On a special tribute episode of Stories with Brisco and Bradshaw, Hulk Hogan’s closest friends shared deeply personal and emotional stories of his incredible generosity, loyalty, and kindness, painting a picture of a man who, away from the cameras, was a dedicated and caring friend who always looked out for “the boys.”
JBL, Jimmy Hart, and Brian Blair each recounted specific moments where they witnessed Terry Bollea’s compassion, from his work with at-risk kids to his unwavering support for his friends during their darkest times.
A Lifetime Memory for At-Risk Kids
JBL shared a story from a few years ago when he brought a group of kids from an at-risk youth program in Bermuda to an NXT taping. He told the kids not to bother the wrestlers, but Hogan, who was there as a special guest and “could barely walk” due to his own health issues, made a point to spend time with every single one of them.
“Hulk got up, and he was the only one out of all the big celebrities that were on the set, came over and greeted every single one of those kids,” JBL recalled. “It was just remarkable… He hobbled over. Those kids were hanging all over him… he gave those kids a lifetime memory that those kids won’t ever forget. You got to see into Terry Bollea’s soul that day. And what a good dude he was.”
Fighting For “The Boys”
Jimmy Hart revealed that Hogan often used his main-event status to fight for better pay for his fellow wrestlers, specifically mentioning Kamala and Koko B. Ware. “He had a great program for a while with Kamala,” Hart began. “So one day we’re in a room, and he goes, ‘Kamala, what did you get on your check?’… He said, ‘Man, I got to call Vince. You got to get more than that.’ He’d call Vince and go, ‘Caesar, let me tell you something… we’re having great matches, we’re sellouts. We gotta get him more money than that.’ And sure enough, next week… he got more.” (Note: Caesar is a nickname that some people in the 80’s WWF would use to refer to Vince as).
He told a similar story about Koko B. Ware, who had gotten into a fight in Europe defending the wrestling business and was sent home, fearing he would be fired. “Koko calls Hulk… Hulk calls Vince. He goes, ‘Caesar, let me tell you something. He was taking up for our business. Don’t you dare let that kid go.’ And sure enough, Koko was right back a week later,” Hart said.
A Friend in Need
Hart also shared a powerful story about Hogan’s immediate and unwavering support for Ric Flair during his near-fatal health scare in 2017. Hart was with Flair when the situation turned dire, and his first call was to Hogan. “Hulk called me, ‘Jimmy, where are you?… Don’t go home. Come straight over here. We’re going to get a charter flight.’ So he got a charter, man, we flew right down to Atlanta… Hulk went straight in that room. He grabbed Ric’s hand, rubbed it. He said, ‘Ric, you’re going to be okay. Don’t you worry about it.’ He had a little Bible in his hand, and he gave it to Ric… but that’s the kind of guy Hulk was. He loved Ric Flair.”
“He Was Always Sharing”
Brian Blair echoed these sentiments, noting that Hogan always used his platform to help his friends. He shared that Hogan was the main attraction for his first and largest fundraiser when he ran for political office and appeared at all four of his Gold’s Gym grand openings. “He would invite, try to get all of his buddies into the episodes, into everything,” Blair said of Hogan’s time on Thunder in Paradise. “He was always sharing and trying to get the guys that he liked… some kind of gig.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Stories with Brisco and Bradshaw with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
