Hulk Hogan Remembered By WWE Hall of Famer Brutus Beefcake, 'I Owe Him Everything'

Brutus Beefcake -- a WWE legend and one of Hulk Hogan's closest friends -- sat down with TMZ Sports this week to share his memories of the late wrestling superstar ... and it got emotional.

BB -- who's known Hulk for roughly 50 years -- told us Hogan was actually the reason he got into the squared circle ... explaining Hulk recruited him to the sport when he was just a high schooler.

The two went on to wrestle together in the 1970s as the "Boulder Brothers" ... and thereafter, they each became mainstays in between the ropes for decades.

"I owe him everything," Brutus said.

Beefcake -- real name Ed Leslie -- said one of his most cherished memories with Hulk came in 1990, after he had been in a serious car accident.

Brutus said Hulk left his family in California and flew all the way to Florida to be by his side as he recovered from the wreck.

"He was there for me at the moment I needed him the most," he said.

Another day with Hogan he'll never forget happened in 2019, when Hulk inducted Brutus into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Brutus didn't get to see Hulk in the days prior to his passing on Thursday -- but he did have a fitting message for his longtime pal ... "I love you, brother."