Wooooooooooo!
March 8, 2005

This is one column of many that will be like this. This one is all about Ric Flair and his legendary career. If you only know Ric Flair by what he is about today, sit back, relax and take a journey with me. Through his feuds, his life, and his long list of accomplishments, I hope you all enjoy this as much as I have his career.

Ric Flair who was born Richard Fliehr was born in Memphis, Tennessee on February 25, 1949. He moved to Edina, Minnesota, grew up there and went on to play offensive guard in college at Minnesota.

His infamous, eye pokes, brass knuckles, low blows, and other “cheat to win” tactics is what caused him to be dubbed, “the dirtiest player in the game.” Over the years these tactics would prove necessary in many of his legendary feuds.

He was also well known for his fancy robes, lifestyle, and his saying “To Be the man, you got to beat the man”

Speaking of legendary feuds, even though it is well proclaimed that Ric Flair is a sixteen time World Champion let me just point out that fact is completely untrue. Don’t believe me? You will, trust me.

“The Early Years”

In 1967: Richard Fliehr was a high school state heavyweight wrestling champion in Wisconsin.

“The NWA Years”

After being trained by the legendary Verne Gagne Ric Flair made his professional wrestling debut in The AWA in 1972. Ric Flair only spent a short two years in 1972 before venturing of for the NWA in 1975.Unfortunately for Ric Flair he and a few of his comrades were in a serious plane crash that broke Ric Flair’s back, but one year later he was ready to re-lace his boots.

He was named Rookie of the Year in 1975.

Ric Flair won his first title, in September of 1977 when he defeated Bobo Brazil to win the NWA U.S. Heavyweight title. Later that year, Ric Flair teamed up with Greg The Hammer Valentine to defeat two men Ric would wind up spending a lot of years with Arn and Ole Anderson to win The NWA World Tag team Titles after previously losing the U.S. Title.

After being stripped of the Tag Team Titles, Ric Flair went on to re-capture the U.S. Title from MR. Wrestling, only to lose it to Ricky Steamboat five months later. Ric Flair once again regained the title back from Ricky Steamboat April 1st, 1979. Flair vacated the U.S. Title after he had once again teamed with Greg The Hammer Valentine to win the Tag Team Titles, this time from Paul Jones and Baron Von Raschke, but one month later Paul Jones and Baron Von Raschke regained their titles back, and this would be the last Time The Nature Boy would be a Tag Team Champion for quite some time.

To any modern day superstar, this may already seem like the start of a legendary career, but to say this is the start of something legendary would be a sever understatement.

After once again winning the U.S. Title from “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka, Ric Flair and Valentine would feud one final time at one win a piece leaving Ric Flair with a total of five U.S. title reigns. Ric’s final reign was ended in Raleigh, NC, when Rowdy Roddy defeated him to capture the U.S. title it was time to move on to bigger and better things.

History was made September 17th 1981 in St. Lois, Missouri. Ric Flair defeated NWA World Heavyweight Champion Dust Rhodes to become the World Champion for the very first time, sparking the fire to one of Ric Flair’s most legendary feuds. After Dust Rhodes was suspended from the NWA a masked man known as the Midnight Rider came on to the scene to defeat Ric Flair, when the man was forced to unmask it was proven to be Dust Rhodes, and the title was handed back to Ric Flair, only to lose it in the same place he won it to Harley Race.

Harley Race would even go on to do an “angle” that is still used today when he put a bounty on Ric Flair’s head to try and prevent Ric from re-challenging for the title.

Ric also won the Missouri Heavyweight title by defeating David von Erich July, 15th 1983

It was then that NWA would hold the very first Starcade, November 23rd 1983; Ric Flair once again regained the World Title, by defeating Harley Race. Flair and Race would then go on to defeat each other one more time each leaving Flair as the reigning champion heading into a match with Kerry Von Erich, who later defeated Ric for the belt.

Ric Flair would regain his title just a few weeks later during a tour of Japan on May 12th 1984 and he would be untouchable for the next two years, but one of his long time rivals would catch up to him, and Dusty Rhodes regained the title, but two weeks later to the day Ric Flair won his seventh world title and we would see another year of Ric Flair as the champion before “The Dirtiest Player in the Game” would meet a few new enemies.

Ronnie Garvin came into the “Motor City” and took on a man who was already well established as a Legend, and he went on to defeat Ric Flair and become the World Heavyweight champion, but only two months to regain the title from Garvin. He started his eighth title reign in Chicago, Illinois on November 26, 1987.

Ric Flair would yet again come face to face with a new enemy, Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, ended Flair's title reign on February 20, 1989 in the same city where he started it, Chicago, IL. On May 7, at Wrestle War '89, Flair won the title back from Steamboat in Nashville, Tennessee.

It was after this match Flair was attacked by Terry Funk, Funk put Flair through a table and sidelined him for six months.

Flair returned to battle Funk and the rest of Gary Hart's stable, Flair recruited Sting, Ole and Arn Anderson to reform the 4-Horsemen.

The two factions would have a hellacious feud, and after the smoke had settled the NWA Championship Committee awarded Sting a shot at the World Title.

The Horsemen gave Sting two simple options, leave the Horsemen and go for the title, or stay with The Horsemen and drop the shot. Sting decided to go after Ric Flair and the World Title. Sting was attacked in the locker rooms and had a seriously damaged knee. When Sting returned to the ring, at the 1990 Great American Bash he won the World Heavyweight Championship in Baltimore, Maryland.

Now World Championship Wrestling is born.

On January 11, 1991, Ric Flair defeated Sting to win the World Title for the twelfth time. This wrestling organization left the NWA and formed World Championship Wrestling. Flair recognized as the first WCW Heavyweight Champion, taking place of his then NWA Title. During a tour of Japan Flair lost to Tatsumi Fujinami due to controversy and the decision was reversed but Tatsumi Fujinami was recognized as the NWA Champion so Ric Flair defeated Tatsumi Fujinami to regain the NWA Title and present himself to the World as a double Heavyweight Champion.

But Dusty Rhodes who was now a head booker would prove to be a thorn in Flair’s side once again. Flair and Rhodes had a conflict, which led to Ric flair signing a contract with WWF, now WWE in 1991. Ric Flair was then stripped of the WCW and NWA World titles.

“A New Start”

Flair would enter the WWF with The World Title (which At the time he owned), proclaiming himself as the “Real World’s Champion” he hired Bobby Heenan as his consultant and Mr. Perfect as his personal trainer.

A year after The Undertaker’s debut at Survivor Series he landed himself a match with Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair would prove to play a role in both matches both costing Hogan, and Taker the title from each other in two separate matches.

Due to the controversy WWF President Jack Tunney vacated the title and announced the winner of the 1992 Royal Rumble would be the New WWF Champion.

After drawing number three Ric Flair outlasted 29 other men only eliminating four, The British Bulldog, Big Boss Man, Randy Savage & Sid Justice (Sid Justice as eliminated with the help of Hulk Hogan) Ric Flair captured the WWF title for the first time.

But that year at Wrestlemania Macho Man Randy Savage/Ric Flair would meet, Flair at the time was swearing up and down Miss Elizabeth had his back and would prove it at Wrestlemania. During the match Elizabeth proved her loyalty to Macho Man, he and Ric Flair had one of the greatest matches in Wrestlemania history that night and Macho Man went on to win the title from Flair.

After Flair regained the title from Macho Man, it would be the last time he would hold the WWF Title, as he then dropped the title to Bret “The Hitman” Hart. Mer. Perfect and Flair then had a dispute and split sides, Flair and Ramon would feud with Macho Man and Mr. Perfect, this is what eventually led to the “Loser Leaves WWF Match” where Macho Man defeated Ric Flair sending him home packing.

Upon his return to WCW Ric Flair defeated Barry Windham to win his tenth and final NWA World Title, he later lost it to Rick Rude and the title went on to be known as the WCW International World Title, Ric Flair was never able to regain it only due to disqualification finishes.

Ric Flair then went on to Big Van Vader, and their big match at Starrcade 1993. Flair put his career on the line against Vader's World Title. On December 27, in front of his hometown audience, Flair defeated Vader to win the WCW Title for the second time. Then on June 23, 1994, "The Nature Boy" beat Sting for the WCW International World Title in Charleston, South Carolina. This was the first time Flair won the International World Title, but this match unified the two titles into the World Championship Wrestling Heavyweight Title.

Flair later lost the title to Hulk Hogan.

“The New Four Horsemen”

After it seemed that Ric Flair and Arn Anderson had ended their longtime friendship had come to an end, they set up a match for Fall Brawl in 1995, after a back and forward match neither man could get the best of the other. Just when it seemed Ric Flair was going to apply the Figure-Four, Brian Pillman jumped to the apron only to be met with Flair’s fist. Pillman kicked Flair setting him up for the ddt giving Arn Anderson the win.

Over the course of the next month Flair pleaded with Sting to help him take on Anderson, and Pillman, knowing what Flair and Anderson did in the past Sting refused. Flair fought Anderson and Brian alone for the next couple of weeks until sting decided Flair was a man of his word and the match was set for Halloween Havoc.

Flair was “attatcked” the night of the match, and Sting went out to the ring alone to take on Anderson and Pillman.

In the middle of the match Flair ran down to the ring, with his head bandaged, and in street clothes only to turn on Sting and help Anderson, and Pillman take him out, giving the New Four Horsemen it’s first breath of air.

A Triangle match was set-up for Starrcade 1995, to name the number one contender for the Title who would get a shot that same night.

After outlasting the two other men Ric Flair went on to defeat Randy Savage to regain the WCW title.

Ric Flair and Randy Savage would have one more battle leaving in the end Ric Flair with the WCW title, Flair was later defeated by the Giant.

Flair went on to capture the U.S. Title and he held it for four months, until he received a shoulder injury while facing Kensuki Sasaki in Japan. Flair then suffered a shoulder injury at the hands of The NWO because of this injury, Flair had to vacate the U.S. Title in November of '96.

Three years later Ric Flair once again has gold set on his mind, this time, it’s Hollywood Hulk Hogan he is defeating to once again regain the WCW title and setting one hell of a record.

After “Ready To Rumble” was filmed David Arquette captured the World Title, and was later defeated by Jeff Jarrett, at this point WCW is heading towards it’s own certain doom.

Not before Ric Flair writes a few more chapters to close this part of his career.

Jarrett was defeated by Flair, only to capture it back and lose it to Kevin Nash. It is now that Ric Flair beats Kevin Nash to the World Title.

Ric Flair World Title Reigns stand at Twenty Two