Wp-Content Uploads 2007 11 Ric-Flair-Ring

Ric FlairRic Flair retired last night. Like Jack Kirby, Flair is so essential he gives his entire profession context.

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Both “Woman” and Miss Elizabeth have left us. But Flair has survived. BUT, see next post.

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There’s nothing like photos of wrestling stars in the 70s and 80s. You can guarantee the sideburns and velvet bellbottoms will be as extreme as possible. And yet WHY is he standing by the bay window of a typical suburban split-level?

Some of the above photos taken from this site: A TRIBUTE TO THE “NATURE BOY” RIC FLAIR: WOOOOOO! |:

1 COMMENT

  1. I met Ric Flair for the first time in my life less than two weeks ago. He was having drinks at a restaurant bar with a young lady and there was a steady stream of admirers walking up to take pictures or pat him on the back to say they spoke with the legend. Even the manager of the very nice establishment bent his ear for quite some time talking about ACC hoops and he just smiled and accepted all comers. Right before we left I had to shake his hand and tell him thanks for all the great memories he had created for me over the years and it was that simple look straight into your eyes, a quick handshake, and a very sincere “thanks, that’s really nice of you to say, I appreciate that” that makes all the difference in the world to a fan. After that, I couldn’t even be mad that my friends had let him have my seat at the bar while I went to the bathroom! Woooooo!

    — Jonathan

  2. I met Ric Flair once when I was a kid – he was enormously nice. As pointed out in the previous comment, really sincere and just friendly. This was . . . sheesh, 30 years ago or so . . . and he was going through a spell in the NWA where he was a kinda bad guy then a good guy then a bad guy . . . you couldn’t keep it straight. But he was still a sweetheart to the kids.

  3. In 1982 Ric went to the Dominican Republic to fight their national champion Jack Veneno. Veneno “defeated” him in an epic 3 or 4-hour match that left the country in such an euphoric state it’s considered one of the most important events in Dominican Republic’s 20th Century history. That’s possibly the most amazing Flair match nobody knows about.

  4. We here at WWE had a lump inm ourt throat as we watched the Naitch take his last walk from the ring at Wrestlemania. We were also gratified by his comparison to the “King” of another medium.

  5. I remember discovering NWA when cable came to town after a steady stream of WWF and saying: who is this fool? He’s skinny and has no moves! My little brother, who had a subscription to PWI, then proceeded to slap the figure-four leglock on me. I never questioned him again.

    “I’m a 60-minute man…and I’m all night looong…wooooooooooo”

    had to be said

    that story about the match in the DR is great.

  6. I caught a bit of Raw last night with my wife and tried to explain the impact of Ric Flair. Then they showed the match with Harley Race and she understood.

    Ric Flair quite possibly was wrestling’s best showman ever. his name is involved with more classic matches than just about anyone. Great mike skills and willing to take bumps. He is the last connection to old school wrestling around.

    He will be missed in the ring, but, if WWE is smart, he’ll be around outside the ring. Pair him up as the manager of a personality challenged rising superstar and just let him handle all the speaking. That would work.

  7. Ric Flair Vs. Shawn Micheals.
    the match stole the show, and after suffering dire matches from Flair for the past few years, he finishes with a career defining preformance that would bring tears to my eyes and indeed proove to be his last.

    “ya’ll pay homage, to the man. Wooooo!”

  8. I was lucky enough to see Flair/Michaels at Madison Square Garden a few years ago. The best match I have ever personally witnessed, easily.

  9. Sadly, I was working and didn’t know that i should have set the DVR to run TWENTY MINUTES LONG.

    Thankfully, the ceremony last night will show up on youtube or wwe.com or maybe even the WM DVD set.

    Flair is the epitome of professional wrestling, both good and bad.

  10. Saw him in an airport bar at about 9 in the morning a few weeks ago. He looked old; his hair, in particular, looked really bad. I didn’t bother him–what the hell was I going to say that he hasn’t heard a million times before?

  11. Whatz Expert, I am glad I pressed harder enough until I found wrestling personals, because this post on To be the man you gotta beat the the man was extremely helpful. Just last Saturday I was pondering on this quite a bit.