Pro wrestling legend Ric Flair recovering after falling outside Tampa restaurant
Ric Flair: The "Nature Boy" thanked his fans for their thoughts and prayers after he was hospitalized on Friday in Tampa, Florida. (Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images))
By Bob D'Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
TAMPA, Fla. — Professional wrestling legend Ric Flair is recovering after falling outside of a west-central Florida restaurant on Friday.
Flair, 77, a WWE Hall of Famer known as “The Nature Boy,” allegedly fell while leaving Wagamama, an Asian fusion restaurant in downtown Tampa, TMZ reported. He was taken by ambulance to an area hospital after suffering injuries to his eye and face, according to the celebrity gossip outlet.
Flair, a 16-time world heavyweight wrestling champion – who touted himself as a “stylin’, profilin’, limousine riding, jet flying, kiss-stealing, wheelin’ n’ dealin’ son of a gun” during his heyday in the ring, posted an update on his social media accounts.
Flair published a photograph of himself wearing an eyepatch, adding that he “will be okay.”
“Thank you all for the messages and prayers! I will get back to you each individually as I get stronger,” Flair wrote. Thank you to all the Tampa General Hospital Staff and doctors that put up with me until 4:30 a.m. I appreciate you all and thank you for everything you did for me! I am focused on my healing and recovery right now.”
Flair, whose legal name is Richard Morgan Fliehr, fell hours after he announced that he had to cancel a scheduled appearance in Seattle because of a blood clot in his leg, WTVT reported.
Flair apologized on social media, adding that his doctors had limited his traveling time to three to four hours. He noted that he was scheduled to have a procedure to strip the affected vein, that his doctors believe he will be cleared for more traveling after he heals.
“As disappointed as I am, I have to put my health and recovery first.”
During his more than four-decade career in the squared circle, Flair won the NWA world heavyweight title eight times. He captured the WCW world title six times and was a two-time WWF (now WWE) world champion.
Flair’s first pro match came in December 1972. Nearly 50 years later, Flair competed in his last “official” match on July 22, 2022, when he was 73. He teamed with his son-in-law, Andrade El Idolo, against Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett in Nashville, Tennessee.
Photos: Ric Flair through the years Here are some memorable photos of Ric “The Nature Boy” Flair through the years. (AP Photo/Charles Sykes)
Photos: Ric Flair through the years Ric Flair, left, gets ready to hit Roddy Piper during a match in May 1981. (The Stanley Weston Archive/Getty Images)
Photos: Ric Flair through the years. Ric Flair, left, prepares to meet former champion Dory Funk Jr. in a November 1984 bout. (WWE/WWE via Getty Images)
Photos: Ric Flair through the years Rick Flair battles Road Warrior Hawk during a 1988 match. (B Bennett/Getty Images)
Photos: Ric Flair through the years Ric Flair, right, confronts Hulk Hogan as the Undertaker and Paul Bearer look on in 1991. (WWE/WWE via Getty Images)
Photos: Ric Flair through the years Ric Flair poses for a portrait circa February 1992. (WWE/WWE via Getty Images)
Photos: Ric Flair through the years Ric Flair before a 1992 show at Madison Square Garden. (Mirrorpix/Mirrorpix via Getty Images)
Photos: Ric Flair through the years 2003: World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) professional wrestler Ric Flair and Trish Stratus participate in a panel during the "Professor for a Day" event at Nassau Community College March 3, 2003, in Garden City, New York. (Steven Henry/Getty Images)
Photos: Ric Flair through the years 2004: WWE wrestlers (from left) Ric Flair, Triple H, Batista, Randy Orton, Stacy Keibler and Miss Jackie attend the New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics NBA game March 9, 2004, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. (Ray Amati/Getty Images)
Photos: Ric Flair through the years 2007: Wrestler Ric Flair on the sidelines before the NFC Championship game as the Chicago Bears host the New Orleans Saints on Jan. 21, 2007, at Soldier Field, Chicago. (Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)
Photos: Ric Flair through the years 2008: Recording artist Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson and pro wrestler Ric Flair attend the after party for Fox Searchlight's "The Wrestler" held at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on December 16, 2008, in Beverly Hills, California. (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Photos: Ric Flair through the years 2009: WWE Superstar Chris Jericho throws into the air former professional wrestler Ric Flair during WrestleMania 25 at Reliant Stadium on April 5, 2009, in Houston. (Bill Olive/Getty Images)
Photos: Ric Flair through the years 2010: Former American Professional Wrestler Ric Flair performs his famous yell "Wooooo!" for the media during the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway, held at the Embassy Suites, on January 20, 2010, in Concord, North Carolina. (Jason Smith/Getty Images)
Photos: Ric Flair through the years 2015: John McEnroe (left) and Ric Flair speak at the Delta Air Lines VIP Reception & Chalk Talk, previewing the "Delta Passport to Madison Square Garden," a first-class sports and entertainment experience, on March 3, 2015, in New York City. (Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for Delta)
Photos: Ric Flair through the years 2016: Professional wrestler Ric Flair (left) attends the 2016 ESPYS at Microsoft Theater on July 13, 2016, in Los Angeles. (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Photos: Ric Flair through the years 2017: Professional wrestler Ric Flair (left), director Rory Karpf and ESPN Films & Original Content VP and Executive Producer John Dahl "ESPN's 30 for 30: 'Nature Boy'" speak onstage during the ESPN portion of the 2017 Summer Television Critics Association Press Tour at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on July 26, 2017, in Beverly Hills, California. (Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
Photos: Ric Flair through the years 2019: Professional wrestler Ric Flair throws out the first pitch before a baseball game between the Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on August 21, 2019, in Houston. (Bob Levey/Getty Images)
Photos: Ric Flair through the years 2020: Ric Flair and Poo-Pourri Spokeswoman Bethany appear at the Wynwood Marketplace on February 1, 2020, in Miami. (Gerardo Mora/Getty Images for Poo-Pourri)
Photos: Ric Flair through the years 2021: Former professional wrestler Ric Flair on the field before the game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans at TIAA Bank Field on December 19, 2021, in Jacksonville, Florida. (Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
Photos: Ric Flair through the years 2022: Jeff Jarrett and Ric Flair in action during Ric Flair's Last Match at Nashville Municipal Auditorium on July 31, 2022, in Nashville, Tennessee. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
Photos: Ric Flair through the years Ric Flair attends the 2023 Music City Walk of Fame Induction ceremony in Nashville, Tennessee in October 2023. (Terry Wyatt/Getty Images)
Photos: Ric Flair through the years WWE Hall of Fame wrestler Ric Flair speaks to the media prior to the running of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Bass Pro Shops Night Race on Sept. 19, 2026, at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee. (Icon Sportswire/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)