The wrestling world is still reeling from the loss of Hulk Hogan on July 24, and for his greatest rival and closest friend, Ric Flair, the tragedy has forced him to face his own mortality.
In an emotional new interview, the two-time WWE Hall of Famer reflected on his bond with “The Hulkster” and the anxiety he now feels as one of the last remaining titans of his era.
Speaking with Clay Edwards, Flair, 76, admitted that Hogan’s passing at just 71 years old has hit him hard. “When Hogan went, it kind of gave me anxiety ‘cause I’m 5 years older than he is,” Flair said. “He had just pushed himself too hard… 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.”
For decades, Flair and Hogan were the faces of rival wrestling empires, Flair as the NWA/WCW traveling world champion, and Hogan as WWE’s global pop culture phenomenon. Their on-screen rivalry was legendary, but behind the scenes, they shared a deep, complex friendship rooted in mutual respect and shared experiences at the top of the industry.
Flair revealed that he attended Hogan’s private funeral last week, a service also attended by Vince McMahon and his family.
“The Nature Boy” has faced death before, surviving a 1975 plane crash that broke his back, defying a prognosis that he’d never wrestle again. In 2017, he was placed in a medically induced coma after kidney failure and congestive heart failure, given only a slim chance of survival before making a miraculous recovery.
Despite those victories, Hogan’s passing has been a sobering reminder for Flair that even wrestling’s most “immortal” icons are, in the end, human.
