The Tragic Life and Times of Ric Flair

#3 Allegedly hit by lightning in the late 1970s

Lightning almost halted the Nature Boy's ascent to the top of the wrestling world.

According to Flair, he was struck by lightning at one point in the late 1970s.

He told the story to Dan Le Batard of ESPN in 2016, saying that he was almost killed after getting off a plane in Richmond, Virginia.

“I was getting off a plane in Richmond, Virginia. They didn’t have the jetways back then, back in the late 70s, and I was late for a match. I was World Champion then, I was wrestling [Ricky] Steamboat at the Richmond Coliseum. Finally… they let us all get off the plane. I got off, I was walking, and I didn’t go 10, maybe 15 feet and all of a sudden I felt this pressure boom, and man, my umbrella shot 50 feet in the air. I thought, 'What the hell?' Lightning hit the top of my umbrella, bounced off and hit the guy in the eye five feet behind me and killed him. Right there. I just stood there looking at the guy and froze, it scared me to death. People were running out the door to get the guy.”

He was slated to defend the WCW Title against one of his legendary rivals, Ricky 'the Dragon' Steamboat. Although he wasn't killed or injured in the incident, someone else in close proximity to him was.

It must have been terrifying to first have that happen and then think that it could have been you instead who died. Man, talk about feeling like a higher power (not Vince McMahon in storyline) has it out for you.

It did have an impact on Flair, but he obviously kept going. And it was a good thing he left it in his rearview because he would become one of the greatest wrestlers of all time shortly after the incident.