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Ric Flair

American Retired Professional Wrestler

Ric Flair
Ric Flair Source: Google

Ric Flair (born Richard Morgan Fliehr) is a retired professional wrestler from the United States. Known as the greatest professional wrestler of all time by many of his peers and journalists. Flair has an almost 40-year career in wrestling.

About Ric Flair |  Family

Luther and Olive Philips, Flair’s biological parents, gave birth to him on February 25, 1949, in Memphis, Tennessee.

Dr. Richard Reid Fliehr and Kathleen Kinsmiller Fliehr adopted Fred Philips as a baby.

Kathleen worked for the Star Tribune newspaper, and Richard was an obstetrics and gynecology physician.

Flair was born and reared in the Minnesota city of Edina. He attended the University of Minnesota for a while after four years at Wayland Academy in Wisconsin.

Wrestling Profession

Wrestling Association of America

Ric Flair made his ring debut against George Gadaski in December 1972. He was trained there by Verne Gagne.

Tours to Japan

He began wrestling with International Wrestling Enterprise in Japan in 1973. Flair defended the NWA World Heavyweight Championship in All Japan Pro Wrestling in the 1980s.

His tour of Japan continued after he left World Championship Wrestling for the WWF. In September 1992, he defeated Generichiro Tenryu to retain his WWF World Heavyweight Championship.

Between 2002 and 2008, the WWE continued to sponsor the Japan tour. Flair made several appearances in Japan, including the Raw show from Japan in 2005 and his return to AJPW in 2013.

Wrestling at the World Championships

Flair was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) from 1974 until 1976. After a tragic plane crash in 1975, the burgeoning wrestling name was on the verge of extinction.

He returned after eight months, after having their back fractured in three places. He changed his wrestling technique after the accident and earned the moniker “Nature Boy.”

Until July 1997, he held the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship title for five reigns.

He won his first NWA World Heavyweight Championship in September 1981 after defeating Dusty Rhodes.

Flair won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship for the first time in January 1991. The WCW president, however, fired him because of contract disputes.

The Heavyweight Championship was vacated as a result.

The Year 1993

In February 1993, Flair returned to anchoring the A Flair for the Gold discussion show.

He went on to capture the NWA World Heavyweight Championship for the tenth time by defeating Barry Windham.

At Starrcade in 1993, the veteran won his second WCW World Heavyweight Championship.

Ric won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship and the WCW International World Heavyweight Championship at Clash of the Champions XXVII in June 1994.

The undisputed WCW champion led the tag team Four Horsemen, which included Arn Anderson, Brian Pillman, and Chris Benoit.

WCW feuds

Ric had feuds with Randy Savage, Roddy Piper, and the New World Order faction, which included Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, and Hollywood Hulk Hogan, during his stint with WCW.

In February 1997, the Four Horsemen welcomed a new member named Jeff Jarret.

Ric finally had to kick him out because the other members didn’t like him. Steve McMichael and Dean Malenko were added to the stable in September 1998 after Arn and Brian were removed.

Stone Cold Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan His opponents included Steve Austin, Brock Lesnar, and Chris Jericho.

He was unable to win the World Championship, losing to Triple H in a match at Raw in September.

Stable evolution

Flair was a member of Triple H’s ‘Evolution’ group, which also included Batista. They dominated every male championship at Raw.

Flair and Batista won the World Tag Team Championship, which they successfully defended against Dudley Boyz.

Triple H betrayed him by attacking him with a sledgehammer in October 2005, after partnering with Flair in a victory over Carlito and Chris Masters.

Following Flair’s departure speech, Triple H honored him by bringing in several well-known wrestlers, including  Shawn Michaels, Harley Race, Chris Jericho, The Undertaker, and Vince McMahon.

He also influenced The Undertaker’s decision to retire in 2020.

WWE’s Final Days

On two consecutive occasions, Flair teamed up with Roddy Piper and Carlito, but both times they lost the World Tag Team Championship.

He received a standing ovation from the audience at his farewell address at Raw in March 2008. Following his retirement, Ric continued to appear on Raw.

Days of TNA

Ric joined Total Nonstop Acting Wrestling after receiving no contract offers from WWE since June 2009. He arrived in a limo for his debut on January 4, 2010.

Team Flair and Team Hogan were always fighting and feuding.

Hogan had Flair’s Hall of Fame ring, which he later gave to wrestler Jay Lethal. Lethal, though, returned it to Ric out of respect for him.

Despite this, the Hall of Famer was so angry with Jay for returning the rings that he attacked Team Flair members and Lethal. When the two collided on Victory Road, Jay emerged victoriously.

In September 2012, he had the final bout of his career, which was against Sting at Impact Wrestling.

TNA dismissed Flair, and in a December 2012 interview, he stated that he would never wrestle again.

WWE’s non-wrestling career

The two-time WWE Hall of Fame inductee began appearing in non-wrestling events at the company. He appeared on NXT with his daughter Charlotte from 2013 through 2014.

Until May 2016, when his daughter turned on him, the retired wrestler debuted at WWE with his daughter.

Ric’s 70th birthday was honored in February 2019 by WWE. He backed Randy Orton at Raw in 2020 until Orton kicked him in the skull on August 10th.

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Criticisms and the Legacy

His fans continue to scream “Wooooooo!” to demonstrate their support for him. He’s a fan favorite thanks to his ring antics and rule-breaking performances.

Furthermore, On October 19, “Ric Flair Day” is observed in Minneapolis; on November 15, in Norfolk, Virginia; on March 24 in Columbia; and on April 18 in Charleston.

Pusha T and Killer Mike, among others, have paid tribute to him in songs. He is widely regarded as the greatest wrestler of all time by most professional wrestling experts, analysts, and stars.

Some of them, on the other hand, have accused him of money greed for continuing to fight despite his age and capacity to do so. His TNA career has gotten a lot of flak.

Other forms of media

Flair appears among other WCW wrestlers in a Baywatch episode.

He voiced himself in Uncle Grandpa’s animated series episode “History of Wrestling” and The Cleveland Show’s episode “BFFs.”

His autobiography, To Be the Man, was published in 2004. “You must defeat the man if you want to be the guy!”

In 2015, Flair starred in the film Magic Mike XXL. “WOOHOO! Nation” and “The Ric Flair Show” were two of his podcasts.

In addition, Offset, 21 Savage, Metro Boomin, and Bad Bunny have all included the Nature Boy in their music videos.

Titles and Accolades

  • Six WCW World Heavyweight Championships
  • two WCW International World Heavyweight Championships
  • six WCW US Championships
  • nine NWA World Heavyweight Championships
  • two WWF World Heavyweight Championships
  • three WWE World Tag Team Championships
  • And many more were among the titles he won throughout his 40-year career.
  • the NWA Hall of Fame
  • the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame
  • the St. Louis Wrestling Hall of Fame

Relationship Status

In 1971, Flair married Leslie Goodman for the first time. Even though they divorced in 1983, the couple had two children: Megan and David.

Following that, he married Elizabeth Harrell. Ashley and Reid were their sons.

He married Tiffany VanDemark in 2006, and they have two children.

Jacqueline Beems became his fourth wife in 2009. In 2014, the relationship ended with a divorce.

Flair and Wendy Barlow have been married since 2018. Ric Flair’s first son, David Flair, is a professional wrestler as well.

Reid was a high school wrestler who made several appearances on WCW television. He died of a heroin overdose in 2013. Ashley joined WWE in 2012 under the ring name Charlotte.

Net Worth | Ric Flair

Tax evasion and medical emergencies cost Flair a lot of money. He racked up a $1.8 million cost for heart surgery in 2019.

As of 2022, Flair’s net worth is $3 MILLION.

The managerial services in wrestling and the sponsorship arrangement with TickPick are his current sources of income. According to sources, his last monthly salary was $35,000.

He’s owned several high-end vehicles, including a Bentley Arnage T and a Mercedes Benz, and he frequently drives a black Chevrolet SS.

His present residence is a $1 million mansion in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Social Media

Flair uses social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram, Cameo, and Twitter extensively.

He also has a total of 2 million Instagram followers, 1 million Twitter followers, and 1,878,409 Facebook fans.

Cameo

Every time he makes a cameo, the former wrestler pays $100 to the CDC Foundation.

Aside from that, 21 Savage, Offset, and Metro Boomin released a song called “Ric Flair Drip” featuring rappers and singers 21 Savage, Offset, and Metro Boomin. In their video, the Hall of Famer makes a guest appearance.

Frequently Asked Question:

Who is he now dating?

Ric Flair married Wendy Barlow in 2018 and hasn’t had any other relationships since.

Ric Flair retired at what age?

In December 2012, Ric Flair announced his retirement. According to WWE statistics, he passed away in March 2008 at the age of 59.

What is the nature of Ric Flair’s health issue?

Ric has alcoholic cardiomyopathy, which is a type of heart disease. Long-term alcohol consumption is the cause. His kidney also failed after surgery in 2017 to remove an obstructing portion of the hidden colon.

Ric Flair is a member of this American political party?

For a long time, Ric Flair has been a staunch supporter of the Republican Party. He endorsed Republican state and presidential candidates on the campaign trail.

Quick Facts | Ric Flair

Full Name Richard Morgan Fliehr
Birth Date February 25, 1949
Birth Place Memphis, Tennessee, US
Nickname
  • The Nature Boy
  • The Black Scorpion
Religion Christianity
Nationality American
Ethnicity White
Education
  • University of Minnesota
  • Wayland Academy, Wisconsin
Zodiac Pisces
Father’s Name Dr, Richard Reid Fliehr
Mother’s Name Kathleen Fliehr
Siblings Unknown
Age 73 Years Old
Height 6 feet 1 inch (185 cm)
Weight 80 kg (176 lbs.)
Build Athletic
Eye color Blue
Hair Color Blonde
Profession
  • Professional Wrestler (retired)
  • Wrestling Manager
Active years 1972-present
Marital Status Married
Wife/ Spouse’s Name Wendy Barlow (m. 2019)
Children 2 sons and 2 daughters
Net Worth $3 million
Salary $35000 monthly
Social Media Twitter, Facebook, Instagram
Merch Funko Pop, T-Shirt, Costume
Last Update April 2022

 

Written by Jeni Watson

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