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"Nature Boy" Just Hopes To Go Out On Top

Posted: Mar 29th 2008 By: CMBurnham

Sunday is Wrestlemania 24, the biggest extravaganza of the year for aficionados of professional wrestling.

Sure, pro wrestling is scripted. Sure, the outcome of all the matches is predetermined. But most "male soap-opera" buffs still are ready to plunk down $55 or so for the opportunity to sit back in their recliners and watch grown men in spandex pretend to fight.

Growing up, there were three things my mother was passionate about: The Kansas City Royals, roller derby and pro wrestling. Not much of a skating fan, I cut my teeth on the other two and both likely will be ingrained in me for life.

One of the selling points of this year's pay-per-view is a singles bout between the "Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels and "Nature Boy" Ric Flair in what is widely-accepted as being the final match of Flair's illustrious career.

True, the 59-year-old Flair is far-removed from being a "boy," and the 44-year-old Michaels is hardly a "kid." But because both are among an elite class of "workers" -- wrestlers who are known for putting on awesome matches with an air of drama and believability -- this match in particular should be the "show-stealer."

I've liked Flair since he was a young up-and-comer who made a name for himself after moving from the American Wrestling Association to the Carolinas territory, feuding with the likes of Wahoo McDaniel, Roddy Piper, Greg Valentine and another future superstar, Ricky Steamboat.

Over the years, whether "bad guy" or "babyface," my favorite wrestlers tended to be the ones who knew how to "work." Therefore, I cheered for "heels" such as Flair, Harley Race, Terry Funk and The Road Warriors as vociferously as I did "good guys" such as Steamboat and Jim Brunzell.

Flair is widely considered the greatest pro wrestler of all time, and I count myself among that group of voters. His matches with Steamboat, Race and Funk, among others, are legendary.

He knew how to give great interviews. He knew how to "sell," making his opponent look like a million bucks in the ring. He knew how to "work" the fans with "ring psychology," giving them their money's worth every night. All this after suffering a near-paralyzing broken back in a 1975 plane crash.

Many wrestlers have many retirement matches, only to return to the "squared circle." Funk himself must have held at least 10 such matches between the United States and Japan. And the ol' Funker is still lacing up the boots, even though he turns 64 in June.

Flair might come back for an occasional "special attraction," but I believe this really is it for the Nature Boy. Though he expects to work behind the scenes in World Wrestling Entertainment training young grapplers, I don't think we'll ever see the "greatest wrestler alive" any longer after Sunday.

Since it is being billed as a "retirement match" should he lose, Flair will almost surely "do the job" -- allow Michaels to escape with the win. No doubt Flair will bleed -- both combatants probably will.

Because both men take pride in their work, I hope Flair gets to go out the way he wants -- not with his hand held high at the end of the match as so many self-centered, egotistical wrestlers demand, but with his head held high, knowing he gave 100 percent in the ring, right down to his final match.