A Career In Pictures
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"The Nature
Boy" Ric Flair A Career In Pictures |
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| WOOOOO!! The greatest pro wrestler of all time, Nature Boy Ric Flair has been captivating audiences for over 3 decades with his flare for the dramatic and his always-entertaining in-ring action.  |
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| Profile: Name: Ric Flair Hometown: Charlotte, NC Weight: 243lbs Finisher: Figure-four Leg Lock Entrance Music: "Dawn" section of Richard Strauss' 'Also Sprach Zarathustra' |
CONTENTS:
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THE 4 HORSEMEN - TITLES & FEUDS |
| THE EARLY YEARS Ric Flair (born Richard Morgan Fliehr) began his career in Verne Gagne's American Wrestling Alliance in and around 1972 fresh off of his time as an offensive lineman on the football team at the University of Minnesota. It wasn't long before his star began to shine in the promotion and he left for the NWA in early 1975. But on October 4, 1975, Flair as well as 3 other wrestlers, a promoter, and a pilot were in a serious plane crash. The pilot was killed, Flair broke his back in 3 places, and another man (wrestler Johnny Valentine) was left paralyzed. Flair was told he would never wrestle again, at the young age of 26. But rigorous rehabilitation and changes to his in-ring style allowed Flair to return to the ring in 6 months. His career, life, and the direction of professional wrestling could have been forever altered, as it was reported that had he remained in his original seat on the plane (in the cabin next to the pilot, where Valentine sat), he could have very likely been the one paralyzed or killed. |
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THE CHAMPIONSHIP YEARS - Part 1 The next few years were kind to Flair as he won no less than 5 NWA United States championships and began legendary feuds with the likes of Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, Rowdy Roddy Piper, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, Superfly Jimmy Snuka, and the man he took his namesake from "The Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers. But it would be in 1981 when the Nature Boy began his ascent to the top of the mountain when he defeated "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes for his first World's Heavyweight Championship. Flair's win was no more historic at the time than any other title change, but in the grand scope of the industry it was momentous. He was beaten by another legend, Harley Race, two years later for the title setting up for a rematch that would go on to be one of the most memorable World's Title matches in modern history between Race and Flair in a steel cage at an NWA supercard, StarrCade 1983. |
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THE NATURE BOY - "Stylin' and
Profilin'" Ric Flair's dynamic personality came through as the charismatic "Nature Boy" persona. As the top draw and World Champion, he legitimately drove around in luxury cars, wore designer suits, jewelry, and elaborate robes to the ring, flew around in leer jets, cavorted with beautiful women, and took routine, expensive trips to Las Vegas and Miami and made sure to rub such excess in his opponents' faces. His famous interviews and "promos" on television cemented his status as the biggest deal in wrestling, with such catchphrases as "To be the man, you have to beat The Man", "I'm a kiss-stealin', wheelin-dealin, limousine-riding, jet-flying son-of-a-gun", "Whether you like it, or you don't like it, learn to love it, because it's the best thing going today", and calling himself "the Dirtiest Player in the Game." |
| WWF YEARS - "The Real World's
Champion" After some 16 years as a performer for NWA and what would become World Championship Wrestling, Flair grew disillusioned with the management there and decided to take his World's Title with him to Vince McMahon Jr's Conneticut-based World Wrestling Federation. This was possible because it was standard that the World's Champion put down a $25,000 deposit on the physical belt to be repaid when he lost it. Well, Flair never lost the title - it was in dispute at his time of departure. So, without losing the title he had no reason to give up the actual belt. World Championship Wrestling actually filed suit against him and demanded that he discontinue wearing it on their rival's televison (where he claimed to be the "Real World's champion") and return it. Eventually it was settled, and Flair was paid $75,000 to return the title. Flair picked up where he left off in NWA/WCW, feuding with the best the WWF had to offer from Bret "Hit Man" Hart to Macho Man Randy Savage to Hulk Hogan himself. Flair would win two WWF World titles in his two years in the company. |
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