Hulk Hogan has spent the better part of his 70 years fighting in the ring, but his biggest battles have taken place far from the wrestling spotlight.

Hogan, aka Terry Gene Bollea, talked to “Muscle and Health” about the physical toll his wrestling career took on his body, his addiction to prescription painkillers and his battles with alcohol.

Anyone who says wrestling is fake needs to take a closer look at the ravages he endured.

“I had doctors writing me prescription after prescription, and all of a sudden, it became a vicious cycle,” Hogan said.

“I was hitting the pain pills hard because I’d had to endure 25 procedures, including ten to my back, facial operations from being kicked, knee and hip replacements and abdominal and shoulder surgeries.”

Hogan said back surgery in particular left him with a painful road to recovery.

But once his condition improved, doctors still continued to prescribe pain medications.

“It got to a point where I’d recovered from the tenth back surgery, and the pharmacy would call me and say, ‘Your prescription’s ready,’ and like a dog chasing a bone, I’d go pick it up,” Hogan said.

So what was the difference-maker for Hogan?

Cannabidiol, aka CBD, a chemical found in marijuana.

Hogan said he was introduced to it by former wrestling colleague Ric Flair, ex-heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and Chad Bronstein, the president of Carma Holdings, which produces cannabis-based products for consumption.

Hogan said CBD “took me to a place where my joints don’t hurt so much when I wake up. … I can tell as soon as the CBD hits my system, it calms everything down. … I noticed an immediate change as soon as I started it.”

But pills weren’t Hogan’s only vice.

During the interview, he admitted to issues with alcohol.

“I was at a New Year’s Eve party and saw a bunch of stuff that I didn’t condone or like,” Hogan said.

“I saw myself in this environment, and I went, ‘You know what? I don’t know how I got here, but I’m done.’ It was just that one thing. 

“I was around people who believed and behaved differently from me, and I just said, ‘I’m out.’ It feels much better to be so clear-headed.”

Since giving up drinking (and late-night junk-food snacks), Hogan has lost 40 pounds, dropping to a “ripped” 260.

These days he spends his time pitching “Hogan’s Health,” a line of products designed to help people wean off prescription medications through the use of CBD.

Moving forward, Hogan isn’t concerned about falling back into his old — and bad — habits.

“I don’t have an addictive personality. I mean, with anything. It can be business or people or alcohol or drugs. When I’m done, I’m done,” Hogan said.