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Joe Babinsack Looks At The End of The Flair Era

Posted: Apr 3rd 2008 By: CMBurnham

WrestleMania XXIV truly was the end of an era.

Like most eras, this one really was over a few years back. In many ways, when Vince bought WCW, and Sting and Ric Flair had that last, symbolic match on a Turner Cable TV Station, that was the end.

That Ric Flair lived on, and had some memorable moments and pretty good matches afterwards, is yet another testament to his enduring reputation and his undeniable legacy as one of pro wrestling?s greatest performers.

Today, we live in another era. Actually, Raw on Monday Night, March 31, 2008 is the start of the new, ?Modern? era of professional wrestling. While there are many who would argue that the 1980?s, and some of the 1990?s, comprise the Hulk Hogan era, I?ll stay true to my heel fan roots, my visceral appreciation for the leader of the Four Horsemen, and my hardcore schooled, neo-old school, well rounded opinion on Mr. Flair, and stick with calling it the Ric Flair era.

We know when the era was over, March 30, 2008. But when did it begin?

If we went with Hogan, we?d say January 23, 1984. Actually, December 27, 1983 or December 26, 1983 would be more appropriate. The former being Hogan?s debut against Bill Dixon; the latter being the end of Bob Backlund?s long reign as WWF champ, via disputed loss to the Iron Shiek.

Is it then September 17, 1981, the first of Ric Flair?s NWA Championships, not so coincidentally against Dusty Rhodes, in a championship reign that would be like most of the Nature Boy?s reigns, short but well-defended?

Would it begin with the last great match of Bruno Sammartino?s career, the record setting cage match against Larry Zbyszko at Shea Stadium?

Certainly, it cannot be earlier than that. The 1970?s were still the age of NWA domination. The WWF still pledged fealty to the NWA back then. And through the Funks, Brisco and Harley Race, the regions thrived, and television was local, popular and decidedly old school.

Then again, could it be December 17th, 1976, when TBS first started broadcasting to four cable stations via Satellite? For what was World Championship Wrestling, in any of its versions, without Ric Flair?s presence, and the time that the Superstation made its biggest strides was the building of the foundation of Ric Flair?s legacy.

But what was the Flair era?

For one thing, it was the transition period between old school and modern sensibilities.

When Flair debuted, on December 10, 1972, the NWA regions were still mostly in place, and there was a solid arrangement between that overarching organization and its two major spin-offs, the AWA and the WWWF.. Television was a tool for bringing in locals to the local shows, which was almost entirely the profit-making arm of the industry. Closed circuit was on the horizon, and cable TV?s deep involvement was beginning to bubble up, but only after the war over Atlanta subsided.

Today, at the end of the Flair era, Closed Circuit is an ancient technology, the Internet is an influential tool of pro wrestling fans (and a major thorn in the side of promoters) and the WWE has gone through major name changes and has swallowed the industry almost whole.

Television now dominates the product, being the most watched aspect, and driving fans world-wide to PPV?s. That technology blossomed during Flair?s intermittent reigns, and is now the significant profit-making arm of the industry. Merchandising is another significant portion, which likely never aspired to such lofty goals thirty-five years ago.

The Flair era saw the explosion of cable TV. He was on the Flagship of the NWA, and lead the transition from centralized NWA hegemony, lead by a loose association and a revolving presidency, to Carolina based Crockett promotional tool. Flair first won the NWA title when there existed demands on his time and schedule, and transitioned to WCW?s control of the belt, and then its diminished reputation, and then Flair himself foreshadowed WCW?s demise as he took a contract dispute and the digitized title to the WWF. The enemy.

Things change. And over thirty-five years, things changed immensely.

The one thing that remained quite constant was Flair.

Sure, he spent some time as a face, especially in his established home base of the Crockett?s Mid Atlantic core territory. In many ways, he pioneered the tweener role, the blending of typical heel and face roles. He was a heel that a significant portion of the fans would get behind. He brought a sense of ?coolness? to his championship reigns, basking in his greatness, trumpeting his triumphs and gloating over his conquests.

Storyline or otherwise, in the Ring or in the minds of fans who projected themselves into
his massive ego, his legendary status, his awesome ability to talk the talk. And walk the walk.

He was the champ, he is the champ. He was the MAN, and he still is the man.. He touted himself as ?the dirtiest player in the game? and because his character is and always seems to have been the perfect blend of villain and anti-hero. Even when he lost the belt, he made sure to win the wars. Even as he established his legacy, he trumped it by ?creating? the first real, modern pro wrestling fan movement.

The Four Horsemen.

Flair undoubtedly tapped into the teenage sentiments and the growingly violent mindset of the 1980s and beyond. His character was no longer the heel of the past, dastardly but cowardly, inevitably doomed to failure, cheating to win, but always to be caught, and destined to be driven out of town.

The NWA?s champion transcended heel and face. While they portrayed characteristics, they played a role of traveling champion, matching up with the local drawing power, helping to draw crowds and profit.

The Northeastern branch of the NWA, Vince McMahon Sr?s promotion, relied upon a hero as the champion. Heels were transitory. Larger than life ethnic heroes ruled the world, and were legend because of their stature. (Hogan shed the ethnicity for American patriotism, but played the same role.)

The Midwestern and Western branch was mostly the playground of its owner, Verne Gagne. He was the bland face of wrestling?s history, and part of wrestling?s ongoing reality. Domination by ownership; even if deserved it by technical prowess.

Flair embraced the concepts, and ran with it straight to wrestling immortality.

He made the heel a natural champion. Even if he never dominated through unbeatable spans, he created the legend akin to the heroes of the sport. Even as he became a hero to a growing heel portion of the fans, his reputation grew, larger than any part of his now recognized greatness: his title reigns, his charisma, his superlative ability in the ring, his drawing power.

Ric Flair became the perennial champion. His momentum went unchecked by losses. He became a hero despite them. His connection with the heel fans was simply awesome. And like any heel throughout history, his persistence, his longevity and his cocky demeanor eventually turns fans to him. For Flair, he already created a base.

Over time, he won over more and more.

Flair picked up more than just the mannerisms of Rogers, the pomp of George, the bumps of Stevens, the whooing of McDaniels, the aura of Valentine. He captured the essence of the heel: the ability to draw heat, the psychological attraction, the glamour and the sheer tenacity.

Beyond that, he captured the break all the rules atmosphere that propelled ECW to niche status. He spoke in catch phrases a decade or more before Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock captivated many more millions of mainstream fans. And he was the perfect counter-point to the bombastic pride of Hulk Hogan.

That underlying competition, between Hogan, whom the hardcores, the newsletter readers and the truest of fans, not the kiddies and the mainstream marks, knew to be a media creation more than a wrestling talent, and Flair, the technically superior antithesis, was the stuff that propelled legends to the status of greatness.

Like mid-1990?s WWF versus WCW, the rivalry raised the stakes and pumped up an already overwhelming character to new heights.

Flair, even after his stint with the WWF in the early 1990?s, even after being chased out, forced to second tier status, virtually retired on several occasions, and even after horrific treatment by Eric Bischoff, Hogan and political powers, could not break his spirit, or his connection to the fans.

That is why this is the Flair era.

He won the war.

Flair may have moved from WCW to the WWF, back again, and then to the dominance of the WWE, but he never compromised. He never wore out his welcome with the fans. His selfishness is, in many ways, a problem in addressing his ultimate greatness, but despite some odd presentations, some stupid skits and a period where his red-faced rantings were truly cringe-worthy, the fans never abandoned him.

Sure, he could have been used better. People have been saying that for twenty years, intermittently, incredulously, and never indifferently.

So, today, a few days removed from his retirement match, we look to the future.

What?s in store for the future of professional wrestling without THE MAN?

And who?s going to lead it?

Those are questions which will arise in hindsight.

For now, let?s hope that there is a man who can capture the spirit of the crowds, the essence of professional wrestling talent and the tenacity to be true to himself, like Flair has done, and will undoubtedly continue to be.

Tags: WCW, Sting, Ric Flair, NWA, Dusty Rhodes