Hulk Hogan admitted he was struggling with his health in the year before his sudden death Thursday and some of those close to him thought he was taking it too far, The Independent has learned.
But others close to him said it was just his way, and that he insisted on being on the road and showing up to meet fans because he was 'running the show'.
Jimmy VanderLinden — who goes by "Jimmy Van" online and founded the professional wrestling publication Fightful — alleges he spoke with people close to Hogan who were upset at his heavy work schedule.
"People close to Hulk Hogan had told me they weren't happy that his management team was 'running him into the ground,' promoting his beer brand over the last year," VanderLinden wrote in a social media post.
The 71-year-old wrestler, whose real name was Terry Bollea, had been promoting Real American Beer, which used his likeness for its branding, in the last few months of his life. The company provided The Independent with the following statement:
“Hulk Hogan wasn’t being ‘run into the ground’ — he was running the show. As the co-founder of Real American Beer, this brand was his vision from day one. He led by example, insisted on being on the road and showed up because he wanted to. Not for money. Not for press. For his fans. He built this for them — and no one was going to stop him from showing up and shaking every hand. That’s what being a Real American meant to him.”
A spokesperson for Empire Agency, which repped Hogan but had no involvement in Real American Beer or its marketing push, told The Independent they also thought he was pushing too hard before he fell ill.
“We also thought that he was going too far with his health, but we couldn't do anything, because of his deal with the promoter and some other representative dealing with this beer business,” the spokesperson said.
Rumors swirled on social media in the weeks before his death that Hogan had health issues.
Last month, Todd Clem — otherwise known as "Bubba the Love Sponge," a radio show host with a long and sordid history with Hogan — told his listeners that "allegedly Hogan is in the hospital and I've heard people say that he might not make it."
Hogan's management and family denied the claims. The wrestler's wife, Sky Daily, said at the time that he'd only undergone neck surgery. His friend, former WWE personality and longtime in-character manager Jimmy Hart, insisted in a post that Hogan had recently been singing karaoke. The post has now been removed.
A spokesperson for Hogan told The Independent last week that Hogan's surgery had "indeed been successful" and that there was "no reason to panic."
"He just needs from time to time a medical check up," the spokesperson added.
But by July, Clem hadn't changed his tune, warning listeners that "I don't know if we'll ever see Hogan again."
On July 21, just days before the WWE icon's death, Clem wrote an update on X, citing people close to Hogan, that the wrestler had been moved from a hospital "to his home in a hospital bed with private doctors."
"Transfer was done in secrecy — unmarked ambulances, garage entry, middle of the night," Clem wrote.
The Clearwater Police Department said during a brief press conference that Hogan was "experiencing a serious medical related issue" when they arrived. He died after he was transferred to a hospital.
Hogan addressed his health when he last September appeared on an episode of fellow WWE star Logan Paul’s "Impaulsive" podcast.
Hogan noted at the top of the show that he’d been up until 3:30 am the night prior, and mentioned he’d only gotten two hours of sleep another night that week.
When asked by Paul's co-host, Mike Majlak, if he needs sleep, Hogan says he does, and noted that when he doesn't get enough sleep, it hurts his back.
“Oh God yeah bro, if I don't man, my back and everything..." Hogan says, implying his back will hurt if he doesn’t get enough sleep.
He then told the men about all of the surgeries he’s needed in the last decade.
“I’ve had like 25 surgeries in the last ten years. Ten of them were back surgeries,” Hogan told Paul. “Nobody told me this gimmick stuff was fake. I’ve had 10 back surgeries, both knees and both hips replaced, shoulders — everything.”
Hogan was active in professional wrestling across a number of companies from 1977 to 2012. Despite the staged outcomes, the slams and slaps and chair shots were real, and took a toll on his body. He recalled advice he received from the legendary Andre the Giant about protecting his body in his early career.
“Andre used to tell me, ‘Boss, don’t fall down. You won’t get back up,’” Hogan said. “It was like a 22-foot boxing ring that had lumps in it, boards sticking up—it was horrible.”
American wrestling star Hulk Hogan dies aged 71
‘My heart is in pieces’: Hulk Hogan’s wife pays tribute to WWE legend
Hulk Hogan's death resurfaces painful contradictions for Black wrestling fans
Hulk Hogan's greatest moments in professional wrestling 'run wild on you'
Hulk Hogan's death resurfaces painful contradictions for Black wrestling fans
Watch: Ron DeSantis’s Hulk Hogan tribute interrupted by ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ heckler
