Is Flair's Health At Risk?

[TUFFY54]

Ric Flair is an all time great in pro wrestling. The fact that he still performs today is amazing. However, I can't help but feel a little uneasy when I see him in the ring. Lets look at some facts:

-Ric is 62 years old
-He has been living the on the road life of a pro wrestler for almost 40 years
-He is admits to being a heavy drinker, and has been for his entire life
-He is a heavy tobacco user, and has been his entire life
-He has admited to using steriods for extended periods in the 80's
-Flair loves to party all night, and he has for his entire career

From a medical standpoint, it is very possible that Flair could have a heart attack in the middle of the ring.

Ric's party boy image isn't a work. He, and those close to him, have openly discussed how much he loves to drink and party. I'm all for letting a man live the way he wants, but time catches up with all of us. I absolutly believe that Flair will have a major health problem due to his continued in ring work.

Obviously, I havent seen his medical records, but everything about him supports this. He is a white male in his 60's who is a heavy drinker and tobacco user. Both of which cause damage to the heart and arteries. His admited steriod use in his 40's certainly took a toll on his heart. Any doctor on the planet would tell you that this could have severe effects on his health. His specific style also plays a role in this. Flair doesn't cut a promo. He yells and screams untill he is completley red in the face and is out of breath. It's entertaining as all hell, but every time he does that his blood pressure is being shot through the roof. He also doesn't have typical wrestling matches anymore. Every time Flair is in the ring he ends up gushing blood everywhere and takes a series beating from men half his age.

12 years ago WCW ran an angle where Flair had a heart attack because it was believable. It is even more believable today. I love Ric Flair and hope to see him involved with wrestling in some capacity for as long as he wants. However, I think it is extremely unhealthy for him to continue to perform the way he does in the ring.

 

[iwinulose]

ric flair, where to start with ric flair. this man needs extensive rehab, he needs to throw in the towel and retire to a more quiet life, no more wrestling, just taking it easy, no more liquor, no more drugs. i agree, ric flair is a heart attack waiting to happen. not to mention tna would gain a even worse rep for not taking care of people that work for them (jeff hardy is an example of this). tna needs to be more strict about this stuff, cause their wrestlers are killing themselves.

 

[Jeritron5000]

You REALLY think TNA would let someone perform who's health is at risk? What kind of company would that make them? Oh wait...

 

[ECW Sandman]

I 100 % Agree I am a Flair Fan have been for 20 years ( I am 28 now almost 29 ) but Ric Flair is in my mind killing him self look at when he was chugging the beers with Beer Money I was watching iMPACT and I was telling my self good lord he's going to choke from that beer going down the wrong pipe but I really hope he just retires or just stay as a manager for someone and not wrestle ever again.

 

[mrhexum]

I've been convinced for years that, sadly, Ric Flair really does want to die in the ring. It's poetic and morbid and sad all at the same time. Any one who steps in the ring is putting their health at risk, and yes, the risk gets greater with age.

But, imagine if he did just walk away. I think it would be just as bad for his health as it would be good. The man knows nothing other than the life he's led for 40 plus years. He's in his 60's, not exactly the age to start over. Had he thought about this 15-20 years ago, maybe it would've helped. But, while his health is definitely at risk, I still gotta say... Do it the only way you know how Ric, and thanks for the memories.

 

[ChiefAlot]

Im sure he has at least yearly check-ups. Maybe a lame physical but its something. And he's probably on some sort of pills for high blood pressure, and all that other stuff. As for him in the ring I agree. Everytime he is in the ring its like a blood bath. His last match (where he looked like he didnt even want to wrestle & wasnt dressed for it) bled all over the place. After 5 hits. I do hope he lives a long time & is here to entertain us all for years to come but only time will tell. WHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

 

[JuviJuiceIsLoose]

I don't think he's in any real danger. Hell, Terry Funk is probably wrestling in some high school gym this weekend, and he wrestles a lot more dangerous style than Flair.

Plus, it's not like Flair's wrestling a full-schedule like in the 80's, going 300+ days a year.

 

[kris8524]

Anyone who knows wrestling knows Flairs health is at risk. The movie The Wrestler was loosly based on him. He actually did have a minor heart attack, or heart spasm, whatever they called it in WCW then they did the whole story line of a fake one. So, he very well could have a heart attack again that is why he does not do his jacket throw and elbow drops all the time anymore.

 

[GameOver]

You REALLY think TNA would let someone perform who's health is at risk? What kind of company would that make them? Oh wait...

LOL Nice jab

Flair at the age of 150 or whatever he is still looks in better shape then many of the old generation, but in ring he was done years ago and shoulda stuck to it

Problem is, He's lost his mind and doesn't seem to know who he is rather he is just the Nature Boy and nothing else. which leads to money burning a whole in his pocket, he's perpetually broke according to people he travels with, he's an alcoholic aswell and yet still insists on living the Nature Boy gimick

Is his health an issue? ofcourse it is, but the only person that will stop him is himself or the grim reaper.

 

[GLS1412]

I agree 100%. I reckon he will probably die in the ring.

 

[Doctor_What]

I think the main problems for Flair are not only does he not know how to give up but also he cannot afford to. From what we read the man is crippled financially and is forced to borrow. Marrying girls young enough to be his granddaughter doesn't exactly help. Personally I have no problems with him still being around but it is time he hung up his robes and stopped inflicting his saggy arms and man boobs on us. I really don't think he will though he's the new Terry Funk.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I am worried for Flair, it seems he cannot let go of the business, and its like he NEEDS to feel the adoration of the crowd, he cannot live without it.

He looks awful, can't cut a promo now and he just blades every week. It is sad to see.

As much of a legend as Naitch is, I think he needs to realise that his time is over, he is risking serious and potentially fatal injuries every time he takes a beating. A 60 year old man isn't supposed to do what he does, let alone someone who has lived a lifestyle like Flair has. In his book he states that he was told that he would be lucky to make it to 30 living the way he has, and at 60 he surely needs to tone it down and stay out of the ring.

I hope we do not see Flair suffer a heart attack in the ring. It happened to Misawa and he didn't have the Nature Boy lifestyle and was nowhere near Ric's age. Flair needs to remain as a manager, he really does. I fear for the guy, but I do not think we will ever see him call it a day. He cannot live without the Nature Boy and needs the money thanks to his expensive divorces. It is tragic

If I was Flair I would do everything I could to go back to the WWE in an ambassadorial role or something. With his close friend Triple H so influential, I can almost guarantee that WWE would rehire Flair in a heartbeat. He means so much to the business, I want to see his accolades remembered properly and for him to retire a legend, rather than keep slicing himself open into his 60s, look a pathetic shell of his former self and then die in the ring. Noone wants that.

Please Ric, for your own sake, see sense and get out while you can

 

[The Main Event]

if and that's a big if .. ric dies in the ring . i will consider him the Greatest Wrestler of ALL Time! putting young guys over , gave good matches in his prime , cut entertaining promos , etc ... the guys literly have done everything for this biz ... so i'm not worried about him , because if he die in the ring , that would make me not forget him forever!

 

[JH27]

To be honest I loved ric flair in his prime but we need to stop him wrestling. I like him as the manager and mouthpeice of someone as he can cut a quite interesting promo but as has been said he is 62 and no matter how good he was, he has lost a good bit of that.

But TNA seem to be trying to put him in that position now with the whole matt hardy thing and to me that is prefect cause he can still get the money and the rush from the crowd but doesn't have to endanger himself by being an active competitor

 

[AntiChristDeicide]

If he is constantly wrestling, of course Ric Flair's health is in danger. I'm surprise he could want to wrestle at 62 yers old. The problem that he has is that he needs the money, sure he could be a manager but i think he thinks he can be better by wrestling. Anyway i hope he doesn't die in the ring.

 

[Mustang Sally]

Im sure he has at least yearly check-ups.

I wouldn't be sure of that. With his age, his weight, his lifestyle and the profession he chooses to continue, I can see him avoiding check-ups for fear of what they might reveal.

On the other hand, if the worst should happen, I can just see his family filing a lawsuit against TNA, alleging the company should never have employed him as an active performer. Yes, this conveniently ignores the idea that the family could have tried to dissuade him themselves, but in our litigious society, I can just see this happening.

Shut it down, Nature Boy, before nature shuts you down.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

if and that's a big if .. ric dies in the ring . i will consider him the Greatest Wrestler of ALL Time! putting young guys over , gave good matches in his prime , cut entertaining promos , etc ... the guys literly have done everything for this biz ... so i'm not worried about him , because if he die in the ring , that would make me not forget him forever!

What a fucking stupid remark.

Even if you do not care if Naitch dies in ring (and that itself is a cold thing to say), you should still think he should try and avoid that happening. It is still a persons health and life we are talking about here. If there is a chance of him dying in the ring, then he should do anything to avoid that happening.

As a wrestling fan you should always remember Flair no matter what, he has done more for the business than almost anyone in history.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Ric Flair is someone I have some conflicting feelings about.

Ric Flair seems to be someone that is determined to live life on his own terms no matter what anyone says or thinks. Now , in some ways, that's actually pretty commendable. Flair is his own man and does what he wants regardless. There's something sort of "romantic" in that. At the same time, Ric Flair is officially a senior citizen and often tries to behave like he's half his actual age. In doing so, Flair sometimes comes across as kind of a pathetic figure that can't accept the concept of growing old gracefully and with dignity.

The reality is that despite the fact that he's in quite good condition, particularly for his age, Flair's age is something that I do have trouble looking past at times. There's some part of me, I don't know if it's instinct or if it's just because society expects something specific when it comes to the "elderly", that is embarassed for Ric Flair. Seeing Ric Flair wearing nothing more than a pair of boots, knee pads and tights just reinforces that pathetic image of Flair that I mentioned earlier, at least it does for me. He has nothing left to prove or to do and I think that he has so much more to offer outside of the ring to TNA than he does inside it. At the end of the day, it simply does not interest me to watch a mostly naked 62 year old man get "beaten up" by wrestlers that sometimes could be young enough to be his grandson.

Personally, I do worry about Flair's health sometimes. Didn't he suffer a shoulder injury in a match against Douglas Williams during TNA's recent tour of Europe? I've noticed that when Flair takes a back drop, he usually shifts his body and lands on his hip rather than his back, he has had a broken back after all. And I sometimes wonder just what would happen if Flair took a back drop and broke his hip right there in the middle of the Impact Zone. At Flair's age, that sort of injury can definitely be life altering and I just don't see why he should risk it.

 

[Fargo]

I've been telling people for years that some day The Nature Boy is gonna blow a gasket in the middle of the ring. He starts yelling, and then the sweat comes out. He needs to go to the Squared Circle Home for Wrasslers. He is the king of the pratfalls, but one of these days I fear it's gonna happen and people won't realize what has happened until it's too late, just like the way Red Foxx died.