"Nature Boy" Ric Flair
#PWHS #Bio #Biography #Wrestling #ProWrestling #NatureBoy #RicFlair #WOOO #WWE #WCW #WWF #NWA #JCP
|
|
.
Ric Flair attended the training school of a name known by wrestling fans world over, Verne Gagne. Flair made it through the school and quickly get to work on forging a legacy of the greatest magnitude possible.
Flair started off American Wrestling Association (AWA), where he found a small amount of success, but he was a far cry from the over the top Nature Boy we all know and love. At the time he had a totally different body shape and general look. Plus his name was "Rmblin'" Ricky Rhodes. As fate would have it after leaving the AWA, Flair was involved in a tragic plane crash. He broke his back and was told he'd never, ever wrestle again.
Even that career ending injury could not hold Flair back. Less than a year later he stepped back in the ring with a new style, that he was forced to adopt to provide security for his back. This new style helped excel Flair right to the upper echelon of the National Wrestling Alliance.
He spent most of his time in Jim Crockett Promotions for the latter half of the 1970's - the same territory he had been in when the plane crash occurred. In what was probably the most important feud of Flair's young career he took on Buddy Rogers over the Nature Boy name. From then on there was a new, "one and only" Nature Boy.
Three years later in 1981 Ric defeated Dusty Rhodes for his first National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) World Heavyweight Championship. He'd go on to win the belt multiple times (Exact figures depend on whose history you take as gospel).
Flair had notable matches with the likes of Harley Race, Ricky Steamboat, Kerry Von Erich, Bruiser Brody, Wahoo McDaniel, and Sting. Of course, Flair traveled all around America and the NWA territories across the world to face the top wrestlers in each one. So you name them, Flair probably wrestled them.
And of course during the mid-1980's Ric Flair teamed up with J.J. Dillon, Ole and Arn Anderson, and Tully Blanchard to form the Four Horsemen. Who to this day are still considered by many, the greatest faction of all time. The original four were not together for too long though, and was briefly replaced by Lex Luiger, before Barry Windham became Ole's permanent replacement (many other incarnations have since existed).
Throughout the rest of the 1980s, Flair stuck with Jim Crockett Promotions during the war with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF - now WWE) over going national, and the takeover by Turner creating World Championship Wrestling (WCW). In 1991 he made history once again by appearing with the NWA World Heavyweight Championship on WWF television, following a dispute with Jim Herd, who was managing WCW at that time.
Whilst in the WWF Flair aligned himself with Mr. Perfect and Bobby Heenan. In 1992 he won the WWF World Heavyweight Championship for the first time by winning the annual Royal Rumble match, arguably the great Royal Rumble match of all time.
Flair's most notable time in the WWF was his feud with Randy Savage over Miss Elizabeth. To this day it holds that truly intense and personal feeling when watching. His time was short in the WWF, and he was back in WCW by 1993. The WWF just did not feel like home for him.
Once in the WCW Flair, unsurprisingly, went straight back to the main event scene, and feuded with the likes of Sting, Barry Windham, Hulk Hogan, the NWO, and many more. There was even be reformations of the Four Horsemen involving Ric in the late 1990s.
He stayed with WCW until the doors closed in 2001, having the final match ever broadcast against Sting. He showed up in WWF a little while after the closure of WCW. First in an authority role, but later getting back in the ring.
From 2002 to 2009 Flair wrestled with all the talent on the WWE roster. He had memorable matches with guys like Vince McMahon, Triple H and the Undertaker, as well as being a part of the Evolution faction with Randy Orton, Batista, and Triple H.
In 2009 Flair had his best match in years though, and it was billed as his retirement match (He had retired a few times previously in WCW due to such matches) at Wrestlemania XXIV. He and Shawn Michaels put on a very entertaining show following Flair's induction into the WWE Hall of Fame that year. It ended when Michaels mouthed the words "I love you", before hitting the final blow in the form of Sweet Chin Music.
After leaving WWE Flair had a relatively short stint with TNA, his most notable role there was probably the excellent promo work he did with Mick Foley. In 2012 the Four Horsemen were inducted into the Hall of Fame making Ric Flair the first ever two time WWE Hall of Fame inductee.
Ric Flair attended the training school of a name known by wrestling fans world over, Verne Gagne. Flair made it through the school and quickly get to work on forging a legacy of the greatest magnitude possible.
Flair started off American Wrestling Association (AWA), where he found a small amount of success, but he was a far cry from the over the top Nature Boy we all know and love. At the time he had a totally different body shape and general look. Plus his name was "Rmblin'" Ricky Rhodes. As fate would have it after leaving the AWA, Flair was involved in a tragic plane crash. He broke his back and was told he'd never, ever wrestle again.
Even that career ending injury could not hold Flair back. Less than a year later he stepped back in the ring with a new style, that he was forced to adopt to provide security for his back. This new style helped excel Flair right to the upper echelon of the National Wrestling Alliance.
He spent most of his time in Jim Crockett Promotions for the latter half of the 1970's - the same territory he had been in when the plane crash occurred. In what was probably the most important feud of Flair's young career he took on Buddy Rogers over the Nature Boy name. From then on there was a new, "one and only" Nature Boy.
Three years later in 1981 Ric defeated Dusty Rhodes for his first National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) World Heavyweight Championship. He'd go on to win the belt multiple times (Exact figures depend on whose history you take as gospel).
Flair had notable matches with the likes of Harley Race, Ricky Steamboat, Kerry Von Erich, Bruiser Brody, Wahoo McDaniel, and Sting. Of course, Flair traveled all around America and the NWA territories across the world to face the top wrestlers in each one. So you name them, Flair probably wrestled them.
And of course during the mid-1980's Ric Flair teamed up with J.J. Dillon, Ole and Arn Anderson, and Tully Blanchard to form the Four Horsemen. Who to this day are still considered by many, the greatest faction of all time. The original four were not together for too long though, and was briefly replaced by Lex Luiger, before Barry Windham became Ole's permanent replacement (many other incarnations have since existed).
Throughout the rest of the 1980s, Flair stuck with Jim Crockett Promotions during the war with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF - now WWE) over going national, and the takeover by Turner creating World Championship Wrestling (WCW). In 1991 he made history once again by appearing with the NWA World Heavyweight Championship on WWF television, following a dispute with Jim Herd, who was managing WCW at that time.
Whilst in the WWF Flair aligned himself with Mr. Perfect and Bobby Heenan. In 1992 he won the WWF World Heavyweight Championship for the first time by winning the annual Royal Rumble match, arguably the great Royal Rumble match of all time.
Flair's most notable time in the WWF was his feud with Randy Savage over Miss Elizabeth. To this day it holds that truly intense and personal feeling when watching. His time was short in the WWF, and he was back in WCW by 1993. The WWF just did not feel like home for him.
Once in the WCW Flair, unsurprisingly, went straight back to the main event scene, and feuded with the likes of Sting, Barry Windham, Hulk Hogan, the NWO, and many more. There was even be reformations of the Four Horsemen involving Ric in the late 1990s.
He stayed with WCW until the doors closed in 2001, having the final match ever broadcast against Sting. He showed up in WWF a little while after the closure of WCW. First in an authority role, but later getting back in the ring.
From 2002 to 2009 Flair wrestled with all the talent on the WWE roster. He had memorable matches with guys like Vince McMahon, Triple H and the Undertaker, as well as being a part of the Evolution faction with Randy Orton, Batista, and Triple H.
In 2009 Flair had his best match in years though, and it was billed as his retirement match (He had retired a few times previously in WCW due to such matches) at Wrestlemania XXIV. He and Shawn Michaels put on a very entertaining show following Flair's induction into the WWE Hall of Fame that year. It ended when Michaels mouthed the words "I love you", before hitting the final blow in the form of Sweet Chin Music.
After leaving WWE Flair had a relatively short stint with TNA, his most notable role there was probably the excellent promo work he did with Mick Foley. In 2012 the Four Horsemen were inducted into the Hall of Fame making Ric Flair the first ever two time WWE Hall of Fame inductee.
Unique content strictly for the Professional Wrestling Historical Society.
Biography of Ric Flair.
Author: Jimmy Wheeler.
Published: July 2014.
Biography: #49.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
Updated: November 17, 2019.
Unique content strictly for the Professional Wrestling Historical Society.
Biography of Ric Flair.
Author: Jimmy Wheeler.
Published: July 2014.
Biography: #49.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
Updated: November 17, 2019.