Jimmy Hart Breaks Down Final Moments Before Hulk Hogan’s Sudden Death

Jimmy Hart is still reeling after the sudden death of his longtime friend Hulk Hogan, telling media that the loss was completely unexpected—and hit him like a punch to the chest.

Speaking to PEOPLE just one day after Hogan’s passing, Hart revealed he had called the wrestling legend the night before he died. Though he didn’t speak to Hogan directly, he was told everything was fine and left the conversation feeling hopeful.

“I called [Hogan] on Wednesday night, and then Thursday morning is when everything took place,” Hart said. “So just… just overnight it all happened, but it was so positive the day before.”

Hart shared that he last saw Hogan in person about a month ago, before his neck surgery. The two would regularly watch wrestling together three times a week and host karaoke nights with Hogan’s son Nick at their Hogan’s Hangout bar in Clearwater, Florida.

“He was great,” Hart recalled. “He had great food to eat that night. He was talking with the fans. He was just phenomenal.”

When Hart couldn’t reach Hogan directly that Wednesday night, he passed along a message to his assistant.

“Well, tell him I love him,” Hart said, thinking at the time, “this is great” news.

The next morning, everything changed. Officers responded to a cardiac arrest at Hogan’s home, and the WWE legend was pronounced dead later that morning at Morton Plant Hospital.

“It just hits so fast,” Hart said. “It was like, ‘Oh my God.’ We thought he was doing so well, you know?”

Hart explained that friends didn’t visit Hogan during his final days to avoid exposing him to infection during recovery.

“We didn’t go to see him at the house and didn’t go to see him at the hospital, because we wanted to make sure that he didn’t get any infections or anything else, like if anybody had a cold or brought anything in.”

Speaking from Cleveland’s Rocket Arena, where WWE held SmackDown and paid tribute to Hogan, Hart acknowledged how tightly bonded the wrestling world really is.

“Anytime you lose anybody in this business, it’s such a tight, tight-knit group, it’s like a fraternity, you know? And it affects all of us. And the show must go on and all that, but that’s just the way it is.”

Hart’s reflections offer a powerful look inside the final moments of Hulk Hogan’s life—one shared among close friends, quiet love, and unspoken goodbyes.

Did Hogan impact your life in or out of the ring? Share your stories and thoughts in the comments.