Life can change for you in an instant if you’re not careful.
Ric Flair spoke to USA Today to promote his upcoming ESPN documentary “Nature Boy”. The topic of alcohol is brought up. In the movie, he reportedly states when asked about dropping alcohol from his life “I don’t know. I’ve never tried it. Why would I?”
But now it’s a remarkably different situation given his recent health scare that nearly led to this death a few months ago.
“I wouldn’t even begin to think about drinking” Flair said. “If you ever hear that I’m out drinking again, say, ‘Ric, you (dummy), you deserve whatever you get.’”
Flair said that his drinking got out of hand following the death of his son Reid, who at 25 passed away after overdosing on heroin and a mixture of other drugs. Reid, who was following in his father’s footsteps by entering professional wrestling, meant the world to Ric. He also divorced his fourth wife throughout the process.
“No marriage could survive that” Flair said. “When you can’t find your son for three or four days at a time and you’re having undercover policemen looking for him all over — I mean, it’s not going to work. He was on life support four different times.”
As for those who aspire to be like the Nature Boy, he says that instead of being like him, take his advice when it comes to coping.
“There’s a lot of 20-year-old kids that want to be Ric Flair. That’s cool if it’s in a good context. But if it’s drinking to relieve stress or cope with life, that’s not the answer” he said.
ESPN will air “Nature Boy” on November 7.
