Ric Flair is a wrestler that falls into a unique category: Despised by many and loved by most. The Minneapolis native can be considered
way ahead of his time as an in-ring performer, fitting right into the mold of the modern-day wrestler of being great on the mic as well
as in the ring.
The stylin' and profilin' grappler has the ability to do what few heels have been able to do in the past, and that's beinng a crowd and
federation favorite. Most wrestling heels usually live up to their names, being loudly booed and hated by the fans. Not Flair. He has a
charisma in the the ring that is second to none. He has wheeled, dealed, and jet-setted his way right to the top of the wrestling world
ever since he first graced the mat industry with his pretty-boy face in 1972.
He has a certain "flair" on the mat. From his sprkling robes to his strutting into the ring to the assortment of beautiful women on his
arms, Flair has it all and has done it all in the business. He is considered by some to be the best all-round wrestler to ever grace the
mat. This fact can't be argued when you look at Flair's track record: 15-time world heavyweight champion who also has 33 other various
titles to his credit.
"Nature Boy" has certainly lived up to his "to be The Man,you have to beat The Man" saying, since he has taken on any and all who have
come hs way during a long career. Flair has battled the top dogs in wrestling, including Hulk Hogan, sting, Wahoo McDaniel, Ricky "The
Dragon" Steamboat, Lex Luger, and Harley race. Again Flair was ahead of his time when he formed a wrestling faction known as The 4-Horsemen
before gangs like D-X or thenWo were even thought of. he joined alliances with Tully Blanchard, and Ole and Arn Anderson to form wrestling's
first-ever clique.
The Horsemen has had many prominent grapplers as members at one time or another. some of the wrestlers who were a part of the group have
been:
Flair, Arn Anderson (the only member in every incarnation), Tully Blanchard, Ole Anderson, Lex Luger, Barry Windham, Sting, Sid Vicious,
Paul Roma, Chris Benoit, Brian Pillman, Steve "Mongol" McMichael, Curt Hennig, and Dean Malenko.
Flair has not only been able to survive for almost 30 years in a rough and tumble business; he has been able th thrive. He made his ring debut
on December 10, 1972, against George "Scrap Iron" Gadaski and has never looked back.
Well, maybe just once.
On October 4, 1975, Flair's life and career almost came to an abrupt end. The pro wrestlere was involved in an airplane crash and suffered a
broken back when the Cessna 310 he was riding in crashed near Wilmington, North carolina. Also on the plane with him that unlucky night was
Johnny Valentine and Bob Bruggers. It was thought that the blonde-hared, blue-eyed grappler's wrestling days were over, but surprisingly, Flair
was back in the ring in less than a year.
As a matter of fact, Flair would win his first title only 7 months after the crash. On May 24, 1976, he defeated Wahoo McDaniel in Charlotte,
North Carolina, to win the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight title. And 7 months after that he won his first world title. ON December 25, 1976, Flair teamed
with Greg Valentine to defeat NWA World tag team Champions Gene and Ole Anderson in Greensboro, North carolina, to become the new tag titleholder
along with valentine.
He has been a superstar in both of the big two federations over the course of his career. He made his debut with the WWF on September 10, 1991,
when he wrestled Jim Powers in a bout, forcing him to submit to his lethal Figure Four leglock hold in Cornwall, Ontario. He won his first federation
title on January 19, 1992, at the Royal Rumble in Albany, New York.
1991 would also be a memorable year in the history of wrestling as two of the all-time great, Flair and Hulk Hogan, would square off for the first
time. Flair would defeat his hulking foe on this night in Dayton, Ohio, much to the chagrin of Hogan and the crowd.
"Slick Ric" is not only popular here in the States; he has wrestled all over the world during his career and squared off against some of the
greatest wrestlers in the world. In one instance, March 21, 1991,, he squared off in a New Japan/WCW event held in Tokyo that drew over 64,000 fans to
the Tokyo Dome. Flair would face IWGP (International Wrestling Grand Prix) heavyweight champion Tatsumi Fujinami in the main event and lose. But the
American champion got his revenge on his foreing foe back home in the states in May 1991 when he beat Fujinami in a bout in St. Petersburg, Florida.
He is one of 5 men to ever hold the WWF and NWA/WCW World titles. The other greats are Buddy Rogers, Hilk Hogan, Randy Savage, and Kevin Nash. While he
may not be the most talented wrestler ever, the man knows how to get the job done when he steps through the ropes. Flair has caused some havoc along the
way; winning a good share of matches and belts. Ultimately, though, his image is one that can be copied but never duplicated, as Flair is truely one of a kind.
This snazzy-dressing athlete is a true mat technician, who can beat his opponent in so many ways with the ability to either smash in his opponent's head or
get inside them in order to come away with the victory. His durability is also a major achievement as so many wrestlers have come and gone over the years, because
they can't stand the combination of the grueling travel schedule along with the insanely physical matches.
But Flair has stood the test of time and has consistently defied the ods.
click here for some history on your favorite wreslters, Choose your poison:
