What Ric Flair Is REALLY Like...

As part of the new wrestler interview series by Roots of Fight. Icon on Icon like you've never seen them before.
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[@JunkBallMedia]

People gotta realize that Flair existed in a different wrestling world. His job was to travel to different territories, make their local babyface look like a million bucks, but then somehow escape with the title before leaving for a new territory. Rinse and repeat for years all around the country. He was perfectly designed for the territory system.

[@markw110]

❤❤❤

[@Rjensen2]

And he wasn't good enough to change when the business did.

[@jamesmcgrory6391]

Exactly. Ric used to say “nobody got his a- kicked like Ric Flair.” He worked very hard to make the local guys look good.

[@TheAxe4Ever]

@@Rjensen2What? Okay, junior.

[@Rjensen2]

@@TheAxe4Ever So how did Ric change his style, then?

[@captainforty573]

It's good to hear Brett be positive for a change.

[@Giants83]

Bret is very positive to those he respects. He doesn't sugar coat anything. A lot of people say he's a bitter man but I don't believe that. He has a passion for the wrestling business that few have. He's always talked highly of Mr. Perfect, Piper, Stone Cold, The Rock, etc... Even those he didn't get along with on a personal level like HBK. He also isn't afraid to speak his mind about first hand experiences he's had with wrestlers that are total jack asses. I respect that.

[@mac888spectral7]

This is the most complimentary I've ever heard Bret speak of Flair. He still stops short of calling him great or even talented, but at least he does recognize the man's status in the business.

[@joro7304]

@@mac888spectral7 Flair is actually overrated. When it comes to wrestling skills, he is not even close to Bret. However, Flair was better than Bret at mic and had a larger than life character.

[@misterslats]

It's amazing how many people betray their intelligence when they mistake Bret Hart simply being brutally honest with negativity. Instead of appreciating a man who has the nuts to not sugarcoat his opinions of people he gets gaslighted as a negative complainer. That has NEVER been the way he has come across to me and I totally appreciate the fact he offers the straight dope warts and all about any wrestling topic. Nevermind the fact that no one else has walked in Bret Hart's shoes therefore people should keep their opinions of his mentality to themselves. If you don't want to hear brutally honest opinions about some of your favorite wrestlers just don't watch Bret Hart interviews. I watch them because I know Bret doesn't mince words and I appreciate that in an interviewee.

[@murraykelm5691]

Sometimes people say Flair was overrated, but they forget , his prime was in the,80's, the WWF never really got to see his best stuff.

[@markw110]

Yes

[@_M_Zed]

As a kid who didn’t know who Flair was pre-WWF, I still thought he was awesome in 92’ and 93’.

[@toosexyformyhair]

Was still great in the 90s, without even taking into account he was already over 40.

[@Iceman-xe7jo]

💯

[@tightknotsfishing9334]

Flair's whole game was airtight. He put in the work to entertain us all. Underneath all the style, image, persona, and attitude was a dedicated "worker" who never failed to bring it fpr the fans. He was never my favorite but he sure as hell is one of the greatest to ever do it.

[@jonw.3886]

There have been many great wrestlers but none of them loved wrestling as much as Flair. He gave everything for wrestling.

[@richardmorris6365]

Macho Man lived it breathed it, choreographed his matches was obsessed w/ wrestling. Not saying Ric wasn't but for me it's Mach

[@brianschryver8314]

He didn’t give everything, he kept some back for the strippers. 😂

[@ryansta]

@@richardmorris6365 OHhhh YeaaaaHHHH, Cream of the Crop

[@chazzx7897]

Flair loved the lifestyle that came with wrestling, because it allowed him to be something other than himself. Flair has said many times, that he didn't like being Richard Fliehr, but he loves being Ric Flair.

[@nastynaz3376]

Bret beating Legend's, Rowdy Pipper at WrestleMania to win the Intercontinental title & then beating Ric Flair for the WWF Heavyweight championship, made the Hitman singles career leagendary already at that point, and it was only the beginning

[@dewiwilliams4821]

Yeah this was my childhood and so thankful that I got to see the legend that is Flair in WWF, I thought he was a great champion and heel at the time. Rumble 92 was outstanding. Then he puts over my absolute favourite wrestler out of nowhere and I saw that match months later! I saw Bret defend title against razor Ramon before I saw the match he actually won it. Made it seem more real though, like Bret was just waiting for his chance, he got it on some random show that wasn't live, and pulled the sword from the stone! Absolutely brilliant times and if wrestling still made wrestlers like Bret and Flair I might still be watching.

[@jawbone78]

​@@dewiwilliams4821it's not that they don't make guys like them, it's that they don't let guys work like them. What they call wrestling these days is nothing but pairs gymnastics routines and bad acting. It's shallow and stupid.

[@fmbbeachbum8163]

@@jawbone78 Yup, no story told without a mic or in the ring. All 5 star matches with a zero star story. Give me the 80s & 90s with 2 good matches per show. Wrestling really died the day Vince went R-rated to survive. It just took 20 years to see it.

[@dewiwilliams4821]

@jawbone78 Yes I think you are right bro 👍

[@krelakuma]

Bret seems relaxed and happy here, it's so nice to see. Hitman forever

[@seanburdelik5216]

Flair loves wrestling so much that he still tries to do it at 70 and after surgery that only had a 5% success rate that he lives and hes still here

[@GlorifiedTruth]

The drum machine really REALLY helped me absorb this.

[@Myndir]

It should be louder, though.

[@MD76MAC]

More cowbell!

[@angelopetrozzi44]

Everything you saw about Ric Flair on tv, Flair did in real life. The real world heavyweight champion who lived the life of a king. WOOOOOOOO

[@mightybluespider]

Except Kings spend other people's money. Flair went broke spending his own money

[@angelopetrozzi44]

@@mightybluespider true but Jim Crockett had no problem filling up his bank account everytime Flair was his world heavyweight champion

[@ennbee2051]

Ric was great. He was one of a kind. They don’t make them like Ric anymore. He was the kind of guy who would wrestle all afternoon in iron man matches. He was the life of the party.

Lol, you just quoted a couple lines from Brett here almost word for word. Nice recap.

[@The_Zilli]

to be the man, you gotta beat the man and Brett certainly is the man. Both are legends and icons in the industry and will be long remembered long after we're all gone. It was a treat just to watch them on television so I cant even imagine what it would have been like watching them in person or even working with them. Getting old sucks.

[@stevenelson3515]

Flair pretty much had it all. He could carry a match as long as it needed to be carried. He had mad mic skills. And he could sell his opponents moves as well as anyone.

[@fredbergstrom4866]

I grew up in the WWF region. Seeing Flair on GCW in 81 was jaw dropping. I was blown away. That was what a champion looked like

[@andrewvincent7299]

Bret was always a bit salty when it came to Rick Flair, but he was really nice about him here. That was cool to see.

[@sonnycornfeld]

He was salty after Ric Flair went below the belt in his 2005 autobiography, saying stuff like Montreal hurt Bret more than his Owen's death... among other negative comments about Bret... Check the TSN Off the record interview with Flair. The only reason Bret stopped hating Flair and Michaels is because age and health issues have caught up to him.

[@stevebarnes8368]

I think they’re good friends now.

[@sonnycornfeld]

@@stevebarnes8368 yea but only because of the reasons I named... Bret had nothing good to say about Flair for years. And Flair lost his head over the years too.... As of 2005 he was totally into WWE, he was cool with Triple H and Michaels and talked horribly about Bret Hart in his Bio.... Apparently he had picked sides. Switch forward 15 years and he can't be in WWE due to age among other reasons... He has no contact to Triple H and Michaels... All of a sudden he's cool with Bret Hart. Big LOL

[@TrueDirection]

@@sonnycornfeld Other things have happened which you probably don't know about. Both Hart and Flair have had discussions regarding their differences and they did manage to clear the air. It looks like Flair had some issues that he was hiding. Hart did not know about them until recently in the last year.

[@sonnycornfeld]

@@TrueDirection while this might be true, you have to consider that people don't have the same power and energy level as they get old. Their relationship today really isn't relevant in relation to the past, in my opinion. Bret Hart today and Bret Hart prior to his stroke are two different men. Ric Flair seemed in good spirits in 2005.

[@514broly]

Rc Flair’s 1989 Trilogy with Rick Steamboat will always be my favorite Ric Flair matches. He had incredible stamina for someone who was in his nearly 40 at that time.

[@Rjensen2]

So people who are 40 don't have great stamina? 😂

[@jbellflower83]

Id also recommend (if you havent already watched them) his matches with Windham in 86/87. Windham was so smooth and him and Flair had great chemistry together.

[@514broly]

@@jbellflower83 Oh yeah, their matches were incredible too. Wish they had more high profile matches like he did with Steamboat. Barry Windham was awesome in his prime.

[@raypratt-bw9ib]

Actually I think he was about 40 when that feud started

[@PassivePortfolios]

Flair, Savage and Foley were the most dedicated to the business and gave it all. Probably more than they should have.

[@fmbbeachbum8163]

Hogan's back & knees & surgeries say "hold my beer". Foley did stupid sh!t because that's literally all he had. No way any insurance company would've covered him if he died during that Hell in a Cell with Undertaker.

[@fergalkavanagh6999]

And Terry Funk

[@barryweston4887]

Leave Savage off of that list please

[@dwade6322]

I'll take Prime Ric Flair over anyone. Period.

[@richardmorris6365]

At what boasting

[@rolltide9547]

​@@richardmorris6365working 400 matches carrying people in all parts of the world

[@scottmoore1614]

Behind the mic, in the ring and YES ….boasting! The GOAT!

[@justmythoughts2786]

Prime Bob Backlund with ate him up

[@Spiritof_76]

@@justmythoughts2786 Ate him up? Backlund couldn't do a promo or create a controversy, or sell a persona like Ric Flair could. It isn't even close. I doubt he could wrestle as hard, drink hard well into the night, and be up the next day spending hours at the gym year after year either. Flair was a bombastic ticket selling machine.

[@user-bl6gx9hr2n]

Ric Flair at his peak was in the 1980’s at NWA. He was the man!!!

[@chrisbaker7136]

Wooooo!

[@A-Man79]

As a kid in 80s i never really got Ric Flair. I just looked at him and thought "how the f*** can _anyone_ be scared of Ric Flair?" But as i got older i realised that was the whole point and came to appreciate him. He practically invented the character of the cocky, arrogant, chickensh!t champion who everyone would pay to see get his ass kicked, and he played it better than anyone.

[@youtubeistryingtocensorme]

Actually that was Gorgeous George. And Buddy Rodgers aka the original WWE champion. Ric Flair basically emulated them. Hell even his nickname the “Nature Boy” was stolen from Buddy Rodgers”

[@Spiritof_76]

@@youtubeistryingtocensorme Those guys didn't come close to the heights of pro-wrestling that was Ric Flair during the WCW days.

[@youtubeistryingtocensorme]

@@Spiritof_76 doesn’t change the fact that Ric Flair stole their schtik

[@Spiritof_76]

@@youtubeistryingtocensorme Stole it? Bleached blonde hair and arrogance was so rare? It's like saying I stole speaking English or stole eating sandwiches. It's like saying Big John Stud stole his wrestling from Andre.

[@billybob1723]

I like Bret. He's always got something intelligent to say. And he can always kick your ass.

[@Stuart267]

*Ric Flair was a unique performer, he could go out put on a 5 Star match, then go straight to the bar. Drink it dry, sleep for a few hours get up & put on another 5 Star match he did this for YEARS. The man is lucky to be alive today considering he barely went 1 day sober for years.*

[@InvestBetter.]

You can't have a Mount Rushmore of Pro Wrestling without Ric Flair WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

[@samiam7342]

that was nice of bret to speak highly of ric..........time heals all wounds......

[@DPL58]

Bret didn't had any issues with Ric as far as wrestling or politics in the companies.

[@zodiacair]

"In 1982 they were taking pictures of him in the airport...". Well in 2018 I ran into Flair exiting the arrivals area at Toronto International Airport and not a single person but me recognized him. Asked if he was Mr. Flair and he said yes and kept walking like an arrogant shmuck. I considered pulling out my cellphone camera and capturing the moment but at that point I decided he wasn't even worth it.

[@Michael_Chandler_Keaton]

2 legends! The Nature Boy and the Hit Man!

[@TheHannibalTV]

Wild West Character for sure

[@_dark_170]

"Ric was Ric." We all know what that means.

[@soldierside365]

Sniff sniff glug glug

[@toddventure]

Cool to see a photo of Flair that my brother took back in 1979. 😊

[@ThumperT51]

As a kid in the early 80's, I saw Ric wrestle the Tennessee Stud at Lewis Middle School. Front row, by the aisle. They came out of the ring, Ric grabbed the chair beside me, I touched his shoulder.

[@He-Rex]

Ric Flair is the man..... Hulkster's endorsement is all I need!

[@garypellerin5576]

To be the man, you got to beat the man. Good going and congratulations Bret, you are the man.

[@jeffhutchinson1164]

Two of the very best to ever do it

[@larryburton9369]

Nothing but respect to all of them 😊

[@sendtodevnull1269]

Greatness recognizes greatness.

[@Bretisstillaboss]

One thing out of many things- I respect about Bret - you always know where you stand with him.

[@StarOasis26]

I love these freaking stories of Ric flair woo!

[@homelandsecuritystagesmass507]

Flair was more of a marketing name along with his wrestling. He did both very well.

[@MyNameIsUnavailable]

That RIC FLAIR '74 shirt is legit

[@souperstar7050]

In the 1980's the two biggest names in wrestling were Hulk Hogan in the WWF and Ric Flair in the NWA.

[@roybatty5028]

Ric Flair is royalty here in the South.

[@scottmoore1614]

I saw several of his hour long matches in Greensboro, NC back in the 80s. The GOAT. Woooooooooooooo !

[@roybatty5028]

@@scottmoore1614 I grew up in Concord, so we got WPCQ channel 36 out of Charlotte and WGHP channel 8 every weekend! Double the Wrestling!

[@shayneemodien5356]

Ric basically got along with everyone like undertaker

[@johnny5805]

Was not expecting Brett to be nice about ANYONE. Shocked.

[@TL2354]

Bret

[@Rjensen2]

He's nice to plenty of people.

[@igortroy]

Bret is a hard worker, and he respects hard workers. Him, Flair and other hard workers are the reason why wrestling is so popular and wrestling companies grew from a barn somewhere in the 70s, to multi-billion-dollar mega-corporations.

[@annstevens6223]

He even puts HBK among the top 5 he’s ever wrestled.

[@dabiguy77]

He a and ric made peace a while ago now. Bret was even at flairs last match as his guest.

[@Evil-Never-Dies]

Flair for all his mental problems - he did everything he could to make the OTHER GUY look like the best wrestler ever. That shows character.

[@BarryKunkle]

Love Bret but stu was the legit shooter

[@cromcccxvi3787]

That is a genetic hack.... I knew a guy that could party all night and still be at the gym by 7am like never went out

[@andreferguson2564]

I always hated seeing the rift (which I think was based on a misunderstanding) between two guys that I love as performers and icons of the business, so it's been awesome seeing them being friends for the last decade or so.

[@user-bi9fo3sx6l]

There is only one Ric Flair. Thanks Bret for always being a class act.😊

[@ariesmike26]

My top five world champions Race, Flair, Hart, Sammartino and Backlund.

[@kearneydillon4803]

Not only was Flair a stud, but he was a tough human. People forget he survived a plane crash. That might have contributed to his "I dont give a shit" attitude towards partying and living large. He saw first hand how easy it is to be gone in a puff of smoke. Why die rich? Spend your money on you while you are still here.

[@yetanotheruser1989]

Bret is looking great here. Healthy. Good to see. I can't deny Ric is one of the greatest. One of the pillars of pro wrestling, along with Hogan, and Bret himself. I just wish he'd been able to stay out of the ring after his retirement match against Shawn.

[@softwarephil1709]

Ric Flair is The Man. Period!

[@randomCADstuff]

When Flair gave the title to Brett he was injured and had a concussion apparently. He still let Brett suplex him from the top turn buckle. He went above and beyond to put Brett over when he didn't have to. I was always a Brett Hart fan back in the day but I don't like when he's salty towards other wrestlers (sometimes). He seems to hold onto past grudges a little too hard.

[@natemeyer4980]

That's really cool of Brett to give him those props. And he did beat the man.

[@JeffTullock-yx1hd]

Flair wrestled the most opponents. The most high profile matches of anybody. Longevity. Relatively injury free over his career. Put guys over and helped make them.

[@j.rivera6402]

Ric putting Bret over was big. Loved their matches.

[@user-kl1vd4cj6j]

When Flair gets punched numerous times in a row by the turnbuckle he will dart out of the corner like the punching had no effect on him then do a complete face plant in the ring always makes me cry with laughter epic

[@xeeng10]

Ric Flair is to pro wrestling what gun powder was to the world when it was invented. He changed everything and brought it to a new level. Also his daughter (Charlotte) is hot af and one of the best female pro wrestlers currently.

[@1joshjosh1]

Wooooooooow

[@pappystern2955]

And stilllllll, The best there is, The best there was and The best there ever will be 👍

[@Frank-pi2gz]

FLAIR TOOK THE BEST ASPECTS OF THE LEGENDARY HEELS, THE BRUISER, THE CRUSHER, FREDDY BLASSY, BUDDY ROGERS, GORGEOUS GEORGE, ROLLED THEM ALL INTO ONE PERSONA AND BECAME A LEGEND. A HARD DRINKING WHEELING DEELING SON OF A GUN. 😊

[@OceanbornAngel]

Gotta say...Bret is still looking good. He was my teenage crush way back in the day.

[@stormykeep9213]

As a kid I used to hate Ric Flair. Thought he was just an arrogant SOB. He played the heel role superbly. As cheesy as it was at times, I loved it when he took a big bump and did his "Flair Flop." The man was a bona fide entertainer!

[@StannisHarlock]

To see Bret not burying the person he's talking about😄

[@jessedavis7555]

He was the definition of The Guy everyone loved to hate 👏💯

[@JerichoMile4]

Ric Flair briefly attended the University Of Minnesota Golden Gophers !!!!

[@brianhays1797]

It’s does crack me up when they say “I beat him…”. Well yeah because you were going to be the champ because Vince said so

[@RyanRumbles434]

Glad Bret and Ric are on good terms now. I think they misunderstood each other decades ago.

[@user-ci7fw8eg8z]

Man, Bret looks great. He doesnt seem to show any signs of his stroke anymore.

[@kirktuss4819]

Bret's in a bar that is playing his matches, Scott Hall was right, Bret is a legendary mark for himself. Difference between Ric and Bret is that Ric didn't need to win to get over. He's was a pro wrestler.

[@NuclearHendrix]

I liked Scott Hall, but he was a hypocrite for saying that about Bret because he never got rid of his Razor Ramon look or the toothpick😂.

[@RaylanGivens123]

Was just waiting for Bret ro say something nasty because he seems to hate everyone lol, but he restrained himself this time, bravo!

[@rios39]

I prefer positive Bret. I get why he goes scorched earth on “Bill” though.

[@Bat21bravo]

Id rather have HART, than to have FLAIR. Both you guys are Legends and paid your dues. Don't sell yourself short. Cool stories are okay but life is about making tough choices and doing the right thing. Not always fun or popular. If i remember right RF quit Vern Gagnes' training camp 1st time and went home. Someone Vern i think dragged his ass back to the barn. WHOO !

[@Rydonattelo]

Is Brett native American?

[@zappadali8696]

Do yourself a favor people and watch Flair’s appearance on the Kill Tony show. 😂

[@ericfaz1427]

I certainly hope someone is studying Ric Flair's genetic make-up. For him to be in as good of shape as he is today is nothing short of a miracle. Bet they'll find out he is a genetic mutant like Ozzy Osbourne.

[@SiL3NtJ-vf1xz]

He was pretty upset about Flair bashing him in his book though.

[@robertcornelius3514]

If only Roddy was still alive.

[@mitchdolphinsfan2]

Media was trying to pin you two against each other, orrrr you both talking the maddest shit about each other on dirt sheets for about 25 years?😂

[@JayRee1993]

Did he get enough sleep?

[@CuttinBlade]

"he paid somebody to do all this".

[@clxxxiv]

meth in the coffee is a tweaks special.

[@towmater7081]

It’s amazing to me how flair was and still kept his physical abilities with no roids or drugs . Probably why he’s alive and most of the others are not m

[@coreymichael5379]

No talk about Goldberg kicking Bret in the head? Weird

[@JJ-bf6dx]

Surprised he didn’t bring up Montreal screw job

[@djshad1885]

Amazing how deflated these guys get when they retire. Same with football.

[@Unpack]

1992

[@evalangley3985]

If you put a S in front of HITMAN, this is what I think of Bret Hart! - Stone Cold Steve Austin n.b.: Still, I prefer Bret over Austin...

[@louiet2679]

Oh wow its bret not cryong like a baby over how everyone screwed him lol good to finally see

[@swr3092]

"Ric Flair is a guy whos wrestled the same match every night for 30 years. To me, thats lacking." - Ole Anderson Really not much more to say about Flair.

[@jurassic5912]

Ric flair is the best performer in history. Fact. He’s on Rushmore with the BIGGEST ever name Hogan and Austin and the Rock. Sorry Andre and Mark u just miss out on

[@joelsandler1119]

Wrestling put out a better product back in the day, of course the world was a totally different place with just land line phones and basic cable.

[@FrankKnights]

If Bret Hart says your the man you can bet yout bottom dollar it’s the truth

[@PJ20091000]

I guess Bret and Ric made up because they shit on each other for years😂😂

[@christian4u69]

Not many people know this, but in either 1988 or 89, Ric was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. He was given the title Sir Osis of Liver. 😁

[@mikekennedy5879]

I see what you did there.

[@samstraughan9054]

I dont understand the point of saying "I beat him"...the winners are pre-determined? Im sure its an honor to know one has been chosen to have the World Champion belt...a high mark in a career for sure...but it cant be that anyone thinks they 'beat' (or lost) to anyone in these made up dramas.

[@user-lw2ck1dr3y]

Brett should try smiling ..... hes the best there is ? u ask him he will tell u ..................... pfffft

[@hereticlife2546]

I just know I have the Pink Hitman RoF Hoodie and the heather gray Rick Flair Wheelin Dealin hoodie.

[@gscruzseven]

He would had never got over in the 80s WWF rockin wrestling he was just to slow and boring 😂but a great technical wrestler that’s it🥸

[@samright4661]

Brett forgets the booker beats the Wrestler not the person in the ring!

[@toosexyformyhair]

Pretty sure he’s aware.

[@getschwifty9531]

Lol well said.

[@jeremyjohnson8243]

Kinda changed his toon a bit