Jimmy Hart says Hulk Hogan’s health situation was ‘so positive’ night before death

Jimmy Hart claims that things were looking up for Hulk Hogan in his health battle before taking a sharp turn at the end.

Last Tuesday, Hart posted that Hogan was doing “phenomenal” despite rumors that he was in grave condition. The 71-year-old Hogan had battled complications from neck surgery for weeks before passing away of cardiac arrest on July 24.

Hart — Hogan’s friend and real-life road manager — tells People that he spoke to Hogan’s camp the night before the wrestling legend’s death and was told that everything was going well. Hart told Hogan’s assistant to pass on a message to Hogan saying that he loved him.

“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.”

During Hogan’s health battle, he was in and out of the hospital. Hart notes that he was not able to visit his friend because they were trying to protect Hogan from infection.

“It just hits so fast,” Hart said. “It was like, ‘Oh my God.’ We thought he was doing so well, you know? 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. So, that’s what we all did.”

The last time Hart saw Hogan in person was prior to his surgery, when Hart says Hogan was doing great as they interacted with fans.

“Hart, 81, last saw Hogan about a month ago, before the WWE star had neck surgery,” People wrote. “Before then, Hart said he watched wrestling with Hogan three times a week most weeks on Monday, Tuesdays and Fridays, and the friends also did karaoke together with Hogan’s son Nick Hogan on Monday nights at the family’s Hogan’s Hangout bar in Clearwater, Fla.”

WWE paid tribute to Hogan on SmackDown last Friday with Hart among the legends who attended the show. “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase, Sgt. Slaughter, Jim Duggan, Gerald Brisco, and Brian Blair were also at SmackDown for the tribute.