Wrestling legend Ric Flair is recovering after being taken to hospital following a fall outside a restaurant in Tampa, Florida, on Friday 23 October.
The 77-year-old WWE Hall of Famer was treated at Tampa General Hospital after suffering cuts to his head and the area around his right eye. He was released after spending the night there and later shared a photograph showing him wearing an eye patch.
“I am focused on my healing and recovery right now. I will be okay!” Flair wrote in a social media update on Saturday 24 October.
He thanked the doctors and staff at Tampa General Hospital, saying they had cared for him until about 4.30am. Flair also thanked fans for their messages and prayers, adding that he would respond to them individually as he grew stronger.
Ric Flair fall in Tampa
According to reports, Flair had been at Wagamama in Tampa before getting up from the bar and walking across the street. He then fell suddenly, injuring his face, and was taken away by ambulance.
Tampa Fire Rescue confirmed that emergency crews had attended an incident involving an adult man who was transported to hospital, but did not identify the patient because of medical privacy rules.
The incident came only hours after Flair announced that he was cancelling an appearance at Washington State Horror Con in Seattle because doctors had restricted his travel to between three and four hours following the discovery of a blood clot in his leg.
Flair said he was due to undergo a procedure involving the affected vein and was following medical advice. There has been no indication that the blood clot caused the fall.
His daughter, WWE wrestler Charlotte Flair, also reassured supporters. Referring to her father’s long-running wrestling rivalry with The Ultimate Warrior, she wrote: “Not my dad telling the doctor he fell bc of warrior dropping him on his head… (ps: he’s going to be ok).”
Flair, widely known as “The Nature Boy”, is regarded as one of professional wrestling’s most recognisable figures. His career has included prominent spells with WWE and World Championship Wrestling, and he is a 16-time world champion.
