The recent passing of Hulk Hogan has forced his greatest rival, “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair, to confront his own mortality. In a candid and emotional new interview, the WWE Hall of Famer admitted to having growing fears that his own time could be running out.
The world of professional wrestling was stunned last week when it was revealed that Hogan had passed away at the age of 71. In the days since, Flair, one of Hogan’s closest contemporaries, shared his thoughts on the loss and his own life.
“I think he just got tired. 11 back operations, hip replacements, now a neck surgery… How much can your body take?We’ve all put ourselves in ridiculous positions in the business, but I mean, I’m 5 years older than Hulk, and I don’t hurt at all.I’ve had some serious health… pic.twitter.com/joV16Ek2b6
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) July 28, 2025
“Anxiety That I Could Be Next”
Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Ric Flair reflected on the immense physical toll that a long career took on his friend. He believes the cumulative effect of dozens of surgeries is what ultimately wore down the legendary star.
“I think he just got tired. Eleven back operations, hip replacements, and now a neck surgery. I mean, how much can your body take?” he said.
Flair then turned to his own health. He noted the irony that despite his own serious health battles, he feels physically great, which now gives him a strange sense of unease. “Here I am, and I’m five years older than Hulk, and I don’t have an ache or pain in my body,” Flair said. “It bothers me, and of course, it gives me anxiety that I could be next.”
The Two Pillars Of An Era
For decades, Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan were the two biggest and most defining stars in professional wrestling. Flair was the multi-time NWA and WCW World Champion, the “Nature Boy” who represented swagger and technical excellence.
Hogan was the larger-than-life WWE Champion, the face of the global “Hulkamania” phenomenon. Their rivalry defined an entire generation of wrestling, and their real-life friendship was a complex bond between the only two men who understood the pressure of being at the top of the industry for so long.
A Lifetime Of Defying The Odds
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. In 2017, he was placed in a medically induced coma and given a slim chance of survival after suffering from kidney failure. He has also successfully battled skin cancer twice.
Having defied the odds so many times himself, Flair’s comments are a raw and honest look at a legend grappling with the loss of a peer. It is a reminder that behind the larger-than-life characters are real people dealing with grief and the realities of aging, and that even “The Nature Boy” is humbled by the fragility of life.
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