WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long shared his emotional reaction to the passing of Hulk Hogan on the latest episode of his Road Trip After Hours podcast, revealing that in a stunning coincidence, he had sent a final message to Hogan through their mutual friend, Jimmy Hart, just 20 minutes before he heard the news of his death.
Long, who had a long and friendly history with the wrestling icon, recounted the story to his co-host, Mac Davis. The conversation provided a deeply personal glimpse into the man behind the larger-than-life “Hulkamania” persona.
A Final Message
“Man, you will not believe this. This morning I was going to… I thought about Jimmy Hart,” Long began. “So I thought about Jimmy, and I swear to you, man, so I called him this morning. And I talked to Jimmy a little bit, and I said to him, my last words to him, I said, ‘Well, you tell Hulk, you know, I wish him a speedy recovery, man. And get to feeling better, man, tell him I love him.'”
Long said that Hart promised to pass along the message. The response he received just moments later was a complete shock. “Those were the words I said to him. And I swear to you, it wasn’t 20 minutes later, after I talked to Jimmy this morning, that I heard that he was dead,” Long revealed.
A History of Respect
Long made it clear that despite never having a major storyline together, he and Hogan had a relationship built on mutual respect that dated back to his early days in the business. He explained that his connection to Kevin Sullivan is what first brought him into Hogan’s inner circle.
“I had the utmost respect for Hogan. I always got along with him. He took care of me. He never disrespected me. He was always nice to me,” Long stated. “I was kind of a little bit in some things with him that a lot of people he wouldn’t have let in. He was good friends with Kevin Sullivan… and I broke in under Kevin and Hot Stuff Eddie Gilbert. And that’s when I met Hogan, back in the day.”
He shared a story about Hogan calling Kevin Sullivan for advice on a match finish during his run in New York, a conversation that Long was privy to. This trust extended to a memorable moment in a limo with Hogan and Vince McMahon. “One time I had the opportunity to ride with him and Vince in the limo to the TV hotel. So you know, what an honor that was, man,” Long said. “And they didn’t hold back. They kept their conversations… because they were letting me know, ‘Hey, you do what you’re supposed to do, then you’re going to be all right.’ And that’s why I did what I was supposed to do.”
“The Greatest of All Time”
Long concluded his thoughts by unequivocally stating Hogan’s importance to the wrestling business, agreeing with the sentiment that he belongs on the Mount Rushmore of professional wrestling. “He’s the greatest of all time,” Long said.
Hulk Hogan, real name Terry Bollea, passed away on Thursday, July 24, at the age of 71. His passing has sent shockwaves through the wrestling and entertainment worlds, with tributes pouring in from friends, fans, and colleagues from his five-decade career.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Road Trip After Hours with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
