Former WWE superstar Ric Flair opened up about his recent health scare during an interview with ESPN , describing the perilous days when he relied on life support to stay alive. Appearing on the Dan Le Batard Show , the 68-year-old Flair described his storied past with alcohol and expressed thanks to those close to him for their ongoing support.
On August 11, Flair was rushed to a local hospital after complications resulting from his alcoholism, suffering from early-stage kidney failure which reportedly nearly killed the former wrestler, per the New York Post.
“Ten days on life support, it’ll wake you up, man,” Flair said during his interview. “They told my kids that everything had shut down — kidney failure, congestive heart failure, everything shut down,” the former wrestling star went on to say.
Part of Flair’s recovery included surgery which removed part of his bowels and implanted a pacemaker. His daughter, Charlotte Flair, who is also a wrestler, took to the social media site Instagram to express her thanks to the fans who sent their prayers and thoughts.
“Our dad is a FIGHTER and your continued thoughts and prayers MEAN THE WORLD to us,” she posted to her page alongside a family photo.
During his interview, Flair went on to detail his battle with alcoholism, describing the extraordinary amounts of liquor he would imbibe on a daily basis during the lowest points of his fierce addiction.
“Between 3,700 and 4,000 calories worth of booze — soda or a splash of cranberry — every day. Like 20 drinks a day,” Flair noted.
Flair’s heartfelt interview on the Dan Le Batard Show comes closely on the heels of an interview he gave to People earlier this week, where he also discussed his alcoholism and the recovery process that continues for him today.
“…this is totally different. Anything I’ve been through before is nothing like this,” Flair told People. “It scared the s— out of me,” the 16-time wrestling champ went on to say, including that he’s “not out of the woods yet.”
Flair’s hospitalization ignited outcries of support on social media from more than just his fans, too. Wrestlers Hulk Hogan and John Cena, themselves internationally renowned superstars, tweeted their support for the iconic Flair alongside other celebrities.
In his interview with People , Flair also admitted to a fail trip to rehab four years ago, though expressed his determination to see his recovery through following the life-harrowing event.
“I’ll never drink again,” Flair finally told People . “I never want to go through this again.”
[Featured image by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images]
