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Ric Flair

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Ric Flair is a retired American professional wrestler known for his incredible longevity and skill.

Ric Flair
Ric Flair

Many peers and journalists consider him the greatest professional wrestler of all time. His career in the ring spanned an impressive fifty years. He is widely recognized by his famous moniker, "the Nature Boy."

Ric Flair - Wooooo
Ric Flair - Wooooo

Flair has worked for several major organizations, including Jim Crockett Promotions, World Championship Wrestling (WCW), the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE), and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). He currently holds a legends role with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) for special appearances. His career is defined by his ability to perform at a high level for decades.

Flair's wrestling style underwent a major change due to a life-altering accident. In October 1975, he was involved in a serious plane crash in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Flairwmx8blood
Flairwmx8blood

The crash broke his back in three places, and doctors believed he would never wrestle again. However, he followed a rigorous physical therapy schedule to recover. He returned to the ring only three months later. This injury forced him to move away from a power-based brawling style. Instead, he adopted a style focused on technical grappling. This shift helped him develop the "Nature Boy" persona that became his trademark.

Throughout his career, Flair achieved many different types of championship success. He was the first person to complete the WCW Triple Crown. This meant he won the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship, the WCW World Tag Team Championship, and the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. He later became the first person to complete the WWE Triple Crown as well.

Ric Flair, NWA World Heavyweight Champion, 1982
Ric Flair, NWA World Heavyweight Champion, 1982

He was also the very first holder of the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. His ability to win titles across different promotions proved his versatility as an athlete.

Counting Flair's world championship reigns can be difficult because different sources provide different numbers. WWE recognizes him as a 16-time world champion. This includes eight NWA World Heavyweight titles, eight WCW World Heavyweight titles, and two WWF World Heavyweight titles. However, other sources list his reigns as ranging from 16 to 25. Flair himself has claimed that he won 21 world championships.

Flair pins Rhodes, Lou Thesz counts the pinfall, September 17 1981
Flair pins Rhodes, Lou Thesz counts the pinfall, September 17 1981

Regardless of the exact number, his collection of titles is among the largest in history.

Flair's impact on major wrestling events is clearly seen in his participation in premier shows. He headlined the annual NWA/WCW event, Starrcade, on ten different occasions. In 1992, he co-headlined WrestleMania after winning that year's Royal Rumble.

His excellence has been recognized by many industry awards. Pro Wrestling Illustrated named him Wrestler of the Year six times. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter named him Wrestler of the Year a record eight times. These numbers highlight his consistent dominance in the sport.

In the ring, Flair is famous for specific technical moves and signature looks. One of his most iconic maneuvers is the figure-four leglock.

Figure Four Leg Lock
Figure Four Leg Lock

He is also known for his elaborate, colorful robes used during his entrances.

Flickr - simononly - WWE Fan Axxess - Classic Memorabilia-Ring Gear (7)
Flickr - simononly - WWE Fan Axxess - Classic Memorabilia-Ring Gear (7)

His career also included significant group work, such as his time with The Four Horsemen.

Ric Flair and the 4 Horsemen (6923653168)
Ric Flair and the 4 Horsemen (6923653168)

These elements combined to create a larger-than-life character that fans could easily recognize.

Because of his massive contributions, Flair has been honored in several prestigious Halls of Fame. He is a member of the NWA Hall of Fame and the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame. He is also in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame.

Ric Flair
Ric Flair

Notably, he was the first person to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame twice. He was inducted individually in 2008 and again in 2012 as a member of The Four Horsemen. His legacy connects the history of different wrestling eras through his continuous presence in the industry.

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🖼️ Images & Media (22)
File:Ric Flair and Ernie Ladd, 1981.png
Ric Flair and Ernie Ladd, 1981.png
File:Flair pins Rhodes, Lou Thesz counts the pinfall, September 17 1981.png
Flair pins Rhodes, Lou Thesz counts the...
File:Mr. Wrestling II vs. Ric Flair, circa 1982.png
Mr. Wrestling II vs. Ric Flair, circa 1982.png
File:Ric Flair Big Gold 1986.png
Ric Flair Big Gold 1986.png
File:Ric Flair performing a chop on Lex Luger at The Great American Bash, 1988.png
Ric Flair performing a chop on Lex Luger...
File:Flickr - simononly - WWE Fan Axxess - Classic Memorabilia-Ring Gear (7).jpg
Flickr - simononly - WWE Fan Axxess -...
File:Rick_Flair_1996.jpg
Rick_Flair_1996.jpg
File:Flairwmx8blood.jpg
Flairwmx8blood.jpg
File:HBK-and-Flair-backhand-chops.jpg
HBK-and-Flair-backhand-chops.jpg
File:Ricflairwm24.jpg
Ricflairwm24.jpg
File:Hogan Vs Flair.jpg
Hogan Vs Flair.jpg
File:Flair TNA.jpg
Flair TNA.jpg

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