Netflix Docuseries Reveals Hulk Hogan's TNA Fentanyl Use
A pharmacist told him he should be dead from the amount.
In his final interview, recorded prior to his death in July 2025 at age 71, wrestling icon Hulk Hogan described extreme levels of fentanyl consumption during his tenure with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), which began in 2009. The account was featured in the Netflix docuseries Hulk Hogan: Real American.
The Regimen
Hogan detailed a staggering daily intake of the powerful opioid:
- Two 80-mg fentanyl tablets placed under his gums each morning
- Two 300-mg fentanyl patches on his legs
- Six 1,500-mg fentanyl lollipops provided to him
He reported that a pharmacist told him he should be dead from the amount.
Contributing Factors
Former wrestling executive Eric Bischoff, who helped Hogan secure his TNA contract, shed light on Hogan's state at the time.
- Financial and Personal Strain: Hogan was going through a divorce and was "broke," needing the money despite not being in optimal physical condition.
- Dangerous Combinations: Bischoff noted that Hogan's doctors gave him "fistfuls of pills that would kill a horse" and that Hogan chased them with "a quart of vodka a day."
Daily Struggles and Pain
Hogan said the pain was so intense he had to sleep in a chair, and even small movements caused back spasms.
Bischoff described a grim routine: he would help Hogan get out of bed and into the shower to prepare for shoots.
Cause of Death
Hogan died from acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) after paramedics responded to a cardiac arrest call at his home in Clearwater, Florida.
Medical records indicate Hogan had previously been diagnosed with:
- Atrial fibrillation
- Chronic lymphocytic leukemia