Featured image credit: WWE.com
It's been 25 long years since Ric Flair made his first appearance in the WWE.
Recently, the legendary former world champion has been in the media for different reason, citing an online feud with Conor 'The Notorious' McGregor.
Now then, it's as good a time as any to talk about the life of the stylin', profilin', limousine riding, jet flying, kiss-stealing, wheelin' dealin' son of a gun.
The man is now cemented as one of the greatest ever, as well as one of the most popular, and while highs graced the long career of Flair, so did the lows.
Making his way to the ring in robes reportedly worth $8,000, the echoing of his infamous 'WOOOOOOOO!' could be heard around arenas, bringing an electronic prodigy to your eardrums - all the while Flair lived by the premise that he's here for a good time, not a long time.
According to Jim Ross, it was never surprising to see Flair taking his pals to a bar, and then buy rounds for everybody in there. This started back in the 80s, when Flair started to garner his first spout of mainstream success, and still goes on to the current day.
Ross said that Natich would always aim to be the life and soul of the party, never stopping drinking and dancing around with people's wives.
The 16-time champion's love for women landed him in trouble now and again, though, with one of his multiple wives, Jacqueline Beams, punching him in the face repeatedly because he reportedly can't keep it in his pants.
This isn't the only time the Nature Boy has had troubles with his wives, either. His second wife, Elizabeth Harrell, allegedly assaulted Flair. Tiffany Vandemark, his third wife, also allegedly floored him with a charger.
A lot of Flair's troubles lead back to unpaid debts or taxes, as well as alcohol. The unpaid bills didn't mean much to Flair, real name Richard Morgan Fliehr, as the college drop out turned global wrestling mega star was all about keeping up appearances.
Credit: WWE.com
Back in 2002, a time when Flair was feuding with WWE owner Vince McMahon, acting as a consortium who had bought half the company, he was involved in an alleged sexual assault on board a flight to the US.
Flying with the likes of Razor Ramon and Dusty Rhodes, two flight attendants said that Flair wore nothing but a jewelled robe, flashing and spinning his penis around. He also allegedly put both of their hands on his crotch, while forcibly sexually assaulting flight attendant Heidi Doyle. Flair denied all of these allegations, and WWE settled the case with the woman out of court.
His long career nearly never got past the early stages as in October 1975 he survived a plane crash. The pilot of the craft died, and fellow wrestler Johnny Valentine was left paralysed.
Flair broke three bones in his back, but thanks to an intense rehabilitation programme, he returned to the ring eight months later.
You could say that Ric has the crash to thank for his success, as prior to the plane coming down, he applied a power brawling style. The injury and the rigorous physical therapy he underwent to regain fitness forced him to change to his 'Nature Boy style', which he used until his retirement.
Credit: midatlanticwrestling.net
Defying the odds was kind of Ric Flair's thing though. The chances of getting struck by lightning is very slim, but that doesn't apply to Ric Flair. Why? Because he's fucking Ric Flair.
For some reason, planes are involved once again.
In 1982, after exiting a plane in Virginia, each passenger was given an umbrella due to the poor weather conditions. Making his way from the plane to the terminal building, a bolt of lightning struck Flair's umbrella, allegedly bouncing off and killing another man.
A second time, in 1986, a plane Flair was flying on was struck by lightning, allegedly flipping it upside down.
More recently, in 2014, Flair's involvement in the WWE 2K14 panel, ahead of that year's SummerSlam, could also be called a plane crash.
The panel, consisting of the likes of Stone Cold Steve Austin, Mick Foley, and hosted by Jim Ross, caused quite a stir. Discussing that year's WWE video game, Ross and Flair were accused of being intoxicated.
While JR denied any claims that he was drunk, Flair didn't need to confirm he was. Things began to spiral out of control, with Flair blasting profanities, saying he had drank before and planned to drink after, spoke of the time he challenged John Cena to a drinking contest, and blasted The Miz.
Soon after the event, Jim Ross was fired from the WWE, with Vince McMahon later revealing that his inability to control Flair was a factor in his sacking.
As you can imagine, this is not the only time a heavy drinking session has landed the 16-time world champ in hot water.
Allegedly a night out lead to the end of Flair's marriage with his fourth wife.
While on the lash with Cena, his wife asked him what he could possibly have in common with a man half his age, to which he replied 'a lot more than I do with you'. His marriage didn't last much longer after that, according to The Sportster.
This, compared to his heyday, as the leader of The Four Horsemen, is hardly any different.
Back in the day, the stable of Flair, Arn Anderson, Ole Anderson and Tully Blanchard, with James Dillon as their manager, were untouchable in the mid to late 80s.
The team were innovative, seemingly creating the first sense of heels being popular. The gimmick of the team was the same gimmick Flair would take throughout his career - flash, cocky, party goers.
The stable lived the gimmick outside of the ring, too.
The riot they caused in wrestling was the same out of it. They'd sometimes host parties in hotel bars, now and again inviting only women, with a strict no boyfriend or husband rule.
In a blog written by Jim Ross, he recalls the time The Horsemen hosted a party in a hotel bar, taking over the entire establishment. They apparently counted how many people were there - 137 - and then ordered 137 Kamikazes, Flair's choice of drink.
Following their nights of drinking and debauchery, the team would rise early, hit the gym, head to the ring, and steal the show once more. It's how they rolled.
Flair certainly lived the lifestyle he portrayed across the wrestling world, and it didn't half create a legend.
WOOOOOOOO!
Words by Mark McGowan
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