Ric Flair is enjoying retirement following his (latest) final match ever and, when he’s not performing in the ring, he uses his time to consistently discuss his opinions on what’s happening in the wrestling industry. From time to time, Flair has even shared news regarding what’s happening with other wrestlers. Most notably, in 2021, his allegation about Hulk Hogan being in poor health caused quite a stir. Nearly a year after Flair gave that update, he’s back again with another report on what’s allegedly happening with Hogan’s back issues, since that's just what he does now.
Fortunately, Ric Flair had some positive news to share regarding Hulk Hogan’s health, during a recent edition of the To Be The Man podcast. Flair revealed that he recently spoke to Hogan, and it sounds like the veteran wrestler is making some progress:
I talked to him quite a bit…he’s doing well. He’s just bought a home and he’s got a new girl. And he’s–you know I hear different stories but as of recently, he’s in much better health than he has been. By that I mean I think his back is a little bit better.
He didn’t specify whether or not The Hulkster’s “new girl” was the one fans saw him with ahead of the surprise reveal that he got divorced, but he did confirm that the WWE legend's back pain is a little bit better. Ric Flair followed up that statement by reminding listeners that his old friend had somewhere around ten back surgeries over the past five years, so even a little bit of progress has to give him some measure of relief.
It does seem like Hulk Hogan is doing better than he might’ve been a year ago, based on his activity on social media as of late. Hogan recently posted a video on Instagram, which showed patrons performing karaoke at his business, Hogan’s Hangout, he could be seen in the background, watching and interacting with the performers:
This might serve as more concrete evidence that Hulk Hogan is on the mend compared to the time that he posted a picture of himself flexing -- a snapshot that dropped shortly after Ric Flair spoke about his health. In either case, it appears that Hogan is able to enjoy life and carry on with extracurricular activities, which is what I’d think most retired wrestlers can hope for.
As for whether or not he would ever improve enough to have another match like Ric Flair, that seems unlikely. While there were once rumors that Hogan could be Flair’s opponent for his retirement match, it didn’t happen. Before that speculation began, Hogan mentioned in an interview with TMZ Sports that he wasn’t interested in any final matches due to the sheer amount of medical procedures he’s had in recent years.
Surgeries aren’t uncommon for professional wrestlers, as the bumps, bruises, and tears suffered while performing do start to add up. In fact, the WWE has been without superstar Randy Orton for quite some time now due to a reported back injury, which he underwent surgery for. If a younger guy like Orton can struggle to come back after back surgery, it’s hard to imagine a retired veteran like Hogan would suddenly be eager to jump into a ring after a number of operations. That aside, I’m sure there are plenty who are happy to hear that Hogan’s health is improving, which could, at the very least, make him available for more appearances at pro wrestling and upcoming WWE events in the future.
Thankfully, anyone looking to relive some of Hulk Hogan or Ric Flair’s greatest matches can do so using a Peacock subscription. Seeing as the WWE seemingly finished with main roster pay-per-view events for the season, now may be the best time to revisit some classic moments and get hyped for big-time matches ahead of WrestleMania season.
