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Ric Flair, the greatest of them all, might be done

Posted: Mar 29th 2008 By: mikeiles

Crying is not exactly appropriate behavior for a kiss-stealin', wheelin'-dealin', jet-flyin', limousine-ridin' son of a gun.

But it certainly is understandable for a man facing the end of his career. So let the tears flow, Ric Flair, as you are honored as one of the greatest pro wrestlers of all time. Tonight, Flair and seven others will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame at Amway Arena.

Then Sunday, Flair will face Shawn Michaels in a career-threatening match at WrestleMania at the Citrus Bowl that many believe will be his final one.

"It's overwhelming at times," Flair, 59, said in a telephone interview. "I guess I say to myself that for all the things you've done wrong, you must have done something right. It's very rewarding and an awesome opportunity for me and my family."

He cried earlier this week when he got a key to the city of Columbia, S.C., and has choked up during interviews leading to the Hall of Fame induction. There is much to be proud of in a career that has spanned 36 years.

Flair, whose real name is Richard Fliehr, remembers his first wrestling match, in 1972 against George Gadaski. He already had the name Ric Flair, but he was far from the persona he would become. Weighing nearly 300 pounds with brown hair, Flair says, "I went to the ring not knowing what was going to happen. I wrestled 10 minutes to a draw -- the longest 10 minutes of my life."

In 1975, Flair was in a plane crash that nearly killed him. He broke his back in three places, and doctors told him he never would wrestle again. Flair paid them no attention. He put the finishing touches on his new and improved Ric Flair character while he recovered from the accident.

When he returned to the ring, he wore elaborate robes and feather boas -- "the best clothes money could buy," Flair says. Then there was the arrogance that made him hated, and his shock of bleached blonde hair. He also started saying his trademark, "Woooooooooooooooo!" in the ring, picking up the phrase after listening to "Great Balls of Fire" by Jerry Lee Lewis on the radio.

"I lived in my gimmick," Flair says. "I was full-time Ric Flair, and I'm not sure that was working for everybody but me."

Full-time Ric Flair meant partying like that kiss-stealin' son of a gun. He went days without sleep, going out after matches. He remembers once after a cage match in Orlando, his heart was racing uncontrollably. He called his father, a doctor, to ask what could be wrong with him.

"When was the last time you had any sleep?" his dad asked.

"Let me think about that," Flair said.

But there was no time for sleep, not when there were beers to drink.

"A couple times, I melted down," Flair said. "The wrestling was hard, but there was so much going on back then, so much fun. It wasn't disrespectful to anybody but myself. We just had fun, bars open till 4 in the morning. Why not go out for a couple drinks?"

Flair counts Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat and Dusty Rhodes as his two biggest nemeses in the ring. Steamboat, whose real name is Richard Blood, had a long-running feud with Flair while they were wrestling in the Carolinas.

It was the classic good guy (Steamboat) vs. bad guy (Flair) scenario. Flair credits Steamboat for making him better. Steamboat says the two pushed each other because they were so competitive. "It was a macho-macho type of thing," Steamboat said.

Steamboat says the two rarely socialized outside the ring because of that. If he went into a restaurant and Flair was there, he would leave. "It's almost like two gunslingers," said Steamboat, who is a road agent for WWE. "A Western cowboy story. That was real-life stuff that was happening."

Flair rode his persona through the NWA and eventually became a part of the famed Four Horsemen. He helped establish World Championship Wrestling and is currently in his second stint with WWE. In his career, Flair has been WCW world heavyweight champion, WWE champion, U.S. champion, Intercontinental champion and tag-team champion in WCW and WWE.

He has stayed in wrestling so long because "it's something I love, and it's something I have a lot of passion for." But his time in the ring is drawing to a close. With his induction into the Hall of Fame, many think his career will end Sunday.

That leaves Michaels torn. He grew up watching Flair, hoping one day to be like him. Now he is the one who might end his career. On top of all that, what will pro wrestling be like without Flair?

It's sort of like getting out of bed and seeing the sun shining," Michaels said. "It's something that's been a part of you every day that you've allowed yourself not to appreciate it at times. But when it's cloudy and dreary and ugly, you say, 'Man, I miss when the sun is shining.' I think that's something we're going to realize when that day comes."

When it arrives, expect to see those tears.

WWE HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
*Name: Ric Flair
*Buzz: One of the best-known wrestlers in history, has been a champion in NWA, WCW and WWE. Known for his dramatic robes, feather boas and shock of blonde hair, Flair has parlayed his gimmick into a 36-year career. He faces Shawn Michaels in WrestleMania on Sunday in a career-threatening match that many believe will be his last.

*Famous lines: "I'm a kiss-stealin', wheelin'-dealin', jet-flyin', limousine-ridin' son-of-a-gun."

"To be the man, you've gotta beat the man."

"Woooooooooooooooooo!!"

*Names: Gerald and Jack Brisco

*Buzz: Throughout the 1970s, the Brisco Brothers were a dominant force in Championship Wrestling from Florida. Together, the duo racked up nearly two dozen reigns as tag-team champions, including three as the NWA world tag-team champions in 1983 and '84. Jack, nine years older than Gerald, also had great success solo in the ring, including a stint as NWA world heavyweight champion. In the late 1970s, they discovered a young man in Florida who would change pro wrestling -- Hulk Hogan. The brothers live in Tampa.

*Name: Eddie Graham

*Buzz: Graham had a long wrestling career in the NWA, in which he teamed with his son, Mike, and also became a legendary promoter for Championship Wrestling from Florida, which was one of the hottest territories in the 1970s. He was NWA president from 1976-78, and eventually he was the promoter in Orlando in an arena named after him. He committed suicide in 1985.

*Name: Rocky Johnson

*Buzz: The father of Dwayne " The Rock" Johnson and son-in-law of High Chief Peter Maivia, Johnson made wrestling history when he became the first African-American world tag team champion in 1983. He started his career in 1966 and competed all around the world before settling in the NWA in the 1970s. He won several regional NWA singles and tag-team titles in his tenure there.

*Name: High Chief Peter Maivia

*Buzz: The grandfather of The Rock and father-in-law of Johnson, Maivia dominated the West Coast in the 1970s, winning multiple championships in Los Angeles and San Francisco. At different times, he held versions of the NWA tag-team championship. He entered WWE in the late 1970s and was well-known partially because of the tribal tattoos that adorned his body.

*Name: Gordon Solie

*Buzz: Solie was best known as the voice of Championship Wrestling from Florida from 1960-87. During that time, he commentated on matches featuring some of sports entertainment's biggest legends, including WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes, the Brisco brothers and Dory Funk Jr., among numerous others. He died of cancer in 2000.

*Name: Mae Young

*Buzz: Young has competed in the ring in eight decades, starting in 1939. She was the first NWA U.S. women's champion, and her lengthy rivalry with the legendary Mildred Burke was one of the most storied of the time. She trained The Fabulous Moolah, among others, and is the third woman to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

WRESTLEMANIA IN THE RING
RIC FLAIR VS. SHAWN MICHAELS

One is a 59-year-old 16-time world heavyweight champion -- the greatest wrestler of all time -- who will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame tonight. The other is the first WWE competitor to win tag-team gold, the Intercontinental belt, the defunct European title, the WWE title and the world heavyweight title. After Ric Flair faces Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 24 on Sunday at the Florida Citrus Bowl, the wrestling landscape may be changed forever. If Flair loses, his career is over, per orders of Mr. McMahon. Expect this match to be the emotional main event, but not the final match of the evening. It will be unquestionably a classic -- the one that is talked about for years to come.

Our pick? Ric Flair wins a grueling and lengthy bout -- winning via submission using the figure-four leglock under the evening sky. He still will retire -- either after the match or Monday night on Raw.

TRIPLE THREAT MATCH

WWE champion Randy Orton will face not one, but two opponents in the Triple Threat match where all three are in the ring at the same time and the winner is the first to score a pinfall or submission. The challengers are 11-time world champion Triple H -- Vince McMahon's son-in-law for those not in the know -- and former WWE champion John Cena, who was stripped of the title during a lengthy reign late last year after he tore a pectoral muscle. Triple H probably will be the crowd favorite -- as Orton is among the more despised heels on the WWE roster, and Cena, although popular with many, has a very vocal anti-fan base.

Our pick? Triple H, the King of Kings, emerges with his 12th championship after a bloody battle reminiscent of WrestleMania 20.

THE MATCHES

MONDAY: 24-Man Battle Royal winner vs. ECW champ Chavo Guerrero (Our pick: Kane wins the battle royal and the title.)

TUESDAY: The Belfast Brawl: John Bradshaw Layfield vs. Finlay

(Our pick: Finlay wins and Hornswoggle gets his revenge.)

WEDNESDAY: Floyd "Money" Mayweather vs. Big Show and the Money in the Bank Ladder Match (Our picks: Mayweather beats Big Show with help, and Shelton Benjamin wins MITB.)

THURSDAY: Smackdown vs. Raw Match: Batista vs. Umaga and the BunnyMania Lumberjack Match: Maria & Ashley (Candice out with injury) vs. "The Glamazon" Beth Phoenix & Melina

(Our picks: Umaga wins -- with help, and "The Glamazon" team wins.)

FRIDAY: Edge vs. Undertaker for the world heavyweight title

(Our pick: Edge wins, ending Undertaker's 15-0 streak at WrestleMania.)

THE BOTTOM LINE

WrestleMania 24 is Sunday at 7 p.m. at the Florida Citrus Bowl.

Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com or by calling (407) 849-2020.