Ric Flair’s Life Was More Dramatic Than WWE
Ric Flair is called the greatest wrestler of all time. But very few people know what kind of struggles, pain and crazy turns his life actually had. His life was not just about championships and records, behind all that was a story filled with problems, losses, and big shocks.
Born but Given Up for Adoption
Ric Flair was born in 1949. But as soon as he was born, his parents gave him up for adoption. He was adopted through an organization named The Tennessee Children’s Home Society, which was later found to be involved in many illegal adoption cases. Flair’s real birth name wasn’t even Ric Flair. He was born as Fred Phillips. Some reports say his original name was Fred Demaree or Fred Stewart. Later he was adopted by a couple named Richard and Kathleen Fliehr and then his name became Richard Morgan Fliehr.
Survived a Deadly Plane Crash in 1975
On October 4, 1975, Ric Flair survived a plane crash. In that crash, the pilot died and other wrestlers like Johnny Valentine and Bob Bruggers got serious injuries. Flair’s back was badly injured and doctors said he would never wrestle again. But Flair didn’t give up and returned to the ring just 8 months later. This incident made him mentally stronger.
Married 5 Times, Lost a Son to Drugs
Ric Flair’s personal life had many ups and downs. He married five times. His son Reid Flair also tried to become a wrestler like him but died from a drug overdose in 2013. This was one of the most painful moments in Flair’s life. His daughter Charlotte Flair also became a big WWE star and is still wrestling today.
Fought with WWE, Also Faced Health Problems
Flair had many issues with WWE too. He left the company many times, joined other companies like WCW, TNA and even came back later. In 2017, Flair got very sick. He had multiple organ failures and stayed in a coma for 11 days. Doctors said he had only a 20% chance to survive. But somehow, he recovered and even came back to WWE shows after that.
Retired Many Times but Kept Coming Back
Ric Flair retired from WWE in 2008 after a memorable match with Shawn Michaels. But after that, he still wrestled in TNA and even had one final match in 2022. He is probably the only wrestler who officially retired many times but kept returning because of his love for wrestling.
Drank Every Day for 20 Years
Flair once admitted in an interview that for almost 20 years, he drank alcohol every day. He said he never stayed sober in those years. Later, he said that this habit damaged his health a lot and he regrets it now.
Still the Most Loved Wrestler
Even after so many problems and mistakes, Ric Flair is still seen as one of the biggest names in wrestling. Fans love his style, his energy and his catchphrases like “Woooo!” He has inspired many wrestlers, including The Miz, Dolph Ziggler and of course his daughter Charlotte.
ALSO REA: Hulk Hogan: The Superstar Who Transformed Wrestling Forever
