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Wrestler Ric Flair to appear in fan fest before matches in Springfield

Wrestler Ric Flair to appear in fan fest before matches in Springfield

Posted: Nov 10th 2014 By: George Lenker

File this under "Things that make you go Woo!"

One of pro wrestling's greatest rivalries is coming to the MassMutual Center on Friday. But instead of facing off in the ring, they'll be there for a meet-and-greet autograph session before the actual matches.

Ric Flair?with his trademark "Woo!" war cry?and his longtime rival Ricky Steamboat will appear together outside of the ring for the first time since their "feud" started three decades ago. The event precedes a wrestling card that includes seven matches, including one between Tommy Dreamer and Harry D.H. Smith.

Flair answered a few questions about his storied career during a recent telephone interview.

You trained under the legendary champion Verne Gagne. What was that like and what was he like?

Verne was an incredibly good guy. A real man's man. Tougher than hell--a little bit on the insensitive side, but just what you needed to get in this business back then. (Laughs.) But he was just a great athlete. He was a great amateur wrestler and he also played football for the Packers for a year.

The prematch event also features Ricky Steamboat. Talk little bit about your rivalry with him and why your matches seemed to rise above the rest?

He was the greatest of all time. I should say the greatest good guy of all time. He's not the greatest of all time, I am. Let's not get carried away. (Laughs.) I remember seeing him down in Atlanta when he was starting and I just went into the dressing room and said that we had to get this guy because he's too good. And we've made great music for a long time. Better than anybody else ever has.

Despite the rivalry, you're actually friends with him. Do you enjoy seeing him when you can?

I love seeing him. We never really hung out socially that much because we had different ideas about what should be going on after the matches. (Laughs.) But we always got along great.

Speaking of what happens after your matches: you're a legendary partier. Was that reputation earned?

Let's just put it this way: I just couldn't go to bed at 11 o'clock at night after all the adrenaline from a match. Are you kidding me? I've been waiting all day. I've had 35 cups of coffee so I have to at least one glass of wine. Or 10. (Laughs.)

Where did your trademark "Woo!" shout come from?

I got that from Jerry Lee Lewis when I was riding on the road in the '70s. I was in the car and heard him do it and then I started doing it and the rest is history.

You wrestled all over the world but you certainly wrestled a lot both here in the Northeast and down south. Is there a big difference in the audiences?

Wrestling is pretty universal now but they used to be different. Back when I started?and I'm from Minneapolis?I was pretty shocked when I started wrestling in the south. You could get stabbed just walking in the ring down there. I was wrestling once in Asheville in the '70s and I got you an 8 foot rattlesnake in the ring. In the old days, the south was a tough place to wrestle. It was wrasslin'. They loved their wrasslin'. (Laughs.)

Your daughter Ashley is an up-and-coming wrestling star. How do you feel about that?

She's more than up-and-coming. She's going to be the best female wrestler they've ever had. Along with being a beautiful girl?and I'm obviously prejudiced because I'm her father?she's got athletic gift second to none. She's already surpassed me.

 

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Spotlight in History

  • 1954 Red Berry def. Whitey Whittler for the TSW Tri-State Champion
  • 1976 Ted DiBiase & Dick Murdoch def. Buck Robley & Bob Slaughter for the TSW United States Tag Team Champion
  • 1980 Kevin Von Erich def. Toru Tanaka for the WCCW American Heavyweight Champion
  • 1989 The Simpson Brothers (Steve Simpson & Shaun Simpson) def. Beauty & The Beast (Terrance M. Garvin & The Beast [2nd]) for the WCCW Texas Tag Team Champion
  • 2000 Heather Savage def. Jenna Love for the OPW Oklahoma Womens Champion
  • 2002 Summer Rain became the OCW Oklahoma Womens Champion
  • 2007 Eric Rose def. Jersey Devil for the UWF06 Light Heavyweight Champion
  • 2007 Joe Herell became the UWF06 Violent Division Champion
  • 2017 Brandon Groom def. Sam Stackhouse for the BPPW Oklahoma Champion
  • 2018 Dusty Gold def. Wesley Crane for the UWE United States Champion

Week of Sun 04-28 to Sat: 05-04

  • 04-28 1954 Red Berry def. Whitey Whittler for the TSW Tri-State Champion
  • 04-28 1976 Ted DiBiase & Dick Murdoch def. Buck Robley & Bob Slaughter for the TSW United States Tag Team Champion
  • 04-28 1980 Kevin Von Erich def. Toru Tanaka for the WCCW American Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-28 1989 The Simpson Brothers (Steve Simpson & Shaun Simpson) def. Beauty & The Beast (Terrance M. Garvin & The Beast [2nd]) for the WCCW Texas Tag Team Champion
  • 04-28 2000 Heather Savage def. Jenna Love for the OPW Oklahoma Womens Champion
  • 04-28 2002 Summer Rain became the OCW Oklahoma Womens Champion
  • 04-28 2007 Eric Rose def. Jersey Devil for the UWF06 Light Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-28 2007 Joe Herell became the UWF06 Violent Division Champion
  • 04-28 2017 Brandon Groom def. Sam Stackhouse for the BPPW Oklahoma Champion
  • 04-28 2018 Dusty Gold def. Wesley Crane for the UWE United States Champion
  • 04-29 2006 AWOL def. Michael York for the TPW Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-29 2006 Natural Born Sinners (Appolyon & El Lotus) def. Pretty Young Things (Cade Sydal & Mitch Carter) for the ACW Tag Team Champions
  • 04-29 2006 Rexx Reed def. Carnage for the ACW Hardcore Champion
  • 04-29 2006 Carnage def. Rexx Reed for the ACW Hardcore Champion
  • 04-29 2007 Aaron Neil def. Tyler Bateman for the MSWA Oklahoma Champion
  • 04-29 2007 Brad Michaels def. Ryan Davidson for the MSWA Mid-South Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-29 2007 Bad Boy & Outlaw became the MSWA Mid-South Tag Team Champion
  • 04-29 2011 The Unknown & Johnny USA def. Michael H & Mr. Big for the NCW Tag Team Champions
  • 04-29 2011 Mr. Big became the NCW Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-29 2012 Sam Stackhouse def. Prophet for the BYEW Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-29 2012 Rage Logan became the MSWA Mid-South Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-29 2012 Nemesis (Damien Morte & Damon Windsor) became the MSWA Mid-South Tag Team Champion
  • 04-29 2017 Aaron Anders became the ComPro Oklahoma X Division Champion
  • 04-30 1954 Frenchy Roy became the TSW Oklahoma Junior Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-30 1955 Ricki Starr became the TSW Oklahoma Champion
  • 04-30 2004 Shadow of Death def. Terry Montana for the TPW Hardcore Champion
  • 04-30 2011 Ryan Reed def. Rolling Thunder for the UWE United States Champion
  • 04-30 2011 Ray Martinez def. Ryan Reed for the UWE United States Champion
  • 04-30 2016 Ray Martinez became the SRPW Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-30 2022 Clayton Bloodstone def. Ky-Ote for the NCWO Choctaw Nation Champion
  • 04-30 2023 El Gallardo/El Vaquero def. Cappuccino Jones for the BPW Lion Heart Champion
  • 04-30 2023 Heavyweight Grappling (Dan Webber & Morrison) def. Subject To Death (Cade Fite & Leo Fox) for the BPW Oklahoma Tag Team Champion
  • 05-01 1981 Super Destroyer def. Jim Garvin for the MSW Louisiana Champion
  • 05-01 2016 Skylar Slice def. Nikki Knight for the MSWA Ladies Champion
  • 05-01 2021 Fuel def. Derek James for the UWE Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-02 1964 Mike Clancy & Al Lovelock def. Karol Krauser & Stan Pulaski for the TSW United States Tag Team Champion
  • 05-02 1969 Johnny Valentine def. Fritz Von Erich for the WCCW American Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-02 1977 Stan Hansen def. Dick Murdoch for the TSW North American Champion
  • 05-02 1984 Krusher Khrushchev became the MSW Television Champion
  • 05-02 1984 The Rock-N-Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) def. The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton & Dennis Condrey) for the MSW Mid-South Tag Team Champion
  • 05-02 2009 Ozzy Hendrix def. Shank for the SWCW Luchadore Champion
  • 05-02 2015 Gail Kim became the IWR Diamonds Champion
  • 05-02 2015 Kareem Sadat became the BCW Independent Hardcore Champion
  • 05-02 2021 Drake Gallows def. Blade [2nd] for the AIWF National Champion
  • 05-03 1973 Rip Tyler & Eddie Sullivan def. The Hollywood Blondes (Jerry Brown & Dale Valentine) for the TSW United States Tag Team Champion
  • 05-03 1985 Ted DiBiase & Steve Williams def. The Rock-N-Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) for the MSW Mid-South Tag Team Champion
  • 05-03 2003 El Sufamilico def. Ichiban [1st] for the TPW Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-03 2008 Damon Windsor def. Havoc for the SWCW Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-03 2008 Miss Sheila def. Kareem Sadat for the SWCW Hardcore Champion
  • 05-03 2014 Sam Stackhouse def. Steven Sterling for the ComPro Showtime Champion
  • 05-04 1953 Mike Clancy def. Karl Von Poppenheim for the TSW Oklahoma Junior Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-04 1968 Danny Hodge & Skandar Akbar became the TSW United States Tag Team Champion
  • 05-04 1969 Jerry Miller & Jim Osborne def. Danny Little Bear & Frank Dalton for the TSW Louisiana Tag Team Champion
  • 05-04 1973 Blackjack Mulligan def. Jose Lothario for the WCCW Texas Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-04 1986 Kerry Von Erich & Lance Von Erich & Steve Simpson def. The Fabulous Freebirds (Terry Gordy, Michael Hayes, & Buddy Roberts) for the WCCW World 6-Man Tag Team Champion
  • 05-04 1986 The Von Erichs (Kerry Von Erich & Kevin Von Erich & Lance Von Erich) became the WCCW World 6-Man Tag Team Champion
  • 05-04 1987 The Fantastics (Tommy Rogers & Bobby Fulton) became the WCCW World Tag Team Champion
  • 05-04 2003 Ichiban [1st]/Rocco Valentino def. El Sufamilico for the TPW Heavyweight Champion
  • 05-04 2013 Tim Rockwell def. Daemon Storm for the UWE United States Champion
04-28
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