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Flair Says It's Time To Grow Up

Posted: May 28th 2010 By: CMBurnham

Nature Boy Ric Flair says wrestling needs to grow up and get serious again.

That?s no surprise coming from the dirtiest player in the game.

The greatest wrestler ever to lace up a pair of boots has chosen to chuck his hat in the ring with TNA.

Speaking exclusively to me, 16-time world champion Flair told me his return to wrestling after his send-off was born of frustration.

He said: ?Mania was the greatest moment of my life. As a performer it was overwhelming for me to see how much respect I had earned.

?I had so much energy, so much left to give. With Vince I was just cruising along, and only in the last couple of months with Shawn did I feel heavily involved. A lot of times I was doing nothing for months at a time.

?I hated that period. I wanted to leave a couple of times. Vince is a genius. He makes the decisions and he wanted to go with the younger guys. I understand that, all the younger guys except himself, of course.?

Buoyant ratings continue to prove the key market for TNA wrestling is the UK. Doug Williams and Des Wolfe have caught Flair?s eye and he thinks their talent will see them right in the long run with the company.

FT believes that now is the time for TNA to go back to wrestling and recreate themselves as the viable alternative.

He said: ?Wrestling is a cutting-edge sport. You can?t wrap it up in tootsie roll and expect people to buy into it. You can get away with it for so long thanks to the size of the brand, but after that?

?They?ve lost some key players. Hunter?s making a movie, Shawn?s at home, Taker?s at home, Randy?s hurt. It?s a machine looking to find new talent.

?They train them in a factory down there. It?s 50 to 70 guys and it?s very hard to get one-on-one attention.

?The kids are great but there?s a huge audience who are tired of it. Older fans are the ones who will make this company fly.?

TNA return to the UK in January.

Tickets on sale June 4 for Thursday January 27, 2011, Glasgow Braehead Arena, 0844 499 9990; Friday January 28, Manchester Evening News Arena, 0844 847 8000; Saturday January 29, London Wembley Arena, 0844 815 0815. Go to tnawrestling.com

Tags: Ric Flair, TNA