Ric Flair's wife says the WWE star should make full recovery after he was hospitalized with unspecified but 'very serious' issue

  • Ric Flair's wife has said he is expected to fully recover after undergoing an unspecified procedure on Friday, following being hospitalized  in Atlanta
  • According to TMZ , Flair, age 70, his situation was 'very serious' on Thursday
  • Flair's wife Wendy Barlow said Flair 'is expected to undergo a procedure tomorrow morning, after which he expects to fully recover' 
  • Flair's son-in-law Conrad Thompson previously said that this was a planned procedure and the situation 'is not as grave or serious' as has been reported 
  • The news of Flair's anticipated recovery comes as WWE fans are reeling over the unexpected death of Ashley Massaro, 39, on Long Island on Thursday 
  • Flair is set to be roasted on May 25 during a wrestling convention in Las Vegas

The wife of Ric Flair, 70, has said the iconic wrestler will undergo a procedure on Friday morning, after having been rushed to an Atlanta hospital on Thursday, and is expected to fully recover.

'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,' Flair's fifth wife and longtime girlfriend Wendy Barlow told TMZ Sports.  

Flair was hospitalized due to a 'very serious' but unspecified medical emergency, according to TMZ, but his son-in-law Conrad Thompson told Fightful.com that Flair underwent a planned procedure and his situation 'is not as grave or serious' as the TMZ report makes it seem. 

'This was not a last-minute surprise surgery,' said Thompson, who is married to Flair's daughter Megan. 'Ric's in good spirits.'  

The news of Flair's anticipated recovery comes as WWE fans are reeling over the unexpected death of Ashley Massaro, 39, on Long Island on Thursday. 

Ric Flair, 70 (right),  will undergo a procedure on Friday morning after having been rushed to an Atlanta hospital on Thursday 'due to ongoing health complication' and is expected to fully recover, according to his wife, Wendy Barlow (left)

Ric Flair, 70 (right),  will undergo a procedure on Friday morning after having been rushed to an Atlanta hospital on Thursday 'due to ongoing health complication' and is expected to fully recover, according to his wife, Wendy Barlow (left)

Officials responded to Massaro's Smithtown home following a call reporting an unconscious female and administered CPR during the ride to a hospital, where she passed away, according to dispatch audio obtained by The Blast

The cause of Massaro's death has not been revealed, but officials have said it is believed to be 'non-criminal,' TMZ reported. 

Meanwhile, Flair is scheduled to be roasted on May 25 during a four-day wrestling convention in Las Vegas.

'He could choose to have it done now or after Vegas and decided to go ahead and have it done now because he thought he'd be feeling good and wanted to get this done beforehand,' said Thompson. 

Thompson said he was not at liberty to discuss the situation in any more detail.  

Flair was in a coma for 11 days in 2017 and was reportedly near death after his intestine ruptured. He eventually recovered after having an obstructed piece of bowel surgically removed.

The news of Flair's anticipated recovery comes as WWE fans are reeling over the unexpected death of Ashley Massaro, 39, on Long Island on Thursday, due to 'non-criminal' causes

The news of Flair's anticipated recovery comes as WWE fans are reeling over the unexpected death of Ashley Massaro, 39, on Long Island on Thursday, due to 'non-criminal' causes

Flair has periodically made appearances at wrestling events, many times performing alongside his daughter Charlotte (right), who is now a major WWE star
Wrestling icon Flair was hospitalized in Atlanta after suffering an unspecified medical emergency. His wife, Barlow, said he will have a procedure on Friday and his son-in-law Conrad Thompson told Fightful.com that Flair underwent a planned procedure and his situation 'is not as grave or serious' as the TMZ report makes it seem

Wrestling icon Flair was hospitalized in Atlanta after suffering an unspecified medical emergency. His wife, Barlow, said he will have a procedure on Friday and his son-in-law Conrad Thompson told Fightful.com that Flair underwent a planned procedure and his situation 'is not as grave or serious' as the TMZ report makes it seem. Flair has periodically made appearances at wrestling events in recent years, often performing alongside his daughter Charlotte (near left)

Ric Flair (pictured) competes against Hulk Hogan during the 'Hulkamania Tour' at Acer Arena on November 28, 2009 in Sydney, Australia. Flair was 60 at the time of the event

Ric Flair (pictured) competes against Hulk Hogan during the 'Hulkamania Tour' at Acer Arena on November 28, 2009 in Sydney, Australia. Flair was 60 at the time of the event 

Known as 'Nature Boy,' Flair rose to prominence in the 1980s and 1990s with the WCW and the WWF (now the WWE), and he ultimately headlined Wrestlemania VIII

Known as 'Nature Boy,' Flair rose to prominence in the 1980s and 1990s with the WCW and the WWF (now the WWE), and he ultimately headlined Wrestlemania VIII

In his book, 'Ric Flair: To Be the Man,' he admitted to suffering from alcoholic cardiomyopathy, which is a heart problem caused by prolonged alcohol abuse.

'I had one vice,' Flair told Sports Illustrated in 2017. 'I'm not going to point my finger at anybody else. My vice was drinking. I didn't have any pain issues, addiction problems, marijuana, cocaine, nothing like that. It's a fact that I kept myself up all night and always had a good time.'

Flair has periodically made appearances at wrestling events, many times performing alongside his daughter Charlotte, who is now a major WWE star.

His son Reid died of a drug overdose in 2013. 

As a high schooler in Wisconsin in the late 1960s Flair participated in interscholastic wrestling, football, and track, but by 1972 he was trying to make a name for himself in theatrical wrestling.

Known as 'Nature Boy,' Flair rose to prominence in the 1980s and 1990s with the WCW and the WWF (now the WWE), and he ultimately headlined Wrestlemania VIII in 1992.

Flair continued to wrestle well into his 60s and recently made an appearance at Wrestlemania 35. 

Hulk Hogan's opponent Ric Flair is greeted by the crowd during Hulk Hogan's Hulkamania Tour at Rod Laver Arena on November 21, 2009 in Melbourne, Australia

Hulk Hogan's opponent Ric Flair is greeted by the crowd during Hulk Hogan's Hulkamania Tour at Rod Laver Arena on November 21, 2009 in Melbourne, Australia

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Ric Flair's wife says the WWE star should fully recover after being hospitalized

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