The death of Hulk Hogan on July 24 has sent shockwaves through the wrestling world, and for his greatest rival and closest friend, Ric Flair, it has forced him to confront his own mortality. In a new, emotional interview, Flair opened up about the anxiety he now feels following the loss of his contemporary.
Speaking with Clay Edwards, the two-time WWE Hall of Famer discussed his friend’s passing, their deep personal bond, and the fear that now comes with being one of the last titans of his era.
Ric Flair On His Own Mortality
Flair, who turned 76 in February, admitted that seeing Hogan pass away at 71 has left him feeling anxious. Despite his own recent health victories, including beating skin cancer, the loss of his friend has served as a stark reminder of his own age and the toll the business has taken.
“When Hogan went, it kind of gave me anxiety ‘cause I’m 5 years older than he is,” Flair said. But, he had just pushed himself too hard and 11 back surgeries, hip replacements, shoulder replacements. I think he had just had two neck surgeries. I mean, I think his body just said, you know, I can’t fight this anymore.
The Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan Friendship
For decades, Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan were the faces of two rival wrestling empires. Flair was the NWA and WCW, the embodiment of the traveling world champion. Hogan was the WWE, a global pop culture phenomenon. While their on-screen rivalry was one of the biggest in history, their off-screen relationship was a deep and complex friendship, forged by two men who understood the unique pressures of being on top.
This revelation paints a picture of a bond that went far beyond the wrestling ring. It was a friendship built on mutual respect and support during their darkest personal moments. Flair confirmed that he attended Hogan’s private funeral last week, a service that also included Vince McMahon and his family.
A Lifetime Of Defying The Odds For Ric Flair
Ric Flair’s anxiety is particularly poignant given his own incredible history of surviving near-death experiences. In 1975, a plane crash broke his back, and doctors told him he would never wrestle again. He returned to the ring months later and became a legend. In 2017, he was placed in a medically induced coma and given a slim chance of survival after suffering from kidney failure and congestive heart failure. He defied the odds again.
Having stared death in the face and survived, the loss of his friend and contemporary has clearly hit him on a deeply personal level. For the man who famously called himself “The Nature Boy,” who would stylin’ and profilin’ forever, the loss of Hulk Hogan is a sobering reminder that even the most immortal figures in wrestling are, in the end, human.
