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Ric Flair Sues Over Ads

Posted: Oct 8th 2007 By: CMBurnham

World champion professional wrestler Ric ?Nature Boy? Flair would like to put a courtroom body slam on a Columbia car dealership.

In a federal lawsuit filed last week in Columbia, the 58-year-old Charlotte personality, whose real name is Richard Fliehr, contends that Stivers Automotive of Columbia Inc. through its Freedom Suzuki dealership used his name, likeness and slogans in radio, TV and print ads this year without his permission.

The 6-foot-1, 230-pound-plus wrestling legend is asking for actual and punitive damages of more than $75,000 ? the threshold for filing federal lawsuits when one of the parties lives out of state.

The suit was filed Thursday afternoon in U.S. District Court in Columbia; Flair was spotted later that evening on the sidelines during the football game between USC and Kentucky at Williams-Brice Stadium.

?By using his name in an unauthorized fashion and not paying for it, it lessens the value of his persona that he has cultivated both in the ring and out of the ring over 34 years,? said his lawyer-agent, Eric Bland of Columbia, when contacted Thursday.

?Ric Flair is beloved in South Carolina by people of all ages due to the work he has done in and outside of the ring,? according to the suit.

Efforts to reach Flair were unsuccessful.

Contacted Friday, Columbia attorney W. Duvall Spruill of the Turner Padget law firm, which represents Stivers Automotive, said he could not comment on the suit until he had the chance to review it.

Efforts last week to reach Stivers Automotive officials were unsuccessful.

The suit accuses the car dealership of the unauthorized use of Flair?s trademark slogans, ?Woooooo!? and ?To be the man, you gotta beat the man!?

Flair in his lawsuit included transcripts of two locally run radio ads in August that he contends show his name and slogans were improperly used. A character calling himself ?Captain Freedom? says in one ad, ?Whoeee ... To be the man you got to beat the man! Rick (sic) Flair was right all you other car dealers out there.?

The character also encourages listeners to ?Come check out me and the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment)? at the Colonial Center on Aug. 21, according to the transcripts. The lawsuit said those ads ran during the time when Flair was scheduled to wrestle at a WWE event at the center.

Bland told The State that Stivers Automotive representatives earlier had contacted the WWE for permission to use Flair?s name in their ads, but that it was never granted.

The suit accuses the dealership of violating Flair?s publicity rights, unfair competition and trade practices, ?wrongful appropriation of personality,? and ?unjust enrichment.?

Besides seeking damages, the suit also calls on a judge to order the dealership to quit running the objectionable ads and to ?undertake curative advertising for a period of 90 days? to inform the public that the dealership has ?no connection with Ric Flair.?

Flair has been recognized as a 16-time world champion, though the number of championships varies depending on the source. According to the WWE Web site, Flair is known for his custom-tailored sequined ring robes and ?made his name on wrestling hour-long marathon matches, his cocky interview style, and his knack for shouting ?Woooooo!? into microphones.?

Tags: Ric Flair