Ric Flair Breaks Down In Tears Remembering Hulk Hogan

Ric Flair spoke with TMZ about Hulk Hogan in the minutes after the wrestling legend's death ... and he got super emotional remembering his good friend.

The Nature Boy sat down with Harvey Levin shortly after Hulk died of cardiac arrest in Florida ... and he immediately broke down in tears.

Flair told us he had just talked with Hulk's former manager, Jimmy Hart, on Wednesday ... and Hart ensured Hogan "was fine."

"To have this happen is just horrible," Flair said.

The two wrestling icons mixed it up in squared circles for years ... and while they were often painted as rivals, Flair told us they "were actually very close friends."

"We had magic," he said.

Flair went on to share all kinds of Hulk memories with us ... including how Hogan once lent him money and wouldn't allow him to pay it back. He also remembered how Hulk was one of his first hospital visitors following his near-death medical emergency a couple years ago.

"How do you forget things like that?" Flair said.

Hulk was 71 years old.