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Wrestler has flair with crowd

Posted: Oct 9th 2009 By: mikeiles

MOREHEAD CITY ? Along with Richard Petty and Michael Jordan, few North Carolina athletes are as universally popular among Tar Heel sports fans as Ric Flair, a former World Wrestling Heavyweight Champion.

That fact was validated Saturday at the N.C. Seafood Festival.

Although the official festival count won?t be ready for another few months, festival staff estimated the weekend?s crowd was between 150,000 and 200,000 and several hundred of those were there just to see Ric Flair.

Hundreds of Mr. Flair?s biggest fans waited in line from 2:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. to get autographs and meet the wrestling icon that is the new face of the N.C. Education Lottery (NCEL).

The ?Nature Boy,? as he is affectionately known by wrestling fans, was promoting the new ?WOOOOOOO!? scratch-off lottery ticket, which is named after his signature call, at the NCEL booth on 5th Street.

After signing autographs Mr. Flair walked around the line of fans, which started at the corner of 5th and Evans streets and wrapped around Arendell Street, to say ?hello? to the fans who had come hell or high-water, or even with a broken foot, to see the wrestler.

?I drove with my left foot all the way from Jacksonville just to see him,? said longtime-fan Tonya Paschall, who had recently broken her right foot.

?I?ve been a fan since I was 5 years old,? she said. She even asked Mr. Flair to sign her cast, which he did so happily.

Smyrna native Faith Hayes was another of Mr. Flair?s fan. But she wasn?t just meeting the new face of the lottery. She was meeting someone who has been an influence on 13 years of her life.

?I?m actually training to become a wrestler,? Ms. Hayes said. Currently training in New Bern, Ms. Hayes said Mr. Flair was a huge inspiration.

?He was pretty cool in the 70s and then after he was in a plane crash he continued to wrestle. His will to keep on going is inspiring,? Ms. Hayes said.

Mr. Flair, a Charlotte native, has visited the Crystal Coast on numerous occasions, but was attending the annual festival for the first time.

?This is awesome,? he said Saturday, unmistakable with his signature tan and platinum blond hair. ?I?m overwhelmed by it, really. It?s phenomenal. I had a ball today.?

Mr. Flair?s appearance trumpeted the lottery?s newest game, which made its debut on Sept. 22. It?s named after his legendary catchphrase and features 16 different scratch areas, representing the 16 separate championship belts that he has won during his career. Top prize is $100,000.

This is the first time the NCEL has used a wrestler as a personality to promote the education lottery, said Tom Shaheen, executive director of the NCEL.

?When we met Ric at the Lowe?s Motor Speedway, the appeal for Ric was just tremendous,? Mr. Shaheen said.

?We asked him if he would be interested,? in promoting the lottery. ?He said he?d like to be a part of this ? that was eight months ago.?

While Mr. Flair is a new face in the NCEL and the N.C. Seafood Festival, he is no stranger to the area, having wrestled in Carteret County on numerous occasions.

?I?ve been down here a number of times. In fact I wrestled at high schools here with Wahoo (McDaniel), Blackjack Mulligan and Greg Valentine during the 70s.?

Big-time-fan Scott Heuser of Beaufort remembers when Mr. Flair came to Carteret County to wrestle.

?Oh, yeah. I saw him when he went to West Carteret to wrestle in the 80s. He?s an icon of wrestling,? Mr. Heuser said.

The Beaufort fan also remembered Mr. Flair?s retirement match against Shawn Michaels in 2008.

So did Ms. Hayes.

?I cried when he lost that match,? she said.

Mr. Flair, now 60, retired in March 2008 but will soon return to the ring on a limited basis to resume his 36-year career.

?I?m going to come out of retirement to wrestle Hulk Hogan in Australia,? said Mr. Flair, who remains in good physical condition. ?But I?m not coming back full time. I?m enjoying myself too much to do that.?

Mr. Flair?s retirement from wrestling has allowed him to pursue new opportunities, such as corporate speaking engagements, product sponsorships and autograph shows for his loyal fans, many of whom approach him on a daily basis asking Mr. Flair to bellow out a ?Wooooooo!?

?Oh, that happens a lot,? laughed Mr. Flair. ?But it?s good. I?m glad they do. I?ll be sad if they ever stop.?

Tags: Ric Flair, Wahoo McDaniel, Greg Valentine