12 Things We Learned From Ric Flair On Stone Cold's WWE Network Podcast

11. He Was In A Devastating Plance Crash, And Was Wrestling Again Months Later

Fans of Flair will know about his (almost career-ending) plane crash in 1975. The disaster killed the pilot and paralyzed old school legend Johnny Valentine, while Ric's back was broken in three places. Doctors told him he'd never wrestle again. The most remarkable part of this story is Flair's recovery. He underwent extensive physical therapy, and returned to the ring only months later, and was immediately booked into hour-long matches with Mr. Wrestling II (Johnny Walker). Ric tells Austin that NWA boss Jim Crockett continued to pay him a weekly wage of $1,000 throughout his recovery process, a gesture Stone Cold describes as unheard of. The plane crash caused Flair to adapt his wrestling style, moving away from power-based moves to a more technical offence - a change which arguably made his career.