Ric Flair Hospitalized After Fall in Tampa

Ric Flair was taken to a hospital in Tampa, Florida, on Friday, Oct. 23, after falling outside a restaurant and suffering injuries to his head and face, according to media reports. Emergency personnel treated the WWE Hall of Famer at the scene before he was transported by ambulance.

Ric Flair's fall and injuries

Flair, 77, reportedly fell outside Wagamama after leaving the restaurant earlier in the day. TMZ Sports reported that he cut his head and the area around one eye, with significant bleeding. An initial report also raised the possibility of a concussion, but that injury had not been confirmed.

His daughter, WWE star Charlotte Flair, later posted a reassuring update indicating that her father would be okay. Fightful reported the update on Friday evening. The available reports did not provide further details about his treatment or condition at the hospital.

Blood clot had already disrupted Flair's plans

The hospitalization followed a health update Flair shared earlier Friday. He said he would miss Washington State Horror Con in Washington state after doctors restricted his travel because of a blood clot in his leg.

Flair apologized to the convention organizers, his representatives and the fans who expected to meet him. He said his doctors had limited his trips to about three or four hours, making travel to Seattle inadvisable. He also said he was scheduled for a procedure to address the affected vein, and that his doctors expected the treatment to help him gain clearance for longer trips.

The reports did not establish whether the fall would affect the timing of that procedure. No further details about either the procedure or Flair’s recovery were provided.

Flair's wrestling career

Known as “The Nature Boy,” Flair is a prominent figure in professional wrestling whose career included championship runs with the National Wrestling Alliance, World Championship Wrestling and WWE. He entered the WWE Hall of Fame as a singles performer in 2008 and as a member of the Four Horsemen in 2012.

Flair’s final wrestling match took place in July 2022. He teamed with Andrade El Idolo against Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal.

Flair had been scheduled to appear at Washington State Horror Con, but canceled because of his doctors’ travel restrictions. He had also said a vein procedure was planned; the reports did not confirm a date for it.