Pro wrestling legend fears he 'could be next’ after Hulk Hogan’s death
'I’ve had some serious health issues, but I don’t have an ache or pain in my body. It bothers me, and of course, it gives me anxiety that I could be next.'
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Seeing a fellow legend of the squared circle get a 10-bell salute has Ric Flair anxious about his mortality.
After the death of WWE icon Hulk Hogan last week at the age of 71, Flair opened up about his late former rival during an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show.
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Pro wrestling legend fears he 'could be next’ after Hulk Hogan’s death Back to video
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Flair, 75, said he believes that Hogan “just got tired” following the great number of medical procedures he underwent in recent years.
Hogan, real name is Terry Bollea, died last Thursday after suffering cardiac arrest at his residence in Clearwater, Fla. It had been reported earlier this month by Hogan’s friend and radio DJ Bubba the Love Sponge that Hogan had been in poor health, which was shot down at the time by others close to the Hulkster.
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“I had just talked to Jimmy Hart the day before and I didn’t actually speak with Hulk, but everything was fine. I knew that he had health issues, but I thought that they were being embellished by that radio disc jockey. I talked to Jimmy, I talked to his friend and he seemed to be fine,” Flair said.
“I think he just got tired. I mean, 11 back operations, hip replacements, now a neck surgery. I mean, how much can your body take? We’ve all put ourselves in a ridiculous position in the business.”
Flair has been through his own share of health issues, including several involving his heart. In June, he also revealed that he had skin cancer.
“Here I am and I’m five years older than Hulk, and I don’t hurt at all,” Flair said. “I’ve had some serious health issues, but I don’t have an ache or pain in my body.
“It bothers me, and of course, it gives me anxiety that I could be next.”
Tributes were swift upon news that Hogan, arguably the most famous wrestler of all time, had died.
“WWE is saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away,” the organization said in a post on X.
“One of pop culture’s most recognizable figures, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s. WWE extends its condolences to Hogan’s family, friends and fans.”
According to TMZ, “Medics were dispatched to the WWE legend’s Clearwater, Florida home early Thursday morning … with operators stating it was regarding a “cardiac arrest.”
The outlet also said: “We’re told a slew of police cars and EMTs were parked outside Hogan’s home … and the icon was carried on a stretcher and into an ambulance.”
WWE paid tribute to the hall of famer on Friday Night SmackDown with a video package and a 10-bell salute.
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