Ric Flair has always had a reputation for being a risktaker. But when it came to the pro wrestling legend’s final match, the “Nature Boy” might have gone too far.
Appearing on JAXXON PODCAST, the 75-year-old Flair discussed the 2022 tag team match he took part in during the main event of the “Ric Flair’s Last Match” event in Nashville. And the 16-time world heavyweight champion revealed that he learned during a subsequent doctors visit that he had suffered a legitimate heart attack during the contest.
“I trained (for my last match), I got in the best shape, ever since I was 20 years old, and then I had a heart attack during the match. I had a heart attack during the match,” Flair said, via POST Wrestling. “A lot of people didn’t (know). I didn’t know myself until about six months ago because I went and got a — I go to the heart doctor like every six months because I’ve got the pacemaker, right? And they put that on me when I was real sick, not because I had a problem with my heart, but because they couldn’t get over the fact that my heart rate was so low, but it was from all of those hour-long matches and all that cardio.
“The guy takes me in and if you look at your heart like a round pie, there’s a piece of my heart right here, this big, it’s black, it’s gone. The guy said, ‘You’ve had a heart attack in the last two years.’ I said, ‘I never hurt.’ He said, ‘Have you passed out in the last two years?’ And during my last match, I passed out three times, and I thought it was because I was dehydrated. So I went in the locker room, I was with Kid Rock and [The Undertaker]. I just drank two bottles of Gatorade and went back out to Kid Rock’s place all night long. But I had a heart attack.”
Flair’s revelation is notable, as he had actually performed a spot in the match in which he seemingly faked having a heart attack. As is often the case in the world of pro wrestling, it can sometimes be difficult to tell what’s reality and what’s fiction. But if “the Dirtiest Player in the Game’s” comments are to be believed, then there was more realism in his final match than anyone actually realized.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.