Former WCW boss Eric Bischoff revealed Hulk Hogan was “weak” and “tired” when he spoke to him a few weeks before the legendary wrestler’s shocking death on July 24 at the age of 71.
“I could tell he was weak, he sounded tired,” Bischoff said on his “83 Weeks” podcast released Tuesday, “but he still had that ‘What are we going to do next?’ kind of underlying current of energy in his voice, even though he sounded tired, sounded weak. He still had that, ‘What’s going on with Real American Freestyle? Where we at?’ Checking up on me to make sure I’m on top of my s–t.”
Bischoff, 70, will forever be associated with Hogan due to their time in WCW, where Hogan led the iconic NWO heel stable that revolutionized professional wrestling.
He said he called Hogan — whose real name was Terry Bollea — a few weeks ago after Hogan’s son Nick asked him to do so following his father’s release from the hospital.
Bischoff informed the former wrestling champ that he would be traveling to Florida to visit him, but Hogan had some reservations.
“He goes, ‘Man, I really want to see you, but I’m kind of embarrassed for you to see me this way because I’ve been pretty sick,’” Bischoff recalled. “I said, ‘Hulk, when I look at you, I don’t see the same thing that you see when you look in the mirror. So f–k that, I’ll be down Monday.’”
Bischoff made the trek and visited with Hogan for roughly an hour, with plenty of talk about the Real American Freestyle professional wrestling league they were set to lead.
“All he wanted to talk about as business, but in a fun, energetic way even though he was struggling — it was just a little more effort than it should have been for him to talk at that time because of his larynx and all that stuff got moved around during surgery, so it was work for him to have a conversation. ” Bischoff said. “He was the same guy.”
Bischoff noted that Hogan had a nurse with him who was “anxious” since certain protocols had to be followed, including lifting Hogan’s legs and giving him oxygen.
He left to avoid becoming an “obstacle” and “burden,” saying they would see about possibly lining Hogan up for some interviews.
Bischoff admitted he knew Hogan would not be able to do so and believes Hogan even knew that reality, but he wanted to give Hogan something to look forward to in the future.
Hogan, though, was ready to be behind the mic.
“He said, ‘Brother, I can’t wait. I may not be able to do anything on camera for a couple of weeks, but I’ll be good on the phone. You can set some stuff up for me on the phone,’” Bischoff said.
“He was so anxious to get back to work.”
Bischoff later texted Hogan’s wife, Sky Daily, and told her he didn’t really want Hogan to do anything but get healthy, but wanted to give him hope.
“I said he’s always loved the hunt,” Bischoff said. “I wanted him to have something to look forward to.”
