• Ric Flair Reveals What His Doctor Said To Him About Having One More Match
During an interview with Wrestlezone, 2-time WWE Hall Of Famer Ric Flair talked about his upcoming return to the ring on July 31st for his last match.
Before deciding to make this in-ring return, Flair feared that his pacemaker could come unplugged while taking bumps. Flair met his Doctor and he said the pacemaker can be plugged back in if that happens.
Flair said there’s no fear left in him now and revealed what he’s working on right now. Below is what The Nature Boy said:
“I broke my back in a plane crash, the doctor told me I’d be totally arthritic at the age of 40, and now I’m 73. I cracked the C5 and C6 in my neck and I shrunk my triceps a little bit, but my neck’s good.
Everybody knows about 4 years ago I had a 5 percent chance to live, and I lived through that. I had 4 heart operations in 7 weeks and I made it through that, so then I started working out when I came down here to Tampa with Rob, who is John Cena’s personal trainer.
I said maybe I’ve got one more in me, and my son-in-law, Conrad [Thompson] has his Starrcast is around the same time the WWE has [SummerSlam], he said, ‘What do you think about having one more match?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’
I didn’t even have to think twice about it, but before I said yes, I went over and wrestled a guy named Jay Lethal, just because I had to [test myself] and get it over with, kinda like the first time I went on a plane after I broke my back in the airplane crash.
A lot of it is [mental], so I let him slam me a couple times because the only fear I really had was that [my pacemaker] could come unplugged. The doctor said I have so much scar tissue around it, but I’m good to go.
Obviously, I have to work on my timing and my reflexes and all of that, but the fear factor is over. It’s something I want to do and I feel like I’ll be better, and give a better accounting of myself than I did 15 years ago, 12 years ago. I’m confident of it.
You can only ask so many people, I had 4 different heart doctors, 3 different internists…when you get as sick as I got, you run the complications that ultimately nobody wants to take responsibility for.
But I met a doctor down at Auburn University, I respect him and I like him, he understands how I tick and he said the worst that could happen is it comes unplugged and you plug it back in.
But I feel great, knock on wood, the only other thing that could possibly cause any issues is I’ve had equilibrium issues a couple of times from headshots, but I haven’t had that in a long time either, so I’m anticipating that I just really have got to work on my quickness through drills and the wrestling part, it’s easy.”
Also Read: Ric Flair Reveals Which Recent WWE Matches Inspired Him To Have One Last Match
WATCH: Lacey Evans Kisses Ric Flair:
• ON THIS DAY IN WWE HISTORY (May 22, 2003) – WWE SmackDown!
On this day in 2003, World Wrestling Entertainment aired another episode of their weekly TV show ‘WWE SmackDown!’.
This episode was broadcasted from the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina and featured matches, interviews & storyline segments on the road to the ‘WWE Vengeance 2003’ PPV.
Here’s the match-card:
1. WWE Tag Team Titles: Team Angle vs. Eddie Guerrero & Tajiri
2. John Cena vs. Spanky
3. Matt Hardy vs. Chris Benoit
4. Rey Mysterio vs. Crash Holly & Shannon Moore
5. Brock Lesnar vs. Johnny Stamboli
6. Mr. America (Hulk Hogan) vs. Sean O’Haire
