Hulk Hogan’s ex-manager speaks about the surprising death of the wrestling legend.

Jimmy Hart in Shock Over Hulk Hogan’s Passing

Jimmy Hart is struggling to process the loss of his close friend Hulk Hogan.

Hogan, a significant and often controversial figure in WWE history, died at the age of 71 at his Clearwater, Florida home on Thursday.

Hart, who has been Hogan’s longtime manager and best friend, mentioned that he was doing better than what was widely reported. “He was great,” he shared, recalling a conversation from a month ago. “He had the perfect food that night, chatting with fans. Just astounding.”

Hart expressed disbelief upon hearing about Hogan’s death.

“I called [Hogan] Wednesday night, and Thursday morning, it happened,” Hart revealed.

When he reached out, he couldn’t speak directly to Hogan but connected with his assistant, who conveyed that Hogan was “doing well.”

“I told them to let him know I love him,” Hart said, feeling reassured by the update. His initial reaction was, “this is great news.”

However, upon learning of Hogan’s passing, Hart felt the news hit him hard. It was a sudden shock. “We thought he was doing really well. We hadn’t visited him at home or the hospital,” he noted.

Their friendship spans decades, from their early days in Memphis to later stints in WWE, WCW, and TNA.

Hogan, a 12-time world champion—six times in WWE and six times in WCW—was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on two occasions, first as an individual in 2005 and then as a part of the New World Order in 2020.