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Vanity Flair: Stylish Wrestling Kingpin To Put Career On Line At WrestleMania

Vanity Flair: Stylish Wrestling Kingpin To Put Career On Line At WrestleMania

Posted: Mar 27th 2008 By: CMBurnham

When 16-time World Heavyweight wrestling champ Ric Flair steps into the ring at Wrestlemania XXIV on Sunday, he?ll be going up against the man he?s mentored for years and he?ll be putting his career at stake. At least that?s how the storyline goes: If Shawn Michaels pulls out a win over Flair, Flair must retire.

Flair ? real name Richard Fliehr ? has been a bright light in pro wrestling since he first took a lesson from Verne Gagne in 1972. The long blond hair (ideal for when Flair splits his forehead open during battle and ?puts on a crimson mask?), the wonderfully gaudy full-length robes, the brazen attitude, the technical skill, the grasp of in-ring psychology ? all of this has earned Flair the respect and admiration coworkers, and the cheers of crowds over the years. He broke his back during a plane crash in 1975, but he rebounded and has been going strong ever since. He borrowed his nickname ?Nature Boy? from the great wrestler ?Nature Boy? Buddy Rogers.

Recently named as an inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame, Flair took some time last week to share some thoughts about the business that?s made him an international superstar.

When did you first seriously think about becoming a pro wrestler?

In 1972. That was the year I started. I always liked it as a kid. I wasn?t over the top, but I did enjoy it. I met and was living with Ken Patera, who was an Olympic weightlifter. Ken had moved to Minneapolis with the arrangement that (wrestler and trainer) Verne Gagne would sponsor him for the ?72 Olympic games in Munich.

So that?s how you hooked up with Verne and started training?

Yes. When Verne talked to me about wrestling he said, ?I don?t accept quitters into this school. So if you start, you?re gonna finish.? I said that was no problem. But it was so hard, I quit twice. The first time I quit, he came over to my house and threw me out in my front yard and beat the crap out of me. I don?t mean he punched me, he just threw me around. He said, ?I told you that you weren?t going to quit and I?m telling you again now.? So I went about two more weeks, and it was so hard I quit again. I just didn?t go. He didn?t come to my house, he just called me and said, ?You be here in the next hour.? So I went back out there, and the rest is history (laughs).

What was so difficult for you?

I never envisioned the conditioning aspect of pro wrestling. I had no idea. The first day we got there, we were running two miles at his farm, doing 500 free squats, 200 pushups ? I about died the first day.

You?ve said in the past that Rick Steamboat was the greatest wrestler you ever competed against. Does that still stand?

That still stands. But the problem with that statement now is that there?s nobody better in the business than Shawn Michaels, who I?m wrestling at Wrestlemania.

What?s your opinion of the way Vince McMahon has run his wrestling company?

Not only is he a genius, I?ve never seen anybody that will tackle anything at any level, and never flinch.

You?re popular and respected in the business, and have reaped plenty of rewards. Has there been a downside?

No. I wish I?d stood up for myself a couple time in the ?90s, which I didn?t do. But other than that, the only problems I?ve had in this business were self-inflicted. Confidence problems.

Are you in any pain?

Not at all. I feel great.

So many wrestlers talk about nagging aches and pains every day.

Here?s what I say to some of them. What are you hurting from? What did you do yesterday that?s making you hurt today? We?ve got some 24-year-old kids that are talking about being hurt. But there?s no sympathy, man. You can?t approach a sport and be whining at 24 years of age. If you are, then you?re in the wrong business.

 

Tags: Ric Flair, Verne Gagne, WWE, Ken Patera

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Spotlight in History

  • 1965 Bull Curry def. Karl Kox for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Champion
  • 1986 Bruiser Brody def. Rick Rude for the WCCW Television Champion
  • 1987 The Lightning Express (Brad Armstrong & Tim Horner) def. Rick Steiner & Sting for the UWF Tag Team Champions
  • 1996 The Bad Boyz (Krull Danzig & Brett Knight) def. The Texas Outlaws (Bobby Burns & Dan Wilder) for the WWEmp Tag Team Champions
  • 2008 El Super Colibri def. Tim Rockwell for the ComPro Oklahoma X Division Champion
  • 2008 Michael York def. Brett Taylor for the SECW Light Heavyweight Champion
  • 2008 Michael York became the SECW Eastern Oklahoma Champion
  • 2009 Kevin Morgan became the AWFUL Heavyweight Champion
  • 2014 The Sexy Camachos (Angel Camacho & Roberto Camacho & Vinnie Camacho) def. Team Bull (The Bronze Bull & Bobby Starr) for the IZW Tag Team Champions

Week of Sun 05-12 to Sat: 05-18

  • 05-12 2002 Rocco Valentino became the OCW Oklahoma Television Champion
  • 05-12 2012 The New Era [2nd] (Richie Adams & Goldeneye) def. The Dramatic Athletes (Jake McCoy & X-Cal) for the ComPro Tag Team Champions
  • 05-12 2012 Venus became the IZW Queens Champion
  • 05-12 2013 The Canadian Red Devil def. Bobby Starr for the MSWA Oklahoma Champion
  • 05-12 2013 Impact, Inc. (Jermaine Johnson & Jordan Jacobs) def. Shawn Sanders & Tyson Jaymes for the MSWA Mid-South Tag Team Champion
  • 05-12 2018 Garrett Murphy became the NAW Lightweight Champion
  • 05-12 2018 Big Smooth def. Dusty Gold for the NAW Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-12 2018 Brayden def. Kareem Sadat for the BCW Independent Hardcore Champion
  • 05-12 2018 Gavin Dixon def. Mikey [2nd] for the BCW Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-12 2023 Ronnie Morton def. Red James for the RDW Brass Knucks Champion
  • 05-13 1979 Wahoo McDaniel def. The Spoiler for the WCCW American Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-13 1984 Magnum T. A. def. Mr. Wrestling II for the MSW North American Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-13 2006 Justin Lee def. Gary Gram for the NWA-U X Division Champion
  • 05-13 2012 Les Mayne became the MSWA Oklahoma Champion
  • 05-13 2016 Terry Montana & Mighty Mouse def. Dynamic Shields (Justin Dynamic & Shawn Shields) for the ComPro Tag Team Champions
  • 05-13 2017 Sam Stackhouse def. Drake Gallows for the BCW Buzzsaw Champion
  • 05-13 2017 Garrett Murphy def. Anarchy [2nd] for the NAW Lightweight Champion
  • 05-13 2023 Lunchador def. Dr. Corvus for the WAH Hunger Dojo Champion
  • 05-13 2023 Rush Freeman became the WAH Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-13 2023 The Psychotic Messengers (Tank Bryson & Malachi) def. Dark Forces (San La Muerte & Reese) for the WAH Tag Team Champions
  • 05-14 1975 John Tolos def. Al Madril for the WCCW Texas Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-14 1975 Danny Miller def. Skandor Akbar for the TSW North American Champion
  • 05-14 2004 Butch Dalton def. Jon Davis for the TPW Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-14 2004 Devon Monroe def. Mitch Carter for the TPW Light Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-14 2005 John O'Malley became the IZW Hardcore Champion
  • 05-14 2005 Impact Inc. (John Zorthos & Bernie Donderwitz) became the IZW Tag Team Champions
  • 05-15 1959 Mike DiBiase def. Dory Funk for the TSW Oklahoma Junior Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-15 1962 Bull Curry def. Jack Dalton [1st] for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Champion
  • 05-15 2010 X-Rated (Kevin James Sanchez & Bobby Star) def. Rick Russo for the SWCW Tag Team Champions
  • 05-15 2010 Jonathan Cross def. Anarchy [2nd] for the UWE Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-15 2015 Charlie Haas def. Jerome Daniels for the NWA-TXO Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-15 2021 Killbane def. The Canadian Red Devil for the NCWO Oklahoma Champion
  • 05-16 1981 Eddie Gilbert & Ricky Morton def. Akbar Army (Jerry Brown & Ron McFarlane) for the TSW Tag Team Champions
  • 05-16 1983 Chris Adams def. Terry Gordy for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Champion
  • 05-16 2009 Impact, Inc. (Johnny Z & Bernie D) became the IZW Tag Team Champions
  • 05-16 2015 The K. C. Wolves (Graham Bell & Luke Langley) def. Team Bull (Aaron Neil & Bobby Starr) for the IZW Tag Team Champions
  • 05-16 2015 Clint Cassidy def. Mr. Nasty for the UWE United States Champion
  • 05-16 2015 Brett Stopp def. Fuel for the UWE Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-16 2015 Anarchy [2nd] def. Brett Stopp for the UWE Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-17 1965 Bull Curry def. Karl Kox for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Champion
  • 05-17 1986 Bruiser Brody def. Rick Rude for the WCCW Television Champion
  • 05-17 1987 The Lightning Express (Brad Armstrong & Tim Horner) def. Rick Steiner & Sting for the UWF Tag Team Champions
  • 05-17 1996 The Bad Boyz (Krull Danzig & Brett Knight) def. The Texas Outlaws (Bobby Burns & Dan Wilder) for the WWEmp Tag Team Champions
  • 05-17 2008 El Super Colibri def. Tim Rockwell for the ComPro Oklahoma X Division Champion
  • 05-17 2008 Michael York def. Brett Taylor for the SECW Light Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-17 2008 Michael York became the SECW Eastern Oklahoma Champion
  • 05-17 2009 Kevin Morgan became the AWFUL Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-17 2014 The Sexy Camachos (Angel Camacho & Roberto Camacho & Vinnie Camacho) def. Team Bull (The Bronze Bull & Bobby Starr) for the IZW Tag Team Champions
  • 05-18 1970 Boris Malenko def. Mil Mascaras for the WCCW American Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-18 1973 Jose Lothario def. Blackjack Mulligan for the WCCW Texas Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-18 1979 Mark Lewin became the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Champion
  • 05-18 1984 Gino Hernandez def. Jimmy Garvin for the WCCW American Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-18 2007 Lonnie Valdez & Epic became the ACW Tag Team Champions
  • 05-18 2013 The P.I.N.K. Nation (Ray Martinez & Tommy Toops) def. Bobby Burns & Sam Stackhouse (substituting for Psycho Sawyer) for the SRPW Tag Team Champions
  • 05-18 2013 B-Arthur became the SRPW Womens Champion
  • 05-18 2013 Anarchy [2nd] def. The Mercenary for the UWE Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-18 2014 Striker def. Robert Lee for the WFC Hometown Heroes Champion
  • 05-18 2019 Skylar Slice def. Erica for the MSWA Ladies Champion
05-17
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  • Bateman May 19th
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  • Andre the Giant May 19th
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  • Guy Atticus May 25th
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  • Dark Journey May 25th
  • Dominique Lereaux May 25th
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