Ric Flair recently made an appearance on the "School of Morton" podcast co-hosted by WWE Hall of Famer Ricky Morton of the Rock n' Roll Express, to talk about a number of topics including his near-death experience, his advice for living life, and how stupid Matt Lauer was to blow his $25 million a year deal with NBC.
Flair, who spent 11 days in a coma back in August, provided some more details about the days leading up to his hospitalization, including how he had been binge drinking with a buddy in the hours before his intestines ruptured. The 68-year old wrestling icon required emergency surgery and, at the time, doctors only gave him a 20% chance to live.
Flair told Morton (H/T Wrestling Inc),
"I had been drinking ... shocker, yeah."
"A friend of mine came in town from Dallas and we had been out all day the day before (the emergency) and again in the morning before I flew back."
"I got a really sharp pain in my stomach. I knew the pain. That was very similar to the pain I had the last time. Wendy took me to the hospital and my intestine had broken open and that's the last thing I remember. I don't remember anything else. On Monday they put me in an induced coma. I stayed in that and on life support for 11 days. I don't remember any of it. I just dreamt... I had to learn how to walk again. I couldn't walk. I couldn't do anything. I couldn't twist the top off a Gatorade bottle or open a diet coke I lost forty-three pounds."
The 16x WWE champion has been open about his alcohol abuse after since he walked out of the hospital. During ESPN's "Nature Boy" 30-for-30, Flair described how he drank at least 10 beers and approximately five mixed drinks every day of his life for almost 20 years.
Since recovering from surgery, Flair has said that he gave up drinking altogether and is fully aware how lucky he is to be alive today.
When asked about his advice for living life, he told Morton, "For me I would say make the most of every day. When you come close to losing that opportunity it makes you realize all the more how lucky you are to have that opportunity. So make the most of every day."
You can check out the full podcast here.