Hulk Hogan was taking life-threatening amounts of fentanyl to manage his physical pain during his time with the TNA following his divorce from his wife, Linda Hogan.The wrestling pioneer detailed his reliance on the drug in the new Netflix docuseries “Hulk Hogan: Real American,” which served as his final interview before his sudden death in July 2025 from a heart attack.
Hulk said he signed up for the TNA (Total Nonstop Wrestling, the second-largest wrestling group behind WWE) after he gave “everything” to Linda during their 2009 divorce… and needed the cash. But, it wasn’t long before he and TNA realized he was in no shape to compete at the level he’d been contracted to, so he turned to the opioid to help his severe pain.
Hulk explained … “I was taking 80-milligram fentanyls, two in the morning, stuffing them under my gums here … I had two 300mg patches of fentanyl on my legs and they gave me six 1500mg fentanyl lollipops to eat.”
He continued … “I went to the pharmacy, he goes, ‘You should be dead. We have never seen a human being take this much fentanyl
The wrestling legend got to the point of feeling so much pain, he had to sleep in a chair. He added … “If I just twitched my finger like that, my whole back would spasm and torque.”
His last in-ring appearance was in 2012, and he departed the TNA in 2013 when his contracted expired.