Ric Flair (Image Source: Getty)
In February 1975, Flair won the NWA Mid-Atlantic Television Championship. Doctors reportedly told the 26-year-old wrestler that he would never wrestle again. In 1981, Flair defeated Dusty Rhodes to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship for the first time. WWE recognised him as a 16-time world champion. His 2008 WrestleMania match against Michaels became one of the most emotional moments of his career. Flair eventually returned to the ring again after his first retirement and wrestled what was billed as his final match in 2022. The story of the 1975 crash remains one of the defining moments of Flair’s career.
Flair suffered three fractures to his back and was told by doctors that he would never wrestle again. He was told that his wrestling days were over. The accident was caused by engine failure and killed the pilot, while wrestler Johnny Valentine was left paralysed. Later that year, he defeated Wahoo McDaniel to win the NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship. For someone at the beginning of what would become a five-decade career, the diagnosis could have been devastating. He would go on to become one of the most decorated wrestlers in history. Instead, he returned and continued performing at the highest level.