Tag: Ric Flair

Ric Flair clarifies comments about Hulk Hogan’s death and ‘street drugs’

Posted on by Ian Carey

Ric Flair wants everyone to know that he was only repeating what he’d been told when he made recent statements regarding the death of his friend Hulk Hogan.

During a recent interview with the Double Coverage podcast, Flair stated that Hogan’s death was due to “street drugs” he sought out after doctors stopped prescribing him medication for pain. Flair said, “I shouldn’t say this, but what killed him was street drugs.”

On Friday, Flair posted a statement to social media saying that he was only repeating what he heard from family members when he made the comments.

Flair wrote:

“There Seems To Be Some Controversy Over My Remarks That Street Drugs Killed Hulk Hogan. I Only Was Repeating What I Know To Be A Fact Through Family Members. After 11 Back Surgeries, Hip Replacements, Knee Replacements, Shoulder Replacement, And Two Neck Surgeries, I Am Sure The Pain Was Unbearable.”

“A Doctor As I Know Can Only Prescribe So Much Pain Medication Under Medical Guidelines. I’ve Been Told That All They Did Was To Help Him Not To Hurt Him. To Help Him Get Through The Night And The Pain. Eventually That Catches Up With You As We Know With Everybody.”

“He Was My Friend, A Man I Respected, And I’m Only Reporting What I’ve Been Told. Nothing More, Nothing Less. This Was Not An Attempt To Demean Hulk Hogan Or His Legacy. I Have Always Referred To Him As Being One Of The Two Biggest Stars In The Industry, Himself And Steve Austin. I Apologize If People Misunderstood My Statement. Hulkamania Forever!”

Following Hulk Hogan’s passing at the age of 71 on July 24, 2025, ABC News reported that he suffered an acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) and had a history of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, citing documents relating to Hogan’s cremation.

Flair’s statement is below:

FREE WOL: WWE Survivor Series, Flair on Hogan, Continental Classic

Posted on by Bryan Alvarez

Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Lance Storm is back with tons to talk about including Survivor Series this weekend, the Continental Classic standings thus far, the Andrade situation, Ric Flair claims Hulk Hogan died due to street drugs, your questions and tons more! Make sure you check out our BLACK FRIDAY SALE at wrestlingobserver.com and get subscriptions as low as $8 per month!

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Ric Flair on Hulk Hogan’s death: ‘What killed him was street drugs’

Posted on by Ian Carey

Ric Flair says that he believes street drugs led to Hulk Hogan’s death.

During a recent interview with the Double Coverage podcast, Flair said that Hogan would purchase drugs off the street after his doctors wouldn’t prescribe him any more medication.

Flair said on the show:

“I talked to him the day before he died. I shouldn’t say this, but what killed him was street drugs. When the doctor wouldn’t prescribe anymore, he was in so much pain. And he had that neck surgery and it got infected so back in the hospital.”

“And then when the doctor would not prescribe any more pain medicine – they just couldn’t do it in all good conscience – so they went and got the drugs off the street. His body just said, ‘You know what? Bingo. I can’t do it anymore.’”

He later added, “It’s all going to come out in the media in the next 30 days. You’ll read about it anyway. I just don’t feel free to talk about it.”

Flair also spoke about Hogan having needed 10 back surgeries and how he’d always joke with him that if he didn’t drop all those leg drops during his career, he’d be walking around fine.

“But that made him the Hulkster,” he continued.

Hulk Hogan passed away at 71 years old on July 24, 2025. According to a report from ABC News, his death was due to an acute myocardial infarction (heart attack), and he also had a history of chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Flair’s comments about Hogan buying street drugs when he wasn’t able to get more prescribed by his doctors come in around the 40-minute and 35-second mark of the interview (cued in the video below.):

Ric Flair: ‘Wrestling is in a good place right now’

Posted on by Ian Carey

Ric Flair says that wrestling is in a good place right now.

During a recent interview with CasinoBeats, Flair discussed not appearing on the AEW Blood & Guts show in Greensboro earlier this month due to a torn rotator cuff. He cut a promo before the crowd at the show but didn’t take part in a planned segment involving Ricky Steamboat and FTR. However, Flair says he watched the segment and loved it.

Flair said:

“I just loved it. I wish that I had been able to do something with Ricky, but my shoulder didn’t allow it. But I try to see him as much as I can. Him and Shawn Michaels are the two best babyfaces ever of all time. Nobody comes close.”

Flair also provided an update on his injury:

“I’m better, I’m doing fine. I’ll probably have to have something done with it, but I have a long weekend ahead of me with two appearances. One in California and one in Chicago. And then next week, I’ll figure out when I have time to go down there and get it looked at. Tony Khan is a really great guy. The guys over in AEW are great. Wrestling is in a good place right now.”

This weekend, Flair did an appearance with Sting in Santa Clara, CA on Saturday and was at the Chicago Sports Spectacular on Sunday.

Flair continued to say of Khan:

“I can’t say enough good things about him. He is fantastic, and he is just a total gentleman, and I think he legitimately cares about everybody. They’re not just a number to him. I think he legitimately cares about everybody that works for him.”

Flair says it’d be difficult for AEW to catch WWE but thinks it’s great for the business that wrestlers have another place to work.

“WWE/WWF has been around forever, and it’d be very difficult to overtake them. They have so much momentum, and now they have this new deal with ESPN. But I think it’s great for the business and for the guys that have an opportunity to work in other places as well.”

He was asked about Chris Jericho recently saying he felt TNA Wrestling looked like the number two promotion in the world due to the attendance at Bound For Glory. Flair responded that he doesn’t really follow TNA much.

“Oh, I like AEW much more than TNA. I don’t know much about TNA because I haven’t seen it. AEW has some really great performers.”

Flair posted the below apology after having to miss Blood & Guts:

DragonKingKarl: The 1991 WWF steroid scandal

Posted on by Karl Stern

Today on the DragonKingKarl Show, Karl Stern’s time machine takes us back to 1991, a time when pro wrestling was about as low as it could go.

Business was horrendous across the board, the WWF was plagued by multiple scandals, and WCW is drawing less than 1000 people to some of its hottest areas.

In a November 1991 issue of Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter, he breaks down all the information one needed to know about pro wrestling and steroids, plus an interesting write-up about how WWF was forced to edit the NWA World title belt out of its TV shows and what they did about it.

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Ric Flair apologizes for having to leave AEW event

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Ric Flair has issued an apology for having to leave AEW Blood and Guts 2025 without making his scheduled appearance on the live broadcast.

The 76-year-old wrestling icon made the trip to Greensboro, North Carolina last Wednesday and did appear in front of the crowd before Blood and Guts began. However, despite being advertised, he did not play any role on the Dynamite show itself. Dave Meltzer reported that the reason for that was because Flair had to leave early due to being in a lot of pain from a rotator cuff injury that he’s suffering from.

Flair confirmed that in a tweet today, apologizing to everyone and saying that he would never disappoint people intentionally. Flair said he looks forward to the next time he’s invited to an AEW show.

“I Want To Apologize To Everyone For Having To Leave The @AEW Show Early Last Wednesday Due To My Rotator Cuff Injury,” he wrote. “I Appreciate @TonyKhan Giving Me The Opportunity To Be On The Show. It Was Nice Catching Up With All The Great Talent And Ricky Steamboat. I Look Forward To Being Invited Again. After I Have My Shoulder Healed Up, I Will Be Back Up & Running. I Just Want You All To Know That I Would Never Disappoint You Intentionally.”

Both Flair and Ricky Steamboat, huge stars in Greensboro during their wrestling days, were advertised for the Dynamite episode. Steamboat did appear on the broadcast in a segment where he was attacked by FTR until Brody King & Bandido made the save.

Despite only making rare appearances, Flair is still under contract with AEW. He was brought into the promotion to be part of Sting’s retirement run and for a sponsorship with his Woooo! Energy drink. That sponsorship deal has since ended.

Flair also appeared at an AEW show this May for a segment where he honored his late friend Steve “Mongo” McMichael.

WOL: AEW Blood & Guts aftermath, injury/health updates, daily news

Posted on by Bryan Alvarez

Image: AEW

Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Filthy Tom Lawlor is back with tons to talk about including health updates on everyone from Jim Ross to Ric Flair to Bianca Belair and more, the full BLOOD AND GUTS recap from Wednesday, ratings notes, AJ Styles’ retirement, and tons more! A fun show as always so check it out~!

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WOR: AEW Blood and Guts, Flair’s whereabouts, Jericho’s TNA praise

Posted on by Bryan Alvarez

Image: AEW

Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with tons to talk about including a full recap of AEW Blood and Guts, all the CRAZY matches and angles, NXT TV, updates on Ric Flair, Chris Jericho, Survivor Series, Tanahashi vs. Okada, Eddy Guerrero, Arena Mexico, ratings, and tons more.

A fun show as always so check it out~!

Timestamps:
Start: Ric Flair update
2:34: Chris Jericho talks TNA
8:50: WWE Survivor Series updates
9:13: Hiroshi Tanahashi’s birthday, 20th anniversary of Eddie Guerrero’s death
23:24: CMLL notes, ratings
32:02: Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame issue out this Friday, Anthony Joshua vs. Jake Paul being finalized
38:52: AEW Blood & Guts recap
1:07:43: WWE NXT notes

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Exclusive on Ric Flair not appearing during AEW Blood and Guts broadcast

Posted on by Josh Nason

Fans online were curious as to why Ric Flair didn’t appear on the live AEW Blood and Guts edition of Dynamite as advertised, especially alongside Ricky Steamboat during an in-ring segment with FTR.

Our Dave Meltzer is reporting that Flair was indeed in attendance in Greensboro, North Carolina, but instead did a brief appearance for the live crowd (seen below) and then left due to him being in “a ton of pain” due to a recent rotator cuff tear.

Meltzer didn’t have any details as when or how Flair suffered the injury, but noted that AEW had to change the show around as Flair was originally booked to do something which is assumed to be the aforementioned Steamboat/FTR segment. As recently as late-July, Flair said he was pain-free and also cancer-free.

Despite his Woooo Energy drink deal wrapping up that covered his pay, Flair has remained under AEW employment. He appeared on AEW TV earlier this year as he paid tribute to longtime friend and former Four Horsemen member Steve “Mongo” McMichael after his passing.

Two wrestling legends to appear at AEW Blood & Guts

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Two legends will appear at Blood & Guts this Wednesday.

It was announced during AEW Collision on Saturday that Ricky ‘The Dragon’ Steamboat and Ric Flair would be in attendance this Wednesday in Greensboro, North Carolina. Both wrestlers have a well renowned history with the city, a longtime wrestling hotbed dating back to the days of the Mid-Atlantic territory.

Ric Flair has appeared on AEW television before, with his energy drink being associated with the promotion at one point. Back in May, he appeared on an episode of Collision to pay tribute to former Four Horsemen member Steve ‘Mongo’ McMichael.

Steamboat has also previously appeared on AEW television in an angle with Ricky Starks, where Starks attacked Steamboat with a strap that ultimately led to a strap match between Starks and Bryan Danielson.

The updated lineup for Dynamite:

AEW Blood & Guts lineup | Wednesday, November 12 | Greensboro, NC

  • Women’s Blood & Guts match: Mina Shirakawa, Kris Statlander, Toni Storm, Jamie Hayter, Willow Nightingale & Harley Cameron vs. Thekla, Skye Blue, Julia Hart, Marina Shafir, Megan Bayne & Mercedes Mone
  • Men’s Blood & Guts match: Jon Moxley, Wheeler Yuta, Claudio Castagnoli, PAC & Daniel Garcia vs. Mark Briscoe, Orange Cassidy, Darby Allin, Roderick Strong & Kyle O’Reilly
  • AEW World Champion Hangman Page vs. Powerhouse Hobbs in a non-title falls count anywhere match
  • Ricky Steamboat & Ric Flair to appear

DragonKingKarl Show: A look back at Flair vs. Vader from WCW Starrcade 1993

Posted on by Karl Stern

Today on the DragonKingKarl Show, Karl Stern hops in the wrestling time machine and travels back to January 1994 for a look at an old Wrestling Observer Newsletter which covered the previous December’s incredible WCW Starrcade 1993.

The early 1990s has a reputation for being the worst era in modern pro wrestling history and, to an extent, that is true. However, there were many diamonds in this rough during this era and Ric Flair regaining the WCW title from Vader after original opponent Sid Vicious was fired is one of those.

Join Karl as we look back at this great match from a not-so-great era.

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DragonKingKarl: The 1990 wrestling year in review

Posted on by Karl Stern

On this edition of the DragonKingKarl Show, I grab the March 1991 issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated which covers 1990 in-depth.

Besides the annual year-end awards, the magazine also covered the major events of a hugely transitional year.

Ric Flair was no longer king of the NWA with Sting now the reigning World Champion. Hulk Hogan was out of the WWF title picture as Ultimate Warrior now had that championship. The AWA was still barely hanging on, and a major angle in USWA was grabbing attention, while a newcomer named Steve Austin was making waves in Texas.

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January 7, 2008 Observer Newsletter: UFC 79 recap, Ric Flair vs. Triple H in Greensboro

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

So at around midnight or so in Las Vegas on 12/29, a few hours after the end of UFC, after people had eaten their late dinner, heading up the elevator at the Mandalay Bay, some drunk guys were still buzzing. “Man, we saw history.”

A few hours before, in a different world and a very different place, the Greensboro Coliseum, fans may have also seen history, although most won’t know it until they look back. To hardcore MMA fans, Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva was their Hulk Hogan vs. Ric Flair, or maybe Ray Leonard vs. Marvin Hagler for those who haven’t been to a live UFC show and realize it’s so much like 1970s pro wrestling in intensity and 1980s pro wrestling in atmosphere that it’s almost scary. If there was one thing evident quickly while attending the weigh-in, is that Liddell’s two losses this year, and Silva’s two losses, may mean they were washed up on the Internet boards, but those people and the hardcore fans who come to the weigh-ins are completely different animals.

Subscribers can read this issue here.

December 31, 2007 Observer Newsletter: Year in review, history of Ric Flair in Greensboro

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

In compiling these numbers, there are a few things to note. Because WWE has elaborate stages when it tapes television, it cutes the capacity of arenas down significantly. In a 19,000-seat arena, a sold out Raw is only going to be around 13,500 fans, and Smackdown would be closer to 12,000. WWE can top 15,000 for regular house shows without staging, but virtually never does in North America. By that standard, if you compare these numbers with other periods in wrestling history, from a live attendance perspective, things are pretty bad. WWE used to top 15,000 in Madison Square Garden alone a dozen times per year during the territorial days. But it’s a different game today.

Even though the perception is that UFC is declining and boxing had a banner year, when you compare the top 15 PPV shows, you note a different story. Boxing had one record setting fight that skewed things. If anything, from a monthly get your friends together and watch the PPV aspect, UFC looks to have become No. 1 far more decidedly this past year.

Subscribers can read this issue here.

Ric Flair doubts Chris Jericho would get Cena-type WWE sendoff

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Ric Flair doubts that Chris Jericho would get a John Cena-type sendoff if he were to return to WWE.

While speaking with Escapist Magazine for a new interview, Flair was asked about the rumors that Jericho could return to WWE when his AEW contract expires at the end of this year. Flair spoke highly of Jericho as a person and performer but said he doesn’t think WWE would give him a final run like Cena is currently on.

“Well, of course I do because Chris has meant a lot to the business,” Flair responded when asked if he thinks Jericho deserves a final WWE run. “But I don’t think he’ll get it. I’m sure he’ll go to the Hall of Fame. I mean, he’s been a Hall of Fame athlete, human being, wrestler, everything. But I would doubt very seriously if he’d get the kind of deal that John Cena got. I could be wrong. I would enjoy it. But John had a level of popularity very similar to The Rock’s. He was huge. Everyone loved him. It might be a bit of a stretch to see him back in there, but you never know.”

Flair and Jericho have been co-workers in WCW, WWE, and AEW, and Flair still remains under AEW contract despite only very making infrequent appearances since being part of Sting’s retirement run.

A WWE return would mark Jericho’s first time back with the company in more than seven years. He joined AEW at its 2019 launch and was the promotion’s inaugural World Champion. For much of 2025, Jericho has been off AEW programming after taking a break in April amid negative crowd reactions he was receiving.

Tony Khan expressed last week that he would love to have Jericho back if and when the time presents itself, saying that Jericho is “always in the highest of standing in AEW or ROH.”