Hulk Hogan's close friend Jimmy Hart talks exclusively to PEOPLE about the WWE star's health in his final days and reflects on his friendship, after Hogan's death on Thursday, July 24.

Wrestling icon Hulk Hogan died on Thursday at the age of 71. Perhaps the most well-known and recognizable wrestler in the history of the industry, he was a major catalyst in the growth of the World Wrestling Federation throughout the 1980s.

On Thursday morning, emergency crews were dispatched to the Clearwater, Florida, residence of WWE legend and Hall of Fame wrestler Hulk Hogan after reports of someone having suffered a cardiac arrest.

However, the project surrounding Hulk Hogan has been in the works for a decade, with Joe Russo being the man who penned the script. Given how much Hogan has accomplished throughout his life, it's no surprise that it took a long time.