Ric Flair Reportedly Cancels Starrcast II Appearance Due to Upcoming Surgery

Following a medical emergency last week, wrestling legend Ric Flair reportedly canceled his scheduled appearance at the Starrcast II convention this weekend.

TMZ Sports reported that Flair was not healthy enough to make the trip to Las Vegas on Friday, which the Wrestling Observer corroborated. Starrcast has yet to announce the cancellation of Flair's appearance.

Flair will undergo surgery Monday afternoon if he's cleared by doctors, but sources close to him say he is in good spirits and in constant contact with friends and family.

The Roast of Ric Flair was scheduled for May 24, with Flair as the guest of honor while wrestling legends and comedians make jokes at his expense.

Flair, 70, was rushed to an Atlanta hospital on Thursday for an unknown ailment and was scheduled for surgery the next day. His wife, Wendy Barlow, released a statement saying, "Due to ongoing health complications, Ric was taken to the hospital and is expected to undergo a procedure tomorrow morning, after which he expects to fully recover."

However, doctors would not clear Flair for surgery on Friday and postponed it to Monday afternoon. There were conflicting reports from TMZ and Starrcast organizer Conrad Thompson, who said that the report was "not as grave or serious" as it was made it out to be and that the hospital visit was planned.

This isn't Flair's first serious medical scare in recent years. In August, 2017 Flair (real name Richard Fliehr) was placed in a medically induced coma for 11 days after rupturing his intestine. He had to have emergency surgery to correct an obstructed bowel, a serious condition that led to additional complications, including kidney failure. He was on dialysis for a period following his surgery and spent a month in the hospital undergoing additional treatments and rehabilitation.

Flair recovered, and on the February 25 episode of Monday Night Raw he was the catalyst for a feud between Triple H and Batista at WrestleMania 35 when Batista attacked him during a birthday celebration.

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Phillip Martinez is a game and culture reporter for Newsweek. Prior to joining Newsweek in 2018, he was a reporter ... Read more

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