WWE
Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff Writer 2y

Legendary WWE wrestler Ric 'The Nature Boy' Flair to step in ring one final time in July, according to sources

Wrestling, WWE

"The Nature Boy" will make the walk one final time.

Ric Flair, one of the most well-known and revered professional wrestlers in history, will perform in one last match July 31, sources told ESPN on Monday. Flair, 73, will step into the ring at the Nashville Fairgrounds on an independent card that will stream live on FITE TV.

Flair, a two-time WWE Hall of Famer and 16-time world champion, has not wrestled in a match since Sept. 12, 2011, a bout for Impact Wrestling against longtime rival Sting. His last WWE match was in 2008 at WrestleMania XXIV against Shawn Michaels. Flair's opponent for July 31 remains unclear. It's also unknown whether it will be a singles or tag team match.

"I'm going to walk that aisle one last time to prove once and for all that to be the Man, you've got to beat the Man," Flair said in a statement to ESPN.

Flair's final match will take place the day after WWE SummerSlam, which also is in Nashville. The event will take place immediately after the Starrcast V wrestling convention and expo at the Nashville Fairgrounds, which has hosted several historic pro-wrestling moments over the years.

Flair, known for his "Woo!" catchphrase and famous strut, has been posting videos on social media of him training with current AEW wrestler Jay Lethal. The legendary wrestler asked for his release from WWE in 2021 and received it. Flair was most known for his work in the NWA and WCW, which was WWE's biggest rival in the 1980s and 1990s. But he also performed in WWE for parts of two decades, as a wrestler and on-screen manager.

Last August, Flair appeared in Mexico City for the AAA promotion, cornering his daughter Charlotte's fiancé, Andrade El Idolo, for a headlining match against Kenny Omega. Flair got physical during the match, entering the ring and chopping Omega's chest, a signature move for him.

Flair's prime was three decades ago, but he still has a massive following, boosted by the hip-hop community. The 2018 rap song "Ric Flair Drip" by Offset was a huge hit, and, a year earlier, Flair starred in a music video with Latin star Bad Bunny, who is now the most streamed musician on Spotify.

The card on which Flair will perform July 31 will begin at 6:05 p.m., an homage to weekend start times of Jim Crockett Promotions and WCW from the 1970s to the 1990s. Tickets and the pay-per-view stream will go on sale May 27 at noon.

Flair had major health issues in the summer of 2017, needing bowel surgery, which led to kidney failure and dialysis treatment. He was hospitalized for more than a month but has been in solid health since the scare.

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