Entertainment
WWE Legend Ric Flair Shocks Fans With Cancer Update
Ric Flair, the professional wrestling legend who has recently been candid about his ongoing cancer battle, gave a concerning prognosis on Monday that left fans fearful about how much time the 76-year-old has left.
The WWE Hall of Famer continues to undergo treatment for skin cancer and, as a result, will miss a previously scheduled meet-and-greet with residents at a Mississippi wellness clinic. It’s the second time he has postponed the event.
“To All My Dear Friends And Fans- I Am So Sorry, That I Will Not Be Able To See You Tuesday,” Flair wrote on X, capitalizing the first letter of each word. “I Have Health Issues, That I Need To Attend To. As I Have Procrastinated Putting My Health First In The Past. Melanoma, I Have Found Out, Is Nothing To Play With. I Promise To See You ASAP. Please Continue To Love Ric Flair Drip, As @_RicFlairDrip Loves You.”
Before admitting to his cancer battle, Flair previously disputed that he was battling cancer after it was first reported by People Magazine.
“It’s the second time in three years that I’ve been dealing with skin cancer,” he told People. “I will be undergoing treatment next week.”
The “Nature Boy” wrestler is credited with helping forge the modern era of professional wrestling, which has become so popular that President Donald Trump was a frequent attendee during his 2024 campaign. Flair’s daughter Charlotte has followed in his footsteps and is a signed wrestler with the WWE.
Flair first retired in 2008 after losing a match against Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 24, but has since come back for a number of cameos, underscoring how enduring his legacy and fandom remain in the world he once led from the ring.
Since then, he has dealt with several significant health issues, including his ongoing cancer fight.
In 2011, Flair was placed into a medical coma for 11 days after he nearly died following a rupture in his intestines.
He’d previously been hospitalized with stomach pains and suffered kidney failure just a few hours later. Alcohol abuse also contributed to health troubles that nearly culminated in total heart failure, according to the Daily Mail.
Despite being given just a 20 percent chance of surviving, Flair made a dramatic recovery after having part of his obstructed bowel removed.
Then in 2019, Flair suffered another “very serious” medical emergency, and he underwent a successful heart surgery at an Atlanta medical center.
His autobiography, “Ric Flair: To Be the Man,” contains candid excerpts about his struggle with alcoholic cardiomyopathy, which is a heart problem resulting from prolonged alcohol abuse.
“I had one vice,” Flair told Sports Illustrated in 2017. “I’m not going to point my finger at anybody else. My vice was drinking. I didn’t have any pain issues, addiction problems, marijuana, cocaine, nothing like that. It’s a fact that I kept myself up all night and always had a good time.”
