by Jacky Lee
Perhaps one of the most recognzied professional wresters in history, “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair is both a loathed and well-liked wrestler during his 36 year profession. He is currently acknowledged as the 16 time World Champion (8 times NWA, 6 times WCW, and 2 times WWE). His legends and legacy has undeniably left a major impression in professional wrestling.
Ric Flair was born on February 25, 1949 in Memphis, Tennessee. As a young age, he moved around the country from Edina, Minnesota to Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. Before becoming a full time professional wrestler, He took on jobs such as lifeguard at a local pool to working as a bouncer at a club. After winning the state private school wrestling championship, he was recruited by the University of Minnesota. However, he shortly dropped out and met Olympic weightlifter Ken Patera, who later introduced him to Verne Gagne of the Verne Gagne’s wrestling school.
While most wrestling fans wrestling fans remember Flair for his bleached blond golden hair, handsomely looking figure, and slick wrestling style, he was quite the opposite in his early career in the 1970s. Back then, he was more of a power brawling wrestler who weighted nearly 300 pounds with short brown hair. However, he was already able to draw attention with his ring endurance and charismatic personality, which is a trademark of his career.
Flair soon left the AWA for Jim Crockett’s National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) after little accomplishment with Verne Gagne. Since then, “The Nature Boy” was able to call this his home and established a legacy. Unfortunately, things took a dreadful twist when his occupation was nearly finished in a dangerous plane crash that occurred in Wilmington, North Carolina. At a young age of 26, he shattered his back in three different locations and was informed not to wrestle once more by the physicians. Flair, nonetheless, demonstrated resolve and courage by performing thorough physical therapies and made his triumphant return in six months. Though he returned to the ring, the injuries forced him to switch his wresting method to the slick technique wrestling fanatics recognize today.
The heated rivalry between him and the original “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers elevated Flair to finally lift himself to the elites. In the next few years, he became the key attraction for NWA and won quite a few NWA World Championships while competing with top stars such as Dusty Rhodes, Ricky Steamboat, Roddy Piper, Jimmy Snuka, Harley Race and more. It was around this time that Flair started to take on the role of “The Nature Boy” wrestling devotees recognize today. While chopping away the competitions with his trademark chops and making rivals tapping out to his figure four leglock, he never forget about his sporting bleached blond hair, classy suits, elegant jewelry, and amazing custom robes.
“The Nature Boy” helped created one of the most recognized factions in wrestling known as the Four Horseman in 1985. Tully Blanchard, and Ole and Arn Anderson formed the initial party. This infamous band employed their rule breaking tactics and number to obliterate NWA’s superstars while maintaining most of the championship titles. This party would soon after resurfaced at WCW with various affiliates.
After Crockett left NWA, he formed the World Championship Wrestling and built his promotion around Flair as the champion. It was here in WCW that Flair brought out the best in superstars such as Sting, Barry Windam, Lex Luger, Terry Funk, and the Steiner Brothers. A dispute with WCW president Jim Herd in the spring of 1991 promoted Flair to leave WCW and joined its main rivalry, Vince McMahon’s WWE.
Upon his arrival, “The Nature Boy” immediately made an impact by winning the 1992 Royal Rumble and then defeating Randy Savage for the WWE Title a few months later. He soon return as a face to WCW in early 1993 without really starting any major rivalry with Hulk Hogan, then WWE’s biggest draw. Upon returning he quickly reclaim the top spot by besting Vader for the WCW Title at Starrcade 1993. In June 1994, he finally participated in the ultimate dream match with Hulk Hogan. For the rest of the years, he reformed the Four Horseman to battle with the New World Order. For the remaining years until WWE’s eventual buyout of WCW in 2001, Flair’s career was overshadowed and underutilized in favor of new younger and quicker stars.
Ric Flair took a short break from wrestling after the buyout. He returned to WWE as the on-camera co-owner of the company, shocking owner Vince McMahon and started a feud with him. Flair afterward became a major corner stone in Triple H’s Evolution, serving as a counselor to youthful stars Bastisa and Randy Orton. After the group’s dismissal, Flair was all over WWE’s TV shows battling young and upcoming stars while trying to promote them. At Wreslemania XXIV, Flair finally wrestled his last match, losing to Shawn Michaels in one emotional match that was voted by Professional Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) as the Match of the Year.
Despite all the accolades, there are a few are not pleased with Ric Flair. Legend Bruno Sammarito once quoted he has no respect for Ric Flair since Flair, in his book, mentions that Sammartino cannot draw money outside of New York. Also in his autobiography, he said Mick Foley, the Hardcore Legend, will never be a real wrestler in his eyes since he is just a glorified stuntman. Bret Hart, Canadian wrestling legend, was also unhappy when Ric Flair criticizes Hart for over-exploiting the death of Owen Hart, the Montreal Screwjob, while also claming Hart was not a money-making draw in wrestling.
Although he cannot please everyone, “The Nature Boy” still have clearly established his legacy in the wrestling business. Followers today pay tribute to him by shouting “Woooooo!” whenever a wrestler performs a knife-edge wrestling chop to the opponent’s upper body, which was one of his signature move. It does not matter if wrestling fans remember him as the “limousine riding, jet flying, kiss stealing son of a gun” or his outlandish wits and entertaining interview style with his bleached blond hair and elaborate robes, Ric Flair is indeed, a wrestling legend like no other and certainly the only one deserving of a Woooooo!!!
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