GOODBYE, BROTHER

FLORIDA. — Wrestling legend Ric Flair shared his reaction to learning that fellow WWE Hall of Famer and close friend Hulk Hogan has died.

News broke out that Hogan died from a reported cardiac arrest yesterday morning.

Not long after, Flair posted a heartfelt message on Twitter.

“I am absolutely shocked to hear about the passing of my close friend Hulk Hogan!” Ric Flair said.

“Hulk has been by my side since we started in the wrestling business. An incredible athlete, talent, friend, and father!”

Hulk Hogan was 71 years old.

Flair and Hogan are two of the most iconic wrestlers of all time and faced off numerous times throughout their careers.

They remained close friends after they stopped wrestling regularly, with Flair, who is 76, saying in his statement that, “Our friendship has meant the world to me.”

“He was always there for me even when I didn’t ask for him to be.

“He was one of the first to visit me when I was in the hospital with a 2% chance of living, and he prayed by my bedside.

“Hulk also lent me money when Reid was sick. Hulkster, no one will ever compare to you! Rest in peace my friend!”

Reid Flair, who is the youngest son of Ric Flair, died in 2013 at the age of 25 due to drug use.

While Ric Flair had nothing but kind words for Hulk Hogan, the reaction to his death was mixed on Twitter.

Some pointed out past racist remarks that the controversial wrestler said, including when he admitted that he is “racist to a point.”

Hogan later apologised for those remarks and for racial slurs he was caught on tape saying.

Last month, there were rumours flying around that “The Hulkster” was in a coma following spinal surgery and a “pretty serious” heart procedure.

However, his wife Sky Daily shut those down.

Daily, who married Hogan in 2023, denied the coma whispers in a post on her Instagram stories.

“No, he’s definitely not in a coma! His heart is strong, and there was never any lack of oxygen or brain damage… none of those rumuors are true,” she wrote.

“He’s been recovering from a major four-level Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF), which is an intense surgery with a long and layered healing process.

“If you look it up, you’ll see what the last six weeks have involved… not just for his spine, but also for his vocal cords.

“We’ve been in and out of the hospital to support that recovery. So truly, there’s no need for the drama or panic some people try to stir up. He’s healing, and we’re taking it one day at a time with love, strength and patience.”

Hogan suffered from a myriad of health issues over the years, many of them related to his back. He underwent spinal fusion surgery in December 2010. — PennLive/mensjournal