Hulk Hogan experienced serious health decline in weeks leading to his death at 71

Hulk Hogan reportedly knew his health was declining in his final weeks.

The wrestling legend died Thursday at the age of 71 after going into cardiac arrest in his Clearwater, Fla., home, shocking fans across the world.

However, according to a Hogan family source, he was aware that he had a “weak heart” that was deteriorating.

“He was suffering from shortness of breath, got tired easily, had lost a lot of weight and was on oxygen,” the source told the Daily Mail Friday.

Knowing his days were numbered, Hogan reportedly spent time trying to heal rifts with estranged loved ones.

“He had a lot of scores to settle,” another source explained, adding that the father of two “didn’t want to leave anything unsaid.”

The source acknowledged that “there was a little strain with his daughter and their relationship that had taken quite the emotional toll, but he always thought he would eventually be able to rectify that.”

Hogan was reportedly “still extremely close to his son.”

The WWE Hall of Famer shared Brooke Hogan, 37, and Nick Hogan, 34, with his first wife, Linda Hogan.

Following his marriage to second wife Jennifer McDaniel, Hulk — born Terry Bollea — married Sky Daily in September 2023.

In fact, Hulk’s last conversation with Brooke reportedly took place two weeks before that wedding.

“He was very proud of her. She was his little girl,” an insider told Page Six. “We still can’t believe he is gone.”

The Daily Mail’s source echoed those sentiments, saying his death came as a “surprise and doesn’t feel real at all to his family and friends.”

In the months leading up to his death, there were conflicting reports about the status of his health.

In mid-July, Daily denied that he was in a coma and dying, insisting to her Instagram followers, “His heart is strong, and there was never any lack of oxygen or brain damage.”

She claimed her husband was recovering well following an “intense surgery” — a four-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) — in May.

Over the weekend, Hulk’s longtime friend, wrestling manager Jimmy Hart, reportedly claimed his pal was “not doing well” and couldn’t speak due to a damaged trachea, adding, “It does not look good. It does not look good at all.”

However, Hart quickly changed his tune, claiming on Tuesday that the retired athlete was doing “phenomenal.”