Ric Flair Says He's Medically Cleared for Final Wrestling Match; Spoke to 40 Doctors

WWE Hall of Famer "Nature Boy" Ric Flair attempted to allay any concerns about his health ahead of his final match on July 31.

Appearing Friday on FS1's TMZ Sports show, Flair divulged that he sought the opinion of numerous doctors before deciding to accept a match:

"I don't have any aches or pains," Flair said. "I know I've had the health issues, but I asked 40 different doctors, and I decided I'm only gonna listen to one. Not necessarily the one that was gonna give me the right answer, but that I felt the most comfortable with."

Flair noted that the doctor he chose to listen to medically cleared him to compete, paving the way for the 73-year-old legend to step between the ropes one last time.

While the participants in Flair's final match have not yet been officially announced, it is set for July 31 at the Nashville Fairgrounds in Nashville, Tennessee, one day after WWE SummerSlam emanates from Nissan Stadium in Nashville.

F4WOnline's Dave Meltzer reported that the plan is for Flair to team with AEW tag team FTR, who are the reigning ROH and AAA tag champs. They will reportedly face legendary tag team The Rock 'n' Roll Express and another competitor.

In a follow-up, Fightful reported that Flair's longtime rival Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat would be The Rock 'n' Roll Express' partner, but Steamboat later said he declined the offer.

Flair has recently been training with AEW star Jay Lethal for an in-ring return, and if he does indeed wrestle on July 31, it will be a massive accomplishment given the health challenges he has faced.

In 2017, Flair suffered a ruptured intestine and was placed in a medically induced coma for 11 days. He later said doctors had only given him a 20 percent chance to live.

Flair also spent time in the hospital in 2019 and said at the time that it was a "miracle" he was still alive.

Naitch requested and received his release from WWE last year, paving the way for him to potentially return to the ring for the first time since wrestling Sting in TNA in 2011.

It is unclear how much the 16-time world champion has left in the tank at this point in his life, but he told TMZ Sports he believes he can go at "80 [to] 85 percent."

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