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RIC FLAIR DISCUSSES LAWLER HEART ATTACK, GIVES INSIGHT INTO OLDER WRESTLERS WHO PERFORM

By Mike Johnson on 2012-09-11 19:44:48
Ric Flair appeared this evening on CNN's Headline News Network, discussing Jerry Lawler's heart attack and providing insight into why older wrestlers still choose to perform.

Flair was asked whether he is ever concerned about injury and immediately responded, "No. That's our Achille's Heel. You worry about getting hurt, you shouldn't be in the business."

When asked if Lawler did the "right thing" by competing with someone 20 years his Junior, Flair commented, "I think he did the right thing. That was what he wanted to do. To the best of my knowledge, he was in good health. Age is just a number. That is all it is. We can talk about Roger Clemens. He just got a deal with the Astros. He's 50 years old. It's not wrestlers. Athletes have it in them. You either love it or you don't. Jerry Lawler loves being in the ring. He's not doing it for the money. Jerry has money. He's doing it because he loves it. When you've been in the spotlight for so long, it's hard to lose passion for something you do. I don't think Jerry would be happy if he didn't have the opportunity to get in the ring every once and a while. He's better than 70% of the guys who are 30 years younger."

On the outpouring of support, Flair said he would be surprised if Lawler didn't get that support. "Jerry is a hero to a lot of people. I would be disappointed if he didn't have that kind of a reaction."

Flair was asked if he felt like he was better than most of the guys wrestling today. He commented, "It's hard to find 40 years of experience. A lot of the guys today haven't been wrestling five years. Some of them less. Some of them ten. Fourty years and ten years. If an athlete is physically able to compete at any sport...in football andf other sports like that, you lose a second, you lose your step, yeah. We obviously can't do what ywe could do when we are younger but if you still have it physically and you still want to do it...I think it's great that Jerry still wants to do it and I think it's great that WWE still allows him the opportunity to do it."

To watch the complete interview, click below:

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