Hulk Hogan was ‘embarrassed’ to be seen in his final days, recalls friend Eric Bischoff

Hulk Hogan, who died at the age of 71 on July 24 in Florida, looked “weak” in his final days and felt “embarrassed” to be seen like that, according to his close friend Eric Bischoff. The TV producer and professional wrestling booker recalled his final meeting with Hogan in Tuesday’s episode of his ’83 Weeks with Eric Bischoff’ podcast, People magazine reported.

Eric Bischoff’s final meeting with Hulk Hogan

Bischoff, 70, has claimed that the WWE legend was keen to get back to work during his final few months. He went on to say, “I could tell he (Hulk Hogan) was weak. He sounded tired.”

The television producer went on to say that he was encouraged by Hogan’s son Nick to call the late WWE superstar, who really wanted to see him but felt “kind of embarrassed for you to see me this way because I’ve been pretty sick.”

However, Bischoff cheered Hogan up, saying, “When I look at you, I don’t see the same thing you see when you look in the mirror, so f*** that, I’ll be down Monday.” The final meeting between the two lasted for nearly an hour. They even discussed business work.

Hogan further urged Bischoff to share details regarding the upcoming events and give updates on Real American Freestyle. Bischoff said all he wanted to talk about was business, “but in a fun, energetic way.” At that time, the WWE star was not “struggling” to breathe, but required “more effort” than usual.

Also read: Hulk Hogan cause of death: What is acute myocardial infarction and leukemia’s role?

Bischoff said he wanted to give his friend “something to look forward to” and told him he was planning to set up promotional interviews. Hogan replied that he might not be able to do that on camera for a couple of weeks, but was ready for it over the phone. Bischoff said Hogan was “anxious” to be back at work again.

Hulk Hogan: Cause of death

Hogan, whose real name was Terrence Gene Bollea, was taken to the Morton Plant Hospital after emergency services arrived at his house in Clearwater Beach at around 9:51 AM (local time) on July 24. Later on, he was declared dead.

According to People, Hogan died of an acute myocardial infarction, which is known as a heart attack. Medical records show that he had a history of leukemia as well as atrial fibrillation, which is a common disorder that leads to irregular heartbeats.