Doctors subsequently removed part of Flair’s bowel, inserted a pacemaker and he eventually made a recovery.
“I’ll never drink again,” he told PEOPLE at the time. “I never want to go through this again.”
A year later in September, he married Barlow in a ceremony held on the rooftop of the Pearl Hotel in Rosemary Beach, Florida.
RELATED: WWE Legend Ric Flair, 70, Reportedly Hospitalized in Atlanta 2 Years After Major Health Scare
After news broke Thursday of his hospitalization, those in the wrestling community sent well-wishes to Flair through social media.
“Wishing @RicFlairNatrBoy the very best for a full and speedy recovery,” former wrestler Mick Foley posted on Twitter. “Get well soon, Ric – there is still much stylin’ and profilin’ needed to be done!”
Flair celebrated his 70th birthday in February in a surprise party with 160 guests at The 1818 Club in Atlanta. The celebrity-filled gathering included appearances from former NBA players Charles Barkley and Dennis Rodman. Los Angeles Rams player Todd Gurley and former boxing champion Evander Holyfield were also in attendance.
RELATED: Ric Flair Rings in 70th Birthday with Celebrity-Filled Surprise Party — ‘I Am Overcome with Emotion’
Other notables at the bash included daughter Charlotte and her boyfriend, wrestler Andrade Almas.
“I am so overwhelmed by this whole night. Every one of my peers and my friend are all here to celebrate me,” Flair told PEOPLE during the event. “I mean come on, I am so lucky. I am just so lucky. I am looking around the room in just complete awe. I never thought I would live to see this day. I am overcome with emotion.”
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