Eric Bischoff and “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair not only have a very close relationship on screen but the two are good friend behind the scenes as well.
The former President of WCW and Raw GM recently spoke on his podcast Bischoff On Wrestling about his good friend’s current health status and provided some clarity as well as instruction for fans about this current situation.
“I think that you know, like a lot of fans and a lot of friends of Ric and his peers in the industry across the board I think we’re all concerned. For me on a personal note it’s just really hard for me to imagine Ric Flair in any kind of a compromised position or situation physically. I just saw Ric a couple months ago and [Flair’s fiance] Wendy and we went out to dinner a couple nights in a row. We were both in Montreal together at the same time.”
“And we just had such a great time and Ric is always so full of life. He’s just so full of energy” Bischoff continued. “You know I just saw him at WrestleMania and was able to spend some time with him and Wendy.” Flair went on to put over the article Dolph Ziggler wrote for Sports Illustrated about The Nature Boy.
In the article Ziggler wrote for Sports Illustrated he said things like: “Getting the approval of Ric Flair is the wrestling worlds version of Johnny Carson calling you over to the desk after you just crushed a standup set on The Tonight Show” and “more times than I can remember, after a successful show, my coworkers and I would drop our pants and do a shot to celebrate Ric Flair’s example of working hard and playing hard.” It really was a great article by The Show Off and gave some great examples of how powerful Flair’s influence on pro wrestling is.
“It’s just hard for me to imagine as sick as he is right now” Eric continued. “I try to keep real positive thoughts, say a few prayers for him throughout the day and just hope for the best because Ric is — look if anybody can pull out of tough situation like this it’s Ric Flair. He’s been in tough situations before. Plane crashes and challenges in life that you know — a lot of people couldn’t pull through and Ric has so if anybody — my wife told me yesterday morning ‘if anybody is gonna kick out of this it’s Ric Flair.'”
“As far as any updates go I’ve been able to stay aware of what’s going on” Eric Bischoff said as he went on to discuss how he felt any health updates should come from Flair’s family and fans should respect their privacy in this time. “If you respect Ric Flair I think the best way to show love for him and respect for him is to kinda just refrain from commenting on anything publicly and let the Flair family decide how and when they want to communicate what’s going on with Ric.”
We want to make this very clear that any reporting we do on Ric Flair is simply out of love and a deep care for the situation. We are all pulling for The Nature Boy. His fans love him as well and want to know how their hero is doing. But Flair still needs all the love, prayer, and good vibes we can muster right now. While the wrestling world might be focused on Brooklyn our hearts are still with Ric Flair in that Atlanta area hospital.
If you haven’t heard, there’s been a TON of news during the last 24 hours. Here are some links that will help you get caught up on the big stories:
- Daniel Bryan is serious about getting back into the ring
- MAJOR name spotted in New York City. Will he appear at SummerSlam?
- SPOILER: Former ROH World Champion spotted in Brooklyn
- CM Punk’s legal fight against WWE doctor is costing him a lot of money
- Former Intercontinental Champion signs deal to return to WWE
- Click here for the latest updates on Ric Flair
