After a week-plus of health scares, Ric Flair is awake following surgery, before which he was placed in a medically induced coma. Flair, the WWE Hall of Famer and 16-time world heavyweight champion, had surgery on Aug. 14, but there had not been any official updates on his condition from the family until Saturday.
In a series of tweets sent by Melinda Morris Zanoni, which have been transcribed and clarified below, things are certainly looking up for "The Nature Boy," though she made it clear that Flair is not quite out of the woods just yet.
"Out of respect for family privacy, there has not been an official Ric Flair update," said Zanoni. "Don't believe everything you read. Happy to report Ric Flair is awake, communicating and progressing ... but there are some complications so he needs rest for the first time in 40 years.
"He did cut a promo on a nurse yesterday, so anyone that knows Ric Flair knows that's a very, very good sign. ... The man outlived a plane crash and being struck by lightning, he is a survivor. Grateful for all the love and respect sent Ric Flair's way."
That's as good of news as one could ask for at this point, and the mental image of an awakened Flair cutting a promo on a nurse, presumably from his hospital bed, is classic Naitch.
Flair, 68, was originally hospitalized for "routine monitoring" but wound up needing surgery, which was not on his heart. He was put in a medically induced coma prior to surgery. As there are a variety of reports about the specific procedure Flair underwent, CBS Sports will not speculate at this time, though we will update the story when the family releases more information.
WWE addressed Flair's health both on Monday during Raw and on Tuesday during SmackDown Live. The entire wrestling world has been sending their thoughts and prayers to Flair throughout the week. Flair's daughter, who goes by the ring name Charlotte Flair, is currently a popular WWE superstar and multi-time champion.
