Wrestling Icon Ric Flair Is Cancer-Free, but Rocking Some Serious Stitches
"Hope you stay healthy Ric."
Published July 25 2025, 2:28 p.m. ET
On the heels of the death of Hulk Hogan, the wrestling community learned that Ric Flair, another wrestling legend, was still dealing with health issues. Just days after he learned that he was cancer-free, Ric posted a picture of himself on Instagram in which he shared that he had sustained a pretty massive cut to his head.
Following the image, many wanted to better understand what happened to Ric and how he might have sustained the injury. Here's what we know:
The injury to Ric Flair's head is likely linked to recent surgery.
Ric missed a scheduled appearance at the ATL Comic Convention this past weekend, and then took to Twitter to explain his absence.
"@ATL__CC, I’m Sorry I Missed You, But Now You Know Why! Moving Forward With @FitermanSports, It Won’t Happen Again!" he wrote in the post, sharing an image of a massive gash that had been stitched up over his left eye.
Naturally, this led to plenty of speculation among fans about exactly what happened.
While he didn't explicitly state how he sustained the injury, just one day prior, he shared a health update, and a bandage can be seen on his forehead exactly where he got stitches.
"Thank You Academic Alliance In Dermatology! I’m Now Cancer Free! WOOOOO!" he wrote, sharing an image of himself after the cancer was removed.
Fans wished him a speedy recovery, writing, "17 time champ > cancer," and "Hope you stay healthy Ric. Hope you can keep the booze at a distance," in the comments section.
In 2022, Ric Flair experienced a heart attack after passing out during his final match.
"It didn’t hurt,” he said on the Jaxxon wrestling podcast last year of the cardiac event. "I feel great; that’s my problem. I’m sure I’m just gonna fall off a chair one day. They’re gonna say, ‘There he is. Get that little son of a b---h up out of here.'"
Ric's injury did not stop him from paying tribute to his friend Hulk Hogan.
Even as he deals with his own recovery, though, Ric is also mourning the loss of his close friend Hulk Hogan.
"Am Absolutely Shocked To Hear About The Passing Of My Close Friend @HulkHogan!" he wrote on Twitter. "Hulk Has Been By My Side Since We Started In The Wrestling Business. An Incredible Athlete, Talent, Friend, And Father! Our Friendship Has Meant The World To Me. He Was Always There For Me Even When I Didn’t Ask For Him To Be."
Ric spoke with TMZ about Hulk's death as well.
"People always wanted to paint us as enemies, but we were actually very, very close friends,” he shared amid tears.