Just hours after the news of Hulk Hogan’s passing, a visibly emotional Ric Flair appeared on TMZ Live to pay tribute to his friend and rival, sharing deeply personal stories of their decades-long relationship. Scroll down to watch the video interview. Flair dismissed the long-held narrative that they were enemies, stating that the loss of Hogan has hit him “more than you’ll ever know.”
“People always wanted to paint us as enemies, but we were actually very, very close friends,” Flair said. “I just talked to Jimmy Hart yesterday, and he was fine. To have this happen, it’s just horrible.”
“We Had Magic”
Flair reminisced about their legendary in-ring rivalry, explaining that while their matches may not have been technical classics, they had an undeniable chemistry that drew massive crowds everywhere they went.
“We had magic. I mean, it wasn’t like me and Steamboat, but we had a chemistry that was, I felt like, equal to me and Steamboat, but in a different way,” he explained. “And he was so over. I mean, when I went there [WWF] in the 90s, I had never seen anything like it in my life. The music started and he came down the hallway… it’s just an unbelievable relationship.”
He shared an anecdote that highlighted how much fun the two had working together. “If we were doing a dark match after TV… we would go on and say, ‘Room service,’ and he’d throw me in, give me the boot, drop the big leg on me. We got back to the hotel for room service,” Flair laughed. “That’s how much fun we had working together.”
An Unforgettable Act of Kindness
Flair became emotional as he recounted a time when Hogan supported him during one of the most difficult periods of his life, when his late son, Reid, was battling addiction.
“My son went to six rehabs, and my insurance didn’t cover rehab. So Hulk lent me money one time to keep him in rehab and keep him off life support,” Flair revealed. “So I never forgot that. And I went to pay him back, and he said, ‘You never have to pay me back. I’m here for you.'”
He continued, “And when I was dying in the hospital, I don’t remember, but he was the first one there. So how do you forget things like that?”
“The Biggest Star in The History of Wrestling”
When asked about Hogan’s legacy, Flair was unequivocal. “His legacy is, he’s arguably, along with Steve Austin, the biggest star in the history of wrestling,” he stated. “For his generation, he was light years ahead of me.” Flair shared a story about his own father telling him, “Everybody knows who Hulk Hogan is. They don’t know you.”
Flair concluded by hoping that in the wake of his death, people will remember the man and his contributions. “I hope everybody just stands up and says, ‘Man, Hulk, you’re the greatest.’ He made a lot of people a lot of money… he had a good heart,” Flair said. “Too good.”
Hulk Hogan, real name Terry Bollea, passed away on Thursday at the age of 71. Tributes from the wrestling world and beyond have been pouring in, with Flair’s emotional interview serving as a powerful testament to the man behind the iconic persona.
