WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair was taken to a hospital in Tampa, Florida, on Friday, October 23, after falling and injuring his face outside a restaurant, according to a report from TMZ cited by multiple outlets including Fightful, Rajah, Ringside News and NoDQ.
Per the TMZ report, the 77-year-old Flair was at the restaurant Wagamama in Tampa earlier that morning when he got up from the bar and walked across the street, leaving behind both his phone and his drink. At some point during that walk, Flair fell and injured his face, cutting his head and his eye. The eye injury was described as “bleeding extensively,” and it was also suspected that Flair may have suffered a concussion as a result of the fall. He was subsequently transported to a local hospital for treatment.
The fall came just hours after Flair himself revealed a separate health concern. Earlier on Friday, Flair posted to social media that he is dealing with a blood clot in his leg, and he apologized to fans in Seattle for canceling a scheduled appearance because of the condition. According to 411Mania, doctors have limited Flair’s travel as a result of the blood clot issue, which had already forced him to scrap his Seattle commitment before news of the hospital visit broke.
Taken together, the two developments paint a picture of a difficult day for the wrestling legend, with a pre-existing circulatory issue restricting his movement followed hours later by a physical fall that required hospital treatment for facial injuries. As of the reports, the precise connection between the blood clot diagnosis and the fall outside the restaurant had not been established, and outlets were relying on TMZ’s initial reporting for details of the incident itself.
Flair, a 16-time world champion and one of the most recognizable figures in professional wrestling history, has dealt with a number of publicized health scares in recent years. Friday’s incident adds to that history, with reports confirming he received hospital care after the fall but not yet detailing the extent of his injuries or his expected recovery timeline. Further updates on his condition were not available in the initial wave of reporting.
