there, one day you’re not.”
He recalled informing WWE staff, which made the moment painfully real for him. “Once I said it out loud, you know, on a group people and everything, that was the first time, you know, that it hit me. And then I cried.”
But alongside the personal grief came an immediate professional responsibility—honoring one of the most important figures in company history.
Prichard said his team quickly began planning a tribute broadcast: “You gotta figure out what is, what’s the show’s gonna look like… gotta recognize and we’ve, we’ve gotta do something that’s worthy of him.”
He also expressed his deep sympathy for Hogan’s loved ones: “I felt so sorry for Nick, his son, and man, my heart goes out to his kids, and my heart goes out to his family.”
Prichard spoke at length about Hogan’s funeral service, calling it “a beautiful service.”
He also addressed Vince McMahon’s attendance and tribute—made all the more notable given that McMahon had reportedly been involved in a car accident that morning, as first reported by TMZ.
According to Prichard, McMahon honored Hogan by encouraging the crowd to give him one final ovation, complete with Hogan’s iconic ear-cupping pose.
Prichard said McMahon’s speech was powerful despite its brevity: “I thought it was classy and the best tribute of the day… short, sweet to the point, and said it all in so few words.”
Prichard closed by reflecting on Hogan’s larger-than-life impact on wrestling and the world.
“Hulkamania will live forever,” he said, noting that Hogan always wanted to be remembered as a hero to millions.
Prichard highlighted Hogan’s tremendous charitable efforts, including years of Make-A-Wish work, acknowledging how seriously Hogan took his responsibility to his fans—especially children.
“Hulk was the master at that,” Prichard said.
