Ric Flair

Richard Morgan Fliehr (born February 25, 1949 in Memphis, Tennessee), better known by his stage name "Nature Boy" Ric Flair, is an American professional wrestler currently with WWE on its RAW brand, and is currently its Intercontinental Champion for his first ever reign. He has been one of the leading personalities in professional wrestling since the mid 1970s, is a 16-time world champion, and is considered to be among the elite names in the history of the industry.

Legacy

Despite his age and his less-than-chiseled physique, Ric Flair can still take on wrestlers half his age. Even though he is long past his prime as a "main-eventer," he still serves a purpose by getting in the ring and making the younger wrestlers look good. Flair is over in the ring due mostly to his in-ring antics, including cheating ways (earning him the distinction of being "the dirtiest player in the game"), his trademark strut and his legendary shouting of "Wooo!"

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In a tradition started by the vocal fans of ECW during a time when the WCW management was thought to be unjustly holding Flair down, anytime a wrestler delivers a hard back hand chop to the chest of his opponent, fans yell "Wooo!" in tribute to Flair, whose stiff chops often made his opponent's chest raw or even bloody. This tradition long outlived any controversy it was meant to protest and has carried over to WWE and almost all other North American promotions.

Related Topics:
ECW - North America - Promotions

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Since the late 70s, he has worn ornate, fur lined robes of many colors with sequins, and since the mid 80s, his approach to the ring was often heralded by the playing of the Richard Strauss composition Also sprach Zarathustra (the theme of the film '). The look and sound complements his cocky in-ring persona.

Related Topics:
70s - 80s - Richard Strauss - Also sprach Zarathustra

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Late in 2003, WWE released a three-DVD retrospective of Flair's career (focusing mainly on his career prior to 1993), The Ultimate Ric Flair Collection. It became WWE's fastest-selling video package up to that time.

Related Topics:
2003 - DVD - 1993

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Flair released his autobiography, To Be the Man, in July 2004. The title is taken from one of his catchphrases, "To be the man, you gotta BEAT the man!" Flair is an icon in the Carolinas on a par with Michael Jordan and Richard Petty, and he has made the Charlotte area his home since the days of the Crockett promotion. His name has been mentioned from time to time as a possible candidate for governor of North Carolina.

Related Topics:
Autobiography - To Be the Man - July 2004 - Catchphrase - Michael Jordan - Richard Petty - Charlotte - Governor

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In 2004, Flair engaged in an off-screen rivalry with Bret Hart, in which both claimed to be the best wrestler of all time. Flair has also had issues with Mick Foley, who he attacked in his autobiography, writing "I don’t care how many thumbtacks Mick Foley has fallen on, how many ladders he’s fallen off, how many continents he’s supposedly bled on, he’ll always be known as a glorified stuntman." This was in response to what Foley said about Flair in his autobiography, Have a Nice Day! ("Flair was every bit as bad on the booking side of things as he was great on the wrestling side of it."). Flair spent the majority of his career in the NWA/WCW which was widely regarded as "second rate" to the WWF/WWE in which Hart and Foley resided. Ironically, in his prime he spent 2 years in the WWF/WWE losing the WWE/WWF championship title to Hart. In his 33 year career he never beat Hart.

Related Topics:
2004 - Bret Hart - Mick Foley

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