Mick Foley Recalls Final Conversations With Hulk Hogan After Reconciliation

Mick Foley isn’t holding back when it comes to how much Hulk Hogan meant to him—not just as a wrestling icon, but as a human being.

Speaking to WRAL in North Carolina, Foley reflected on the news of Hogan’s death, revealing how it left him rattled and filled with memories, both personal and professional. The interview began with Foley’s immediate reaction to learning about Hogan’s death.

“Well, it was almost shock because he was one of those guys who was larger than life. You just assumed… and he didn’t appear to age. So, you never thought that the last time you saw Hulk Hogan would be the final time you saw Hulk Hogan.”

The conversation then shifted to their well-known ups and downs over the years. Foley confirmed that they were able to reconcile, thanks to a double apology from Hogan himself.

“Yeah, it was a really nice moment. I mean, it was a show, but I believe he was 100% sincere because he not only apologized to me for something that was said oh at least 25 years earlier, but he insisted on apologizing to me a second time. And I accepted it. I considered him a friend before that, but it definitely helped bond. It was a nice bonding moment for us.”

When asked to share memories beyond the reconciliation, Foley turned to a unique experience—speaking with Hogan’s daughter and learning about Hogan through her and his autobiography.

“Well, you know, the two things I think of is that I had a really nice talk with his daughter at one of these conventions and got to know her dad through her daughter and also from reading his book where I was like, you know, we’re actually quite a bit alike.”

Foley also shared a powerful second-hand memory that shaped how he viewed Hogan forever.

“And the second memory is not something I saw, but it’s something that a friend of mine who worked with Hulk in WWE before I got there saw. And I told Terry—or Hulk—this was the one thing that mattered to me. Like anything else is just commentary. But that Hulk Hogan… my friend said those kids from Make-A-Wish and other wish organizations, they’d go in there and they’d just be beaming. And you can’t fake the type of joy that Hulk brought to those kids. Like that was real in his heart, which is why it seemed so effortless. But he was great at it. He made a lot of people happy above and beyond what he did in the ring and for wrestling in general. He was—he was great to those children.”

Foley then described what Hogan meant to the entire wrestling business, especially in terms of legacy and influence.

“That’s his legacy to me. That’s his legacy. He begins there. And he meant so much that we actually use him in setting our examples. So for when I was talking about Caitlin Clarks and ‘don’t they realize she’s the goose that lays the golden eggs?’ It’s like I know not everyone liked it when Hulk came into town, but it was a sense of like hold on because we’re going to greater heights than we ever imagined—and this is the guy doing it. That’s what he did for us. And I think everybody, if they grudgingly accepted it at first, they were really grateful for him when they saw, you know, the way the business had exploded.”

Touching on Hogan’s racist comments from nearly a decade ago, Foley offered his personal take on the scandal and how it affects Hogan’s memory.

“Well, that’s up to each individual, you know? I mean, I got some heat at the time for sending out a message saying I know he’s a good man who made a mistake. I think we all make mistakes, you know? I don’t think anyone should be filmed in the inner confines, you know? I thought he was a good man—an imperfect man—who did a lot of good in the world. And that’s how I choose to look at it.”

He also reminisced about being in the crowd during Hogan’s prime, recalling the unforgettable electricity that filled arenas.

“Well, I’ll be thinking about the times that I went to Madison Square Garden—not as a Hulkamaniac per se. I was going to see a couple of the other matches, but when that music hit, I was all in. I was a Hulkamaniac for those few minutes. But he electrified a crowd like no other. And the lessons that we learned from him, we’ve passed down to the next generations. And so his legacy is alive and well in wrestling and beyond.”

Foley wrapped up the interview with a personal anecdote about their repeated but unfulfilled plans to meet for dinner, leaving fans with a gut punch of a final message.

“It was like every time I talked to him: ‘Hey brother, we’re going to get together for that dinner.’ ‘Yes, yes, yes we are.’ We never did get together for that dinner, but we were always thinking about it. Maybe that’s something we can send to people: If you haven’t talked to somebody in a while, make sure you do it. Yeah, make sure you do it.”

Mick Foley’s tribute paints a complete picture of Hulk Hogan—one that goes beyond the ring and shows a man who made real connections, sparked unforgettable moments, and carried flaws like anyone else. In the end, it’s the heart that Foley keeps coming back to.

How do you remember Hulk Hogan? Was he a hero to you growing up, or do you see him differently now? Drop your thoughts below—we want to hear your story.

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