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Blake Norton Looks At The Booking Of Flair Vs. Michaels

Posted: Mar 25th 2008 By: CMBurnham

If it was any wrestler other than Ric Flair, and any story other than his retirement, it most assuredly would have failed. From the deeply flawed original premise, to the inconsistent development of the story, right up to last Monday when Ric needed to be saved from being pinned clean by the company's 65-year-old promoter, WWE has done almost everything wrong.

Yet, the story has still gotten over.

Because, after all, this IS Ric Flair.

And, less than twelve months from turning 60, he IS on the verge of his career as a full-time wrestler coming to an end.

This article will look at both (A) how the angle would have been developed more effectively, and (B) WWE's options when it comes to booking their Wrestlemania match this Sunday. What should they do? And why? To many - including myself - Flair vs. Michaels is the real main event at Wrestlemania 24. For all the program's flaws to date, it has the potential to be the most memorable match in years.

* PART 1: THE FLAWS IN THE ORIGINAL ANGLE

In a moment, we'll look at the match as it stands leading into Sunday. But first, let's look at how the original angle setting up Ric Flair's retirement storyline could have been booked more effectively.

The problems with how the angle was initiated are threefold:

First, stipulations of any kind are all but meaningless in 2008. From Vince McMahon's "death" on national television last year, to countless "retirement" and "firing" angles, to the weekly comings and goings, stipulations are changed, ignored or even forgotten completely on a regular basis. Flair himself was "retired" by Hulk Hogan in 1994, only to return to the ring mere months later. If this is the real deal, and we want fans to see it as something special, we need to do more than make his retirement just another "stipulation."

Second, the motivations of the characters involved make no sense, which is part of the reason there has been almost no storyline development in the six months since the angle started. Why does Vince McMahon want Ric to retire? If he did, why wouldn't he just stop booking him? Or book him that first night in a handicap match against Umaga and Big Show? Furthermore, the WWE owner threatening to retire Flair paints "The Nature Boy" as a valueless commodity, which diminishes the value of the entire storyline. You need to turn your brain off and try to ignore what happens on television in order to buy this entire storyline, which is a real tragedy, because there was the potential to tell a truly captivating story. The only reason it works on any level is because a large portion of the WWE audience know that at 59, Flair's career, whether he likes it or not, is nearing its end. That's the Hollywood equivalent of making a terrible movie about a man dying from cancer, which earns a half-decent box-office only because of the intrigue of the lead actor dying of cancer in real life during the same time period.

And finally, even though it was a cute momentary swerve, having WWE.com suggest Ric Flair was going to retire, only for him to scream at the top of lungs on Raw later that night that he would "never retire," was a mistake. Flair is a man who has been accused by some over the years, including Harley Race, of "hanging on too long." Seeing Ric rant about "never retiring," in the long run, makes him come across as a desperate old man, grasping on to a fading career. It would have been far more moving and emotional in the long run to have him accept that this too shall pass, and allow those conflicting emotions within him to be a major part of the story.

*PART 2: HOW THE ORIGINAL ANGLE SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE

The way I would have booked the original announcement would be to have Flair and McMahon switch roles.

As we discussed, "stipulations" are meaningless in 2008. The only way the mass public will buy and understand the idea that Flair will retire after his next loss is if that condition comes from his own lips, with his own reasons and rationale to make people understand that this is indeed the real thing.

The Vince McMahon character is a promoter. He wants top-name wrestlers performing on his shows. The idea that he wants Flair to retire - without so much as a storyline rationale - hurts the perception of Flair as a top guy. Vince is the last guy in the world who should want Flair to retire, because Flair "makes him money."

Thus, when Flair returned to TV last fall, after several months off television, rather than a throw-away promo with a one-hit punch line, he should have given one of the most important speeches of his career. This is the speech where he talks about sitting at home the last few months and watching television and seeing the great athletes in the sport today; where he talks about watching old tapes of him wrestling Windham, Rhodes, Race, Briscoe, guys who have long since faded into wrestling history. This is the speech, like the one he gave in an angle with Shawn Michaels - ironically - in December 2002, where he talks about looking in the mirror, and knowing in his heart that he's not the man he used to be. It would be Ric himself who decides, with a heavy heart, that his time is coming to a close. He has decided that, eight years removed from his last world championship run, he will make one last attempt to regain the world heavyweight championship. And, upon his next loss, out of respect for his own legacy, he will retire.

I would never suggest to script a promo for Ric Flair, but I'd imagine given the context, he'd say something along the lines of:

FLAIR: "I will always be a part of this business, don't think for a second that I won't. I couldn't. It's like the air I breathe, brother, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart. But I have always prided myself as setting a standard. My heart will always be in the ring, my desire is as strong as it ever was, let me tell you people. I would love nothing more than to wrestle for you, and your kids, the same way I wrestled for many of your fathers, and your fathers' fathers, forever. But -- this isn't reality. My body... my body... my body...cannot do that. The time is coming... for me to step aside. These last few months, I went home and I looked at my kids, I walked into that locker room and I looked at the kind of talent pushing for that opportunity that I spent all of my adult life chasing, the heart, the passion, and above all else the youth, and I made a decision. It's a one-way ticket, and it's something that I have come to accept and that I can't change. I've decided...that I'm going to give everything I've got, every part of my heart and my soul I will dedicate whatever time I have left in this great sport to winning the world championship one last time...and I have also decided...I decided...that the next match I lose, that I... I will hang up my boots...and I will retire from this great sport of professional wrestling."

The moments that follow would have nothing but Ric standing in the center of the ring, digesting the words that just came out of his mouth, as the fans react as they do, the viewers absorbing the announcement.

Vince McMahon would then hurry to the ring, no music, with a wide-eyed expression of shock upon his face. He's flustered, and as he steps between the ropes, he begins to splutter:

"Ric... Ric... now listen to me, Ric. We've had our differences in the past, I think most people know that. But... but you're... you're Ric Flair. You CAN'T retire."

"I'm sorry," responds Flair, "but the time for me to step aside is coming, and there's nothing any of us, not even the great Vince McMahon, can do about that."

Vince's temperament changes as he becomes frustrated.

"Ric, now listen to me, Ric. You have a contract with me, damn it. And that contract runs through the fall of 2010. If you retire I will... I will sue you for all you're worth, damn it. I will send you to the poor house! I'll rip your kids right out of college! I don't want to do it, but if I have to I will. God help me, Ric, I'll do it!"

Flair is a little ruffled by the college comment, but otherwise unphased. This is a sober evening for him, and there's little anyone can say that hurts him more than his own realization that his wrestling career is ending.

FLAIR: "Vince, nobody loves lacing up their boots and coming to this ring, performing for all these great fans, as much as I do. It's all I've known for thirty five years. But my time is coming to a close. I know it, in my heart, and you know it too. If you mean what you say, then that's the way it's got to be. I'd rather finish my days living on the streets than being in this ring and not living up to the standard that I expect for myself, that these people expect of me. I can't do that. It's not fair to them, myself, or to you."

Vince is stopped in his tracks.

Moments pass.

Ric turns to leave. He steps through the ropes.

"Ric..."

Ric turns back towards Vince with what is now a stone-faced expression of resentment and indignance.

Vince continues to speak.

"You're... Ric Flair. You... are the..."

Vince takes a deep breath.

"YOU... are THE greatest wrestler... of all time."

Vince bows his head and holds his mouth. His posture changes from that of an angry dictator to that of a scared little boy.

"I can't... I can't imagine this business without you. Since I was sitting in the back of the board room watching my dad... watching my dad make the matches, you've been... the man that every promoter was bidding for. You set the standard in this entire, this entire industry, you make it a better place. Half the guys in that locker room became wrestlers because... because of you. Because, because THEY wanted to be the Jet Flying...limousine riding...kiss-stealin'...wheelin' dealin'...! They want to be...they wanted to be The Nature Boy...Ric Flair. Please... please don't do this."

Ric slowly walks towards the center of the ring, a slight twinkle in his eye.

"Time catches us all, kid. Your father understood that. And so do I. I gotta do what I gotta do."

"I'm sorry, kid."

Flair moves in to Vince. Vince can't look him in the eye.

Flair, the bigger man, assumes the best of Vince's intentions; he puts his hand on the back of Vince's head. Vince hugs him so hard, like he'll never let go. As the moments pass, the gravity of the situation begins to sink in more than ever, and Ric's eyes begin to well up.

Slowly, all the wrestlers across the brands start trickling out of the locker room. At the front of the pack is Shawn Michaels. Tears running down his face, he softly shakes his head in disbelief. They stand their ground at the top of the ramp.

Ric pats Vince on the back. He slowly backs away. With a gentle nod, Ric steps through the ropes and to the floor. Turning back towards the locker room, he sees all the wrestlers for the first time. Humbled, he lowers his head.

Ric takes a deep breath and begins walking up the ramp.

Shawn meets him half way.

"Say it ain't so, Ric."

"I'm sorry, Showstopper."

Ric hugs Shawn.

Back in the ring, Vince looks on. For the first time in memory, he's speechless.

Ric makes his way back through the wrestlers, as the show fades to black.

PART 3: HOW THE ANGLE WOULD HAVE EVOLVED

Given this kind of start, the storyline would have seen Ric start with the bottom of the roster and work his way up, chasing that last world title run or going out trying. After every match, Ric gets on the mic and thanks the local crowds, making note of the great wrestlers from that area he's wrestled over the years. This is unmistakably his retirement tour, -- whether it lasts a day, a week, a month, or God willing, a little longer.-- He would be involved in no tags, no battle royals, no "grey area" matches that could dilute the angle and the integrity of Ric's decision. Every match, even against lower-card guys, could be Flair's last, and it is directly suggested by both Ric, Jim Ross and the whole roster that each match will almost certainly be his last in each given market.

It would be implied by Jim Ross as the weeks roll on that Vince McMahon is doing everything he can to avoid putting Ric in a position where he can lose. On Raw two months down the road, Ric would confront Vince in the ring about what has clearly been an effort to match him up against lower-card talent. "Don't insult me, Vince" says Ric. "I'm not going to take a pass. I can't do that. I'm the sixteen time heavyweight champion of the world. And until someone beats me, I'm going out there and looking for seventeen. Now if you have any respect for me, or my years in the business, if anything you said was true, you'll challenge me until either I'm the champ one more time...or I go down fighting for what I believe in."

Note how this Flair - Vince relationship is in many ways what the Flair - Shawn relationship is in the way they actually did the angle. That aspect of the angle WWE handled excellently.

Vince would resist giving Flair harder opponents as best he could. Again, not only does he not want to lose Flair the man, but he doesn't want to see one of his marquee stars retiring.

Now, the foil; the only person who didn't come out the night Ric announced his retirement was Edge, who made fun of Flair on the following Smackdown, making him stand out as a heel among heels.

In January, Flair vows to win the Rumble and thus win his final world championship. In an interview on the Raw prior, he's asked if he'll retire if he loses the Rumble. After a hesitation, he says no, he's in until someone can pin him or make him submit. This is to avoid giving away the finish, and make fans believe that the elusive last world title run, that Flair had been talking of in every promo since his announcement, is almost certainly out of reach.

Drawing a late number, Flair goes toe-to-toe with Shawn Michaels at the end of the Rumble and wins.

During his celebration, Vince comes through the curtain and looks on. He's heartbroken, because despite his best efforts, Flair is now going to face the champ, the greatest possible threat to his career. Win, lose or draw, Vince knows that it's only a matter of time at this point before Flair retires. The clock is ticking.

In a promo on Raw the following night, Flair chooses to challenge Edge. Here's the hook.

FLAIR: "There's a kid who walks around talking like he's the man. He walks around talking like he's God's gift to professional wrestling. He walks around acting like he's bigger than the business. He answers to nobody, he plays second to nobody. We're talkin' about a guy so arrogant, so brash, so self-centered...that he reminds me of myself when I was his age. (Chuckle).

"But there's one thing which separates us. A respect for this business; and respect isn't given, it's earned! Race, Funk, Rhodes, Crusher, they earned my respect, and the fans respect by being the best, night-in, night-out, for a lifetime. So let me say something to you...Edge! I'm going to teach you respect! I'm going to teach you what this business is all about. I'm going to make you the man you claim to be! Because I'm the Nature Boy Ric Flair! WHOO! I'm the one and only, the original, the kiss-stealin', whealin' dealin', limousine drivin', son of a gun, the sixteen time former world heavyweight champion! WHOO! You talk like you're the man; but to be the man...you have to beat the man! And at Wrestlemania, in the main event, in front of the world, you get your chance, because I'm coming for the world heavyweight championship one...last...time! WHOO!"

The reason I would have chosen Edge to do this angle with is as follows. Despite being a world championship headliner, Edge has never truly had that one career-defining headline match, that big win, that storyline that made him a superstar. From the moment he used the money in the bank to win his first title from a beaten John Cena at New Year's Revolution 2006, which was a terrific angle for that time, he's never been given that "all the way" push. Edge needs to be given the ball at this point in his career and to sink or swim with it. I feel in the long run, it does more for the business, which has always been Flair's MO, to use Edge than Shawn or anyone else. Cena doesn't need it, and neither Kennedy nor MVP are ready for it, nor do I necessarily think they ever will be at that level. Edge is the one guy who has the potential to harness this angle to become a truly top guy, the way the Mick Foley angle two years ago and so many others tried to do.

Putting all that aside, I have no doubt that Shawn is an actual better match for Flair at Mania, and in many ways, in and of itself, is my preferred choice as a fan.

Now, getting that out of the way, we get on to the actual match; Flair and Shawn.

* PART 4: BACK TO REALITY. BOOKING FLAIR vs. MICHAELS

First, we need to answer the question as to whether Flair should lose the match. The answer is yes. There will never be a better opponent, or a more appropriate show. As we saw with the Chris Jericho return angle, WWE can easily burn out an angle by dragging it on too long, and this is a real concern when the Flair retirement angle has been so wishy-washy in its implementation to date. The company clearly doesn't understand this from their handling of the program, but Flair vs. Michaels IS the Wrestlemania main event. It is the right time and the right place, and my bet is that a huge number of people are traveling to or buying the show specifically because they believe it's Flair's last match. I know I am.

Second, we need to decide the finish. It has to be clean. Anything else would be a disrespect and take the shine off of the finality it needs to exude. Flair is choosing to retire because he feels he's no longer the best; that needs to be the conclusion of this story. Flair is no longer the best.

Third, the match story. The story is about Flair's pride, and Shawn's reluctance to commit to the fight, his discomfort at the idea of potentially ending his hero's career. On the other hand, Flair feels disrespected by the idea that Shawn assumes he's going to win. It's tremendous drama, utilizing all the classic emotions of pride, respect, guts and desire.

Perhaps the most important rule in implementing this match is that Flair CANNOT try to wrestle like he did twenty years ago. If they make the match about workrate and acrobatics it will fail. Flair in 2008 can't wrestle that style any more. However, if they go with what makes them both truly icons, their ability to tell a story, they have every opportunity to make it a five-star encounter in anyone's book. They need to resist the temptation to do too much, and instead play to their strengths.

The match should start with Flair in rare form, chomping at the bit, enthused by the pressure and the spectacle of the event. Shawn, however, has no idea how to deal with his conflicting emotions, and is reluctant to follow up on opportunities. Their first few basic highspots, the younger and faster Shawn gets an advantage, but doesn't follow in. The second time he does this, off a hip toss spot, Flair becomes livid. He sees the last great match of his career being thrown away because this kid doesn't respect him enough to throw him a hardball. Flair walks up to Shawn. They exchange words in the center of the ring. Shawn is tentative and apologetic. Flair sees Shawn as being selfish and disrespectful in not giving Flair the challenge he desires, the kind of fight he wants. Flair gets frustrated and slaps Shawn hard across the face.

The crowd goes "ooh!"

Shawn checks his mouth. Looking away from Flair, he gets an aggressive look in his eye and mutters, "if that's the way it's got to be old man."

"That's the way it's got to be, now bring it on you son of a bitch!"

Shawn suddenly spins around and decks Flair in the face. Flair fires back. The crowd comes alive as after early minutes of reluctance, the two living legends begin laying it in back and forth. Shawn grabs a headlock. They do a tackle sequence into a hip toss, and Shawn follows in this time. He goes for the ten punches in the corner. Flair counters with an inverted atomic drop, but doesn't get all of it. Shawn goes for the clothesline, but Flair ducks and thumbs him in the eye to a big pop. Flair starts unloading with chops and scores with a back body drop. Flair whips him in, Shawn ducks a line, but gets tossed over the top rope on the rebound. Shawn skins the cat back in, but is immediately met with a huge chop and takes a massive bump over the top and to the concrete floor. Flair, a house of fire, riles up the crowd and challenges him to get back in the ring. It's ON.

Flair uses various heel tactics to shine early. It's appropriate to his classic character and is a nod to the fact that Shawn really is the quicker and better of the two and it shouldn't look otherwise at this stage in their respective careers. Flair, meanwhile, is unquestionably fighting the match of his life. A frustrated Shawn, channeling his 1993 character, finally gets a low blow to get the heat. Flair has goaded him into his game. Unlike Flair, with how this match is booked, Shawn will get huge heat for cheating. Like Hogan versus Rock at Wrestlemania XVIII in Toronto, the crowd will let Flair get away with anything, but the idea of the younger guy cheating to beat up a legend who would be retired is unforgivable.

The brawl goes around ringside and Flair gigs, another classic which needs to be incorporated into the fabric of the match. If I'm not mistaken, Flair wasn't supposed to gig and got in trouble for doing so 16 years earlier at Wrestlemania in Indianapolis against Randy Savage, which makes it an even more appealing a spot to include. Shawn doesn't need to do anything for his heat except act like a prick. That's where the heat is, and the colour, an oft-negated spot in this era, will add to the drama in this context. The shots should be snug and vindictive as Shawn, as much as it breaks his heart, unleashes a fury we haven't seen in many years out of respect for his master.

Fifteen minutes or so in, Flair gets a hope spot, which Shawn again counters and sets up his elbow. The crowd boos him calling for it, and he's frustrated, emotional, and resentful at being put in this position. Shawn slowly climbs to the top, clearly feeling the emotional effects of his situation. As he stands atop the top rope, Flair kicks the ref into the ropes, crotching Shawn. Flair desperately pulls himself up by the ropes and scores with a superplex, reversing roles on a spot Flair often takes himself, for the double-down.

Flair does his comeback, a slow, aggressive comeback full of chops and basic offense as he sells the pain Shawn's offense unleashed upon his battered, 59-year-old body. A double-underhook suplex gets two. A sustained vertical, another Flair classic, gets two. He calls for the figure four, sending the crowd into a frenzy. He lifts Shawn up for a shin breaker, which he often uses as a set-up, but the quicker Shawn turns into him and slides down his back into a sunset flip for two. Flair regains control with a thunderous chop and shoots him in. Shawn ducks the line and hits the flying forearm.

Both men are down, as the crowd swells to a frenzy.

Kip up.

The crowd cheers, then it immediately turns to thunderous boos.

Shawn does his own comeback sequence, which is sure to garner massive heat. His offense culminates in a second attempt at his flying elbow, but as he launches himself off the top rope, Flair foils it again by moving out of the way. Flair quickly goes for the figure four. Shawn rolls him up for the gut-wrenching near-fall. Flair whips Shawn into the corner. He charges on in, but eats an elbow, Shawn goes up top. Flair cuts him off and follows up to tease another superplex. Shawn pushes him off and finally, finally scores the elbow on his third attempt.

Shawn rises to his feet, and moves to the corner.

Shawn grabs the top rope with both hands.

Time stands still.

Shawn looks upon the crowd, a hellish vista of betrayed fans, thinking surely the same thoughts that are going through his own head. Shawn, for the first time since Ric slapped him twenty minutes earlier, is having doubts. A hesitant and bewildered look upon his face, the crowd starts to swell. Shawn starts to breathe heavily. Gritting his teeth, he looks away. A man has to do what a man has to do.

Slowly, Shawn raises his foot.

BOOM.

The crowd erupts in thunderous boos.

BOOM.

Shawn lowers his head. He can't handle making eye contact with any one or anything but the blood-soaked canvas below him.

BOOM.

BOOM...BOOM...BOOM...BOOM BOOM, BOOM...

Flair starts to stir, rolling onto his right elbow, and slowly on to all fours.

BOOM BOOM BOOM...

Flair staggers around to his right. Shawn measures him. Suddenly, he charges; Shawn thrusts his foot skywards towards Flair's exposed jaw.

Suddenly, Flair catches Shawn's foot, and floors him with an inside leg trip. Like lightning, Ric spins straight into the figure four, right in the center of the ring. He hooks it in deep on a shocked Shawn Michaels as the crowd goes wild.

Shawn flips and flops and screams and scowls as he desperately reaches for the ropes. His feelings of pity and doubt immediately give way to pain and desperation. Flair squeezes with all his might, the sweat turning the blood dripping down his face into a waterfall. Shawn's body tenses up. Slowly, he reaches towards Flair. Shawn lashes out with a right hand, but Flair blocks, and chops him straight back down on his back. The ref counts Shawn's shoulders one... two... No! Shawn sits up, screaming in agony. Flair plants his two hands underneath him and pushes himself into the air, forcing Shawn's shoulders down a second time. One... two... NO!

"Tap God damn it! Tap, you son of a bitch!"

Shawn shakes his head desperately, he screams in agony, as the ropes for all intents and purposes are a world away from his rigid fingers, which are stretched desperately into the thin, empty air.

"Do you want to give?" asks the referee, his arm pointing skyward, ready to call the match at any moment.

"No... NO!" screams Shawn, as he grabs the referee's shirt in desperation.

Shawn changes his strategy.

"His only chance is to reverse the hold!" screams Jim Ross. "The legendary Ric Flair has The Heartbreak Kid in picture perfect positioning right in the center of the ring. He has to reverse this hold, and every second counts!"

Shawn pushes with all his might as he rolls his body to the right.

"Shawn is almost twenty years Ric's junior, but Flair is the unrivalled master of this hold, and enjoys a twenty pound weight advantage, which will make it all the more difficult to reverse. Shawn is pushing for all he's worth, by God, look at the pain etched on the face of Shawn Michaels!"

Shawn desperately inches his body to the right as Ric lays back in an effort to prevent the reversal. Shawn pushes, and pushes and pushes, as Flair pulls, and pulls, and...

Suddenly the count echoes out! ONE! TWO! Th... NO!

Ric had left his shoulders flat on the canvas as he fought to anchor against Shawn's reversal attempt, and in doing so almost lost the match. Flair frantically throws his right arm in the air to prevent the three count, and Shawn uses this split-second distraction to roll himself back in the opposite direction and reverse the figure four!

Ric screams in pain and frustration, and in a matter of moments releases the hold!

Both men are down on the canvas.

Shawn doesn't move.

Flair slowly regains his feet. He grabs Shawn by the hair and begins pulling him to his feet, when out of nowhere, Shawn throws back his hands and...

Superkick!

NO!

Flair blocks the superkick and spins Shawn around. He pushes Shawn into the corner, chest-first, steps in and rolls him up! Flair gets his feet on the ropes! ONE! TWO! TH...

NO! Shawn kicks out at the last second!

Flair, sensing victory, pops straight back up and drags Shawn to his feet by the hair. Shawn gouges to counter and scores with a chop. WHOO! Flair staggers, but Shawn is weakened and open. Flair returns fire. WHOO! Back and forth, they unload their trademark offense. WHOO! WHOO! WHOO! Flair has more sting in his shots, and scores two in a row! Three! WHOO! WHOO! WHOO! Shawn is reeling against the ropes. Flair shoots him in, Shawn reverses, SUPERKICK, but no, Flair holds the ropes and nobody's home! Flair charges with a clothesline, but Shawn ducks, Flair turns back and...BOOM! SUPERKICK!

Shawn collapses on Flair and instinctively cradles his leg as hard as he can for the cover!

One!... Two...!

Three.

Both men lay flat on their backs, exhausted, in the center of the ring.

Moments pass.

Shawn sits up, like he was awaking from a bad dream.

He's quickly brought back to reality. Seeing Flair lying flat on the mat, Shawn puts his hands on his head. He's distraught.

Slowly, Shawn crawls to the corner. He pulls himself to his feet. He lowers his head against the turnbuckle.

All is calm.

Flair finally stirs.

Holding his jaw, he slowly climbs to his feet.

Ric Flair, standing in the center of the ring, is staring at Shawn's back. Ric continues holding his jaw.

After many agonizingly tense moments, Shawn turns around. He stops dead in his tracks as his eyes meet Ric's. After a hesitant moment, Shawn shuffles forwards,

"I'm so sorry Ric, I didn't want..."

Ric immediately walks into Shawn and grabs him in a tight embrace.

"Thank you so much," he says.

"You have let me go out a man."

They hug in the center of the ring as the fans cheer.

Moments pass.

After a pat on the cheek, Shawn backs away. He sits on the ropes and beckons Ric through. Ric smiles and shakes his head.

Kneeling down, Ric starts unlacing his boot.

Shawn covers his face in his hands as reality truly sinks in.

All the wrestlers in the company begin filing out onto the ramp. They walk down the aisle in two rows, one against each side of the aisleway, leaving a space in the middle.

Shawn is still looking down at the ring, sitting on the second rope, as Ric approaches him. Ric pauses. He gently places his boots at Shawn's feet. He pats Shawn on the top of his head in a fatherly way, then steps through the ropes.

Ric walks around the ring, greeting the fans and thanking them. He completes his circle, and casts a look back at the dressing room.

Ric Flair takes a deep breath, and begins the long walk home.

Shawn, still in the ring, turns to cast his wide-eyed, twelve-year-old's gaze upon the aisle, as the locker room stands at attention. Upon his knees, Shawn drapes his chest over the second rope, cradling Ric's boots like a newborn baby.

Flair slowly walks the aisle up to the entrance of the arena, every wrestler offering their respects.

As he reaches the top of the ramp, it's revealed for the first time that Vince and his family are among the wrestlers at the end of the line. Ric looks him in the eye. Vince produces a heartbroken smile.

Ric turns back towards the arena.

"There goes the greatest wrestler ever to lace up a pair of boots," says Jim Ross.

Ric points to Shawn Michaels.

"And there stands the man who beat him."

"Thank you, Ric... and goodbye."

As he looks upon the 80,000 fans in attendance for his final time as an active wrestler, the show slowly fades to black.

Tags: WWE, Ric Flair, Jim Ross