WWE legend Ric Flair braces for another bout with skin cancer as he's diagnosed 'second time in 3 years'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Professional wrestling icon Ric Flair, 76, has confirmed he is again fighting skin cancer.
The WWE Hall of Famer will begin treatment next week, three years after first confronting the disease.
Ric Flair faces new fight against cancer: ‘Second time in three years’
Flair said doctors recently detected another skin cancer lesion and mapped out treatment that starts in days.
He acknowledged keeping the news private until now but thanked supporters for their concern. “It’s the second time in three years that I’ve been dealing with skin cancer,” he told People.
“I will be undergoing treatment next week.” He later added, “Appreciate the concerns!”
Before this latest diagnosis, Flair endured a series of serious health scares.
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In August 2017, he was rushed to the hospital with stomach pains that quickly escalated to early kidney failure and near-congestive heart failure brought on by years of alcohol abuse.
Doctors placed him in a medically induced coma, removed part of his bowel and inserted a pacemaker.
Near-fatal memories still vivid for Ric Flair
The two-time WWE Hall of Famer often reminds fans how close he came to dying eight years ago.
“I crashed in an airplane and broke my back, I’ve been hit by lightning,” he told People in September 2017. “But this is totally different. Anything I’ve been through before is nothing like this," he added.
Family members at the time were warned he had just a 20 percent chance of survival, yet Flair recovered and soon returned to public life.
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His 2022 Peacock documentary 'Woooooo! Becoming Ric Flair' chronicled that harrowing stretch in detail, framing his WWE persona as a source of motivation.
Wendy Barlow says wrestling persona helped Ric Flair cope
Long-time partner Wendy Barlow, who separated from Flair in September 2024, recalled how his in-ring alter ego carried him through the darkest hours.
“I don’t know how he survived. What he did was go back into Ric Flair, to be a character so he didn’t have to feel," Barlow told the publication.
When the couple announced their split, Flair publicly credited her support during his hospitalization.
Wendy And I Enjoyed 13 Great Years. As With Every Couple, We Have Experienced Our Ups And Downs. I Think It’s Important For Everyone To Know Right Now That We Have Decided To Part Ways Respectfully. I’ll Never Ever Be Able To Thank Her Enough For Standing By My Side Through My…
— Ric Flair® (@RicFlairNatrBoy) September 23, 2024
“I’ll Never Ever Be Able To Thank Her Enough For Standing By My Side Through My Terrible Health Crisis In 2017,” he wrote on September 23, 2024.
“She Never Left My Side! And For That I Will Always Be Grateful!” Flair wrote.
