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"Nature Boy" Flair Reflects On WWE Career

Posted: Mar 21st 2008 By: CMBurnham

Ric Flair hopes his Tuesday night appearance at the Crown Coliseum won't be the last in his home state.

But it could be. WWE's SmackDown will be the final stop before Flair's career-threatening match against Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 24 on March 30.

If he loses to Michaels, then Flair -- affectionately known as "The Nature Boy" --; is out of wrestling.

It's a tightrope he's walked since the end of last year, when WWE Chairman Vince McMahon put Flair's career in a lose-and-you're-gone headlock.

"But there's no place I'd rather be," Flair said in a recent phone interview from his home in Charlotte.

"I've been at this thing for more than 30 years. If I go out, then this is the best way to do it," Flair said.

Flair will be part of Tuesday night's main event, as he'll team up with Undertaker and Batista to take on Edge, MVP and The Big Show in a six-man tag team match.

The event will mark SmackDown's return to Fayetteville after an almost four-year absence. It will also be the Extreme Championship Wrestling brand's first appearance in Fayetteville, setting a stage for firsts -- and maybe lasts.

Weekender spoke with Flair, one of professional wrestling's most popular -- and notorious -- figures to talk about his appearance in Fayetteville, WrestleMania 24 and the possibility of retiring.

Weekender: With the prospect of your career coming to a close, what's going through your mind?

Flair: I take it a day at a time. I'm pleased to be in a featured position with that company, and that's the bottom line -- but not because Stone Cold said so.

Weekender: So, you're looking forward to your match against Michaels?

Flair: Big time. It's a huge opportunity for me. I have everything to gain and nothing to lose. But if I lose, then I lose to one of the greatest at one of the biggest sports events in the world. It'll be the biggest stage and the best way possible for me to go out.

Weekender: What if you win?

Flair: Then the WWE is stuck with me for a long time.

Weekender: Point blank: do you think this will be your last stop in North Carolina?

Flair: I don't think so. I hope it won't be my last time in the ring in Fayetteville; I've been wrestling there since 1974.

Weekender: Do you feel a deep connection with the people here?

Flair: Oh yeah. I used to wrestle twice a month for like 15 years in Fayetteville. There's a lot of history for me there. Coming up, those were some wild days. We wrestled 365 days a year and twice on Saturday and Sunday. But it was my job, not a hardship.

Weekender: If you lose, will you have a farewell tour of North Carolina?

Flair: There are no plans as of yet, but I might be able to go to a few arenas. But there won't be a comeback tour.

Weekender: Have you left it all in the ring? Do you have any regrets?

Flair: I've had some things I didn't like that happened in the '90s, but I look at that from a different perspective now. I've let all that go.

Weekender: Who are some of your favorite matches?

Flair: Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat was my favorite opponent, and one of the greatest that ever lived. He'll get recognized as that when the time comes. He and Shawn (Michaels) are two of the best good guys of all time. The Undertaker and Triple H are two of the best bad guys.

Weekender: What are some of your thoughts on the next generation of wrestlers?

Flair: They're not that different; the guys with the work ethic and the ability are where they want to be. I just want them to look around at the friendships they're making now. It's very important to make an effort to stay close to the guys around you. Some of the guys I came up with are gone. It's important for me to stay close to my friends -- people like Jack Mulligan, Harley Race, Dusty Rhodes; Ricky Steamboat.

Weekender: What are you most proud of in your career?

Flair: There are so many great things. But the biggest thing that will happen is being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. To be honored by my peers is a huge thing. We work for the audience, but we perform for each other. I didn't ever think I'd get to this point.

Tags: Ric Flair, WWE, Dusty Rhodes