Ric Flair demands respect, yet is often the epitome of unprofessionalism

[Ambiguous Turd]

UPDATE: 03/04/2010

Here is the 911 call, for anyone who wishes to listen to Flair's daughter make the call.

http://tmz.vo.llnwd.net/o28/newsdesk/tmz_audio/030210_ric_flair_911.mp3

Surprise Surprise.

By now everyone has likely heard that everyone's favorite Nature Boy was once again involved in another domestic dispute with one of his wives. While she was arrested, he was hospitalized.

Flair and his wife Jacqueline had a domestic dispute on Sunday night after arriving home from dinner. Flair suffered minor injuries and Jackqueline was arrested and charged with allegedly assaulting Flair with "personal weapons such as hands, feet, and teeth."

According to Flair's rep:

"Ric and his wife had an unfortunate disagreement late last night, which led to his wife being arrested and charged with assault. Ric has done nothing wrong."

Flair sure knows how to pick them, doesn't he? Why he isn't a Mormon is beyond me. That way he can have all the wives he wants.

Now, where as Flair may very well have likely done nothing wrong, other than show utter stupidity marrying yet another woman who is decades younger than him, and thinking it is true "love".

Then, there was the incident between himself, and his daughter and then boyfriend, where Flair got in a bloody scuffle with the guy out in the parking lot of an apartment ... which resulted in his own daughter being tased after trying to stop Flair from the assault.

Of course, Flair had the Road Rage incident as well, where someone supposedly cut him off and he went ballistic on the guy ... grabbing him by the throat and kicking the victim's car repeatedly. Flair faced Assault and Battery charges for the incident.

After watching the Hebner shoot, Earl also spoke about how he was specifically assigned to babysit Flair, because Flair would go out into bars almost daily, and stay up until 4 or 5 in the morning, if not later, partying the night away and making an ass out of himself.

And obviously that is just the tip of the iceberg with the man.

The point is we have a guy here that wants everyone to respect him and his character .... to the point where he actually DEMANDS the refs hold the rope open for him (which he has done in the WWE and now TNA), and yet here you have a man who does anything but set the example for how people should behave, when involved in his countless public incidents.

Does anyone see the irony in this? Please discuss.

 

[Shocky]

Ric Flair has long been an embarassment to himself, and the industry in which he represents. The guy is nothing more then a walking flabby bag of skin, stretched out over a broken down, abused body. This guy appreciates nothing given to him, and spits on everything that people have done for him.

This guy was given the biggest send off in the history of the business by the WWE, and instead of staying retired gracefully, he can't stay the fuck away. Now you have personal issue after personal issue dragging him and the business down once again.

Oh well, I'm sure that there's going to be the Ric Flair apologist that comes in here to remind us all of how great he was in the 80's and that we should all worship the ground he walks on, but you can take that load of horse shit and fling it towards someone that cares.

 

[Poɘt]

Well I definitely see the irony, but that's what makes it entertaining on TV. How many news reports have we all seen about priest, politicians, and law enforcement who were caught committing the very acts they are praised for being against?! So many times that it's gotten to the point where we joke about it because hypocrisy is a lot more common than having faith in your own beliefs (that's why CM Punk is better than us).

But really, when I think of Ric Flair and his legacy, I think "Dirtiest Player in the Game". And considering all the drama in his life that spills into the media for us to soak up, that "kiss stealin son of a gun" gimmick sounds a lot more like the real Flair than the "respectable leader of the honorable 4 Horsemen" does.

Shawn Michaels may have quit his bad boy ways (he became his character), but so many other legends seem to be who they portray on screen, which is probably why they do it so well. So Ric Flair demanding respect and crying about how promoters treat him in his book...all I see is the dirtiest player in the game luring my fan support and pockets into a cheesy low blow. Woo. But I don't think that's a bad thing either. He is who he is, and it's brought wrestling fans around the world joy for many decades.

 

[axl626]

I'm not necessarily a Flair apologist as I don't really like the guy or see why others think he's that great, but come on. Some guys have bad luck and some have strings of it. If this board was around a few decades ago you guys probably would have blamed Flair for that plane crash. I don't think that in any of the incidents that were mentioned was Flair found to have done anything wrong. His whole family seems pretty screwed up, from his wives to his children, but the only thing Flair did wrong there was that he was at work all the time, as pretty much every other wrestler is.

And how is getting in to a fight with your wife unprofessional? Getting on a mic during a live show and berating the writers or commentators is unprofessional. Missing a booking because you were drunk or high is unprofessional. What they do with their time is their business and it seems pretty voyeuristic for you to care. Who does this effect? Kids? Which kids still look up to Flair? They probably see him as a flailing blob moving about a ring. By this logic there should be an identical thread named "Stone Cold demands respect, yet is always the epitome of unprofessionalism."

 

[Ambiguous Turd]

I'm not necessarily a Flair apologist as I don't really like the guy or see why others think he's that great, but come on. Some guys have bad luck and some have strings of it. If this board was around a few decades ago you guys probably would have blamed Flair for that plane crash. I don't think that in any of the incidents that were mentioned was Flair found to have done anything wrong. His whole family seems pretty screwed up, from his wives to his children, but the only thing Flair did wrong there was that he was at work all the time, as pretty much every other wrestler is.

And how is getting in to a fight with your wife unprofessional? Getting on a mic during a live show and berating the writers or commentators is unprofessional. Missing a booking because you were drunk or high is unprofessional. What they do with their time is their business and it seems pretty voyeuristic for you to care. Who does this effect? Kids? Which kids still look up to Flair? They probably see him as a flailing blob moving about a ring. By this logic there should be an identical thread named "Stone Cold demands respect, yet is always the epitome of unprofessionalism."

Who it affects is fellow workers working their way up the ranks in the business. People who serve as a wonderful influence to young guys being groomed to be big stars one day, like Randy Orton. You think these types of things is how someone who is regarded as one of the best in the business should conduct himself in public and is a great role model for these guys in how to behave themselves?

As far as your comments with Austin, I couldn't agree more. I have always blasted Austin for his domestic incidents, which I think are disgusting. Yet because he's one of the top 2 WWE stars of all time and the Face of the Attitude Era, people give him a pass. Not in my book.

Here you have an old man routinely going out and marrying a bunch of gold-diggers half his age (something which isn't as big a deal to me, but it just adds to the pile of his baggage), just so he can maintain some sort of image as if beautiful women actually want to be with him for his looks .... but then the incidents in which he allows his temper to show such as the Road Rage incident and being in several domestic disputes ... all of that adds up to the type of character he is.

And that is just outside of the ring. Inside of the ring, as Shocky stated, you have a man who is clearly well past the point of the golden age of his career ... he looks awful, and yet he still wants to wrestle a regular schedule.

Why should someone give Flair the respect he deserves when he is anything but a role model in how to conduct himself?

 

[JJohns]

The major problem with Ric Flair is that he's trying to continue an image that he just can't. He wants to have this image that he's a jet setter, the image that he's portrayed since the 80s. While he's still one of the most charismatic wrestlers out there, you have to wonder if he's really starting to lose grip on reality.

And it's not even just the violence and marital issues. How many times in the last year have we seen reports of Flair owing money for not honoring his commitments. That speaks of disrespect to me. It says something that when he was allowed to go out on his terms (retire at Wrestlemania), was given one of the most emotional send-offs in wrestling history, and given the opportunity to cement his legacy as THE GREATEST PRO WRESTLER of all time, he goes, and he tarnishes that legacy by doing the Hulkamania tour, becoming Hogan's chosen jobber.

Then he pretty much burns whatever bridges he had left with WWE by going to TNA, and gets booked to wrestle in a match. Remember, the whole thing with the match with Michaels was that if he lost, he was going to hang it up.

We give Flair a pass because of his success, but we now need to look at the fact that his failures as a person are starting to overtake his successes as an entertainer.

 

[wazaveli]

When I read about this, I wasn't surprised. No offence to Ric but I mean how many times before you learn. I'm not one to say he should be alone, but stop getting married when all he seems to find is psychotic women with problems or finding semi-normal ones which he then abuses and torments.

It wasn't just in the wrestling news. All the newspapers here and every news program had him on there. If he has done nothing wrong, well then he can't be overly blamed. But being a guy who demands as much respect as he does, then set a better example to your younger peers.

 

[Kliq4Life]

First off let me say THE PERSONAL LIVES OF WRESTLERS are NONE OF OUR BUSINESS, this is the part of the IWC i hate all i care about if the show on tv. Same thing with Tiger Woods its NONE OF OUR BUSINESS!!! Flair is one of the GREATEST OF ALL TIME!!!! Flairs personal life NOT OUR BUSINESS, HOGANS personal life NOT OUR BUSINESS! Your like a woman reading OK magazine!!!

 

[LSN80]

Ric Flair is the epitome of unprofessionalism. If this was a one time incident, I could understand, but this is a recurring pattern from a "classy man." Let's take a trip down memory lane, shall we?

In later 2005, arrest warrants were issued for Flair for a road rage incident. I know the OP touched on it, but from what I recall, he grabbed the other motorist BY THE NECK and kicked in his car door. I thought it was hilarious when Edge paridied it at first, but was horrified when the details came out.

Then in 2008, shortly after his retirement I believe, he was involved in a domestic dispute involving his daughter Ashley and her boyfriend. Flair and her boyfriend were arguing, and his daughter got involved. She was arrested. All 3 of them were reported to be inebriated. There's a shock. Anyway, his daughter made a statement that she wanted nothing to do with her father after that. Smart girl. I hope she kept her word.

Now we have this latest incident. Lord knows what he and his FOURTH wife were arguing about, but it was bad enough that she attacked him, and was arrested. The fact that he's on his fourth wife is bad enough. The fact that he hasn't learned from it, well, that's even worse.

these are the only reported incidents that Im aware of. One can't help but wonder if there's more thats been swept under the rug.

I respect Ric Flair for all he acomplished within the ring. But I dont respect Ric Flair the person. After watching Impact and hearing Dinero's comments on dressing up a piece of crap, I can't help but think he should have directed those comments at Flair, rather then AJ.

Im a therapist, and one of the things I studied and have counseled extensively is Narcissism. Narcissism basically means you only look out for yourself, the rest of the world be damned. The "Im better then you" syndrome. I don't know Ric Flair, but based on what I know about him, he fits the bill to a "T". The fact that all 3 ex-wives filed for divorce on him furthers my point. It's a shame too, because a man who has so much chooses to leave an impression this way, rather then doing something that may benefit others. It really is sad, and a shame.

First off let me say THE PERSONAL LIVES OF WRESTLERS are NONE OF OUR BUSINESS, this is the part of the IWC i hate all i care about if the show on tv. Same thing with Tiger Woods its NONE OF OUR BUSINESS!!! Flair is one of the GREATEST OF ALL TIME!!!! Flairs personal life NOT OUR BUSINESS, HOGANS personal life NOT OUR BUSINESS! Your like a woman reading OK magazine!!!

I understand what you're saying. My counterpoint is this: we would be outraged by some of the crap he's pulled if he WASN'T famous. Also, it's quite apparent that nobody in his life is keeping him accountable. These people, just like Tiger, choose to be put in the spotlight. We don't force them there. They hold press conferences, issue press releases, etc. should we just turn a blind eye to all of that? What people like Flair(and Tiger) need is accountability. Do you think he's getting that from his lawyer, his agent, or representatives? Obviously not. Im sure he doesn't read the wrestlezone forums, but he needs the public in some way to hold him accountable and let him know his behavior is unacceptable. After all, he's the one who put himself in the public eye to begin with.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

If I started basing which pro wrestlers I like on how they act outside of the ring, I don't think I would have any guys left to like. Countless wrestlers have had personal problems, be they legal problems or just lack of character. Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels, Kurt Angle, Randy Orton, The Ultimate Warrior, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Sean Waltman, MVP, and Lex Luger.

Some of those guys (could mention many, many more) have beaten their wives. Some of those guys have gone to rehab for drug/alcohol problems. Some of those guys party all night and seem to attract trouble. Some of those guys are terribly rude to their fans. Some of those guys have children who have accidentally turned another human being into a vegetable, yet show zero remorse.

My point is that if I am going to judge Ric Flair, I have to judge all of these guys. Yes, I agree that Flair sometimes acts like a bit of a wrestling-elitist, in the sense that he demands more personal respect that some other guys. But he does this no more than Hogan does. I think a lot of these guys are morally bankrupt.

I guess what I am saying is that the most talented guys seem to have a lot personal problems that become public. I have just chosen to ignore this and realize that I shouldn't expect much from a bunch of guys who beat the hell out of one another for a paycheck.

I mean, these guys aren't politicians, or even professional athletes (what they do is athletic, no doubt, but it isn't real competition). They are portrayed on television in a fictional way. They have fictional characters and gimmicks. We know NOTHING about these guys and how they are in the real world. Some are probably nice guys, and others could be the biggest a**holes in the world.

Flair does demand a lot of respect, and I think he deserving of that respect...in the ring. Now, if I was walking through a parking lot, saw him, asked for an autograph, and he demanded I open his car door for him...then I would have a problem.

 

[kc2788x]

First off let me say THE PERSONAL LIVES OF WRESTLERS are NONE OF OUR BUSINESS, this is the part of the IWC i hate all i care about if the show on tv. Same thing with Tiger Woods its NONE OF OUR BUSINESS!!! Flair is one of the GREATEST OF ALL TIME!!!! Flairs personal life NOT OUR BUSINESS, HOGANS personal life NOT OUR BUSINESS! Your like a woman reading OK magazine!!!

I understand what you're saying. My counterpoint is this: we would be outraged by some of the crap he's pulled if he WASN'T famous. Also, it's quite apparent that nobody in his life is keeping him accountable. These people, just like Tiger, choose to be put in the spotlight. We don't force them there. They hold press conferences, issue press releases, etc. should we just turn a blind eye to all of that? What people like Flair(and Tiger) need is accountability. Do you think he's getting that from his lawyer, his agent, or representatives? Obviously not. Im sure he doesn't read the wrestlezone forums, but he needs the public in some way to hold him accountable and let him know his behavior is unacceptable. After all, he's the one who put himself in the public eye to begin with.

Kliq4life, although I hate Shawn (the parasite) Michaels, I totally agree with you, the wrestlers personal life aren't any of our business, same goes with the stars, what makes matter worse is that famous stars tend to get away with stuff they do, unlike us "regular joes" and LIFESTARTSNOW80 why oh why must you even putting Tiger woods name in this thread, It's about Ric Flairs ethics, not Tigers! The famous folks like Tiger and Ric Flair, didn't "CHOOSE" TO BE FAMOUS" you're an idiot for even saying that! Back in the 80's and late 70's the wrestling business was more dedicated to what they were doing, unlike today, it's all about the $$, ratings, and politic! Flair never chose to be famous, back then he was just scripted to be with Arn Anderson and Ole Anderson as their cousin, it just paid off and the Horseman trio was born! And you mention Tiger, its his fault because his dad trained him in golf so he could be one of the best? Accountability, which you mean, is they need to take your crap? Why is that, why are you so special? What they do, unless they commit murder is their own business, We would never know why Flair does what he does expecting that since he's helped paved for the wrestling industry he goes and makes a fool of himself sometimes! The best thing to do is don't watch his "outrage" skits on tv!

Then it'll just be the end of him! How the hell can someone even choose to be in the spotlight? That don't make sense! To me, Flair just knows his time is done and still wants to hold on to the glory days, if he has arguments and fight beyond/behind the scenes why do they need to have you plaster it on here saying, "he's done this, he's done that!" first off, it's none of our business, we don't crave it, put it this way, I am pretty sure you've done wrong in your past life like we all have, do you want our ACCOUNTABILITY as you so put it! your accountability is we don't care! It's a business, you don't want the newbies to take your place but you can't escape "time" it always have your number! Same with Ric Flair, maybe if he's not doing it behind the scenes in a entertainment sport! This is his new way of obtaining it!

 

[Via Armbar]

Honestly I hate when anybody demands respect. If you feel disrespected then by all means voice your unhappiness with the situation. But are you really going to demand that people who could care less about you or your accomplishments show their respect? What if they don't give a shit about what you've done or who you are? There will be wrestlers in the business that show Flair respect because they feel he has earned it. Then there will be others that that don't give a shit what Flair has done because he's overshadowed it with his personal fuck ups. It all comes down to who people want to show respect to, people should never demand respect. It would seem like a good deal of wrestlers how him respect because they admire what he's done for the business. Whether your a Flair fan or not, he did pave the way in a lot of ways. But Ric should understand that not everyone agrees with shit he's done and the way he's been behind the scenes, so there is no respect given by those people.

 

[jellmoo]

First off let me say THE PERSONAL LIVES OF WRESTLERS are NONE OF OUR BUSINESS, this is the part of the IWC i hate all i care about if the show on tv. Same thing with Tiger Woods its NONE OF OUR BUSINESS!!! Flair is one of the GREATEST OF ALL TIME!!!! Flairs personal life NOT OUR BUSINESS, HOGANS personal life NOT OUR BUSINESS! Your like a woman reading OK magazine!!!

Unfortunately, you are wrong. As you soon as you enter into a position where you are a public figure, where your image, personality, position and likeness are used as a marketing point, your personal life comes under scrutiny. People in the entertainment industry need to understand this. In decades past it was far less of an issue, but with the advent of the internet and the speed with which information travels and how easily it can be accessed, these people need to understand just how public they are.

People like Ric Flair represent a company as a public face, as well as an array of sponsors. Incidents like this tarnish the image of these organizations. That is why people who are under such a spotlight need to be extra careful with what they do and what situations they let themselves be a part of. Indiscretions quickly become a matter of public record.

I personally don't care one way or the other what Ric Flair or any other "celebrity" does. If he wants to get into drunken brawls, it doesn't matter one bit to me. However, I think it is completely beyond stupid to repeatedly allow yourself to be caught in these situations, knowing full well that it will get out to the public. Have the smallest amount of common sense and learn restraint.

 

[Kliq4Life]

Unfortunately, you are wrong. As you soon as you enter into a position where you are a public figure, where your image, personality, position and likeness are used as a marketing point, your personal life comes under scrutiny. People in the entertainment industry need to understand this. In decades past it was far less of an issue, but with the advent of the internet and the speed with which information travels and how easily it can be accessed, these people need to understand just how public they are.

People like Ric Flair represent a company as a public face, as well as an array of sponsors. Incidents like this tarnish the image of these organizations. That is why people who are under such a spotlight need to be extra careful with what they do and what situations they let themselves be a part of. Indiscretions quickly become a matter of public record.

I personally don't care one way or the other what Ric Flair or any other "celebrity" does. If he wants to get into drunken brawls, it doesn't matter one bit to me. However, I think it is completely beyond stupid to repeatedly allow yourself to be caught in these situations, knowing full well that it will get out to the public. Have the smallest amount of common sense and learn restraint.

Im wrong who are you or me or anyone else to say or tell anyone what to do, are you his dad? Mom? Boss? Those are the only three people who should worry about what Flair does, otherwise AGAIN NOT OUR BUSINESS!!!!!!!

 

[LongHessa]

And here we go again. Another embarressing incident involving the "greatest of all-time". If I had a dollar for everytime this fool made a complete idiot of himself I would buy my way on the WWE creating team. I'm going to speak bluntly.....Ric Flair is a self gratifying and overrated hack.....He has somehow brainwashed a select amount of wrestlers and journalist to continue this mockery he calls a career. Strickly in the ring, he's maybe in the top 20 ever (maybe)...Out of the ring he resembles his selling, out of control and humiliating. The guy obviously is just plain ******ed. He fails to acknowledge the contribution of other superstars to the business, he constantly makes outlandish remarks towards Bret Hart (who is 10 times better in the ring than flair, and flair knows it)...and he's always making news with his very questionable private life. Bottom line, flair should do this business a favor and just get the hell out, he would make me and 90% of this industry happy.....

 

[jellmoo]

Im wrong who are you or me or anyone else to say or tell anyone what to do, are you his dad? Mom? Boss? Those are the only three people who should worry about what Flair does, otherwise AGAIN NOT OUR BUSINESS!!!!!!!

The people that have invested thousands of dollars into using Flair as a pitchman for their product or company would very likely disagree with you.

Again, like I said, I do not care what Ric Flair does. It makes absolutely no difference to me if he snorts coke off a hooker, gets drunk and makes an ass out of himself, or gets into a screaming match with a woman half his age that he married. I don't care.

Ric Flair *should*. Flair should bloody well realize that his misadventures are being reported. Ric Flair should realize that he is a public figure, and therefore needs to show some restraint. Ric Flair should realize that people pay him a lot of money to represent them and their product, and his childish antics make them look bad.

 

[jellmoo]

Im pretty sure I SAID BOSS(sponsers,TNA), so then i was right, but if you dont care then why are you commenting?

Because, despite the fact that you may think that nobody deserves the right to know what Ric Flair does in his personal time, the advent of technology makes this a reality.

Whether you feel that anybody is entitled to this information is completely and utterly irrelevant. The information exists and is readily available. Because of this, and because this should hardly be a surprise to Flair, he continues to show a disregard for his behavior.

I am commenting because the sheer idiocy that Flair (and to be fair, this goes beyond Ric Flair. There are plenty of other superstars and entertainers that fall into this) display despite the fact that they know the world is watching is shocking. There are website, publications, tv shows, message boards, etc... all dedicated to the comings and goings of celebrities. It is a veritable industry all its own.

Ric Flair is a great wrestler and competitor. One of the best of all time. However, his out of the ring exploits are public knowledge because he is a public figure. If he wants to engage in such behavior, more power to him. However, he signed away the right to complete privacy when he put himself in the public spotlight. He knows he is being watched, and that he has a responsibility to a variety of individuals. He just doesn't care, and that's simply bad business.

 

[kc2788x]

Anyone that seriously compares Bret to Flair is a dumbass. Bret couldnt carry his jockstrap

Yo kliq, I was with your statement and opinion when you said we should all just mind our own business and not be like scavengers getting ready to make a quick buck or 5 seconds of fame, but layoff the Hitman, before you even say, he can't carry Flairs jockstrap, you need to know your role, UNLIKE Ric, whose injured a few guys in his past life, Bret to this day, hasn't! Flair draws fan back then, but he didn't do it by himself! He had great guys working with him each and everyday! Guys like Sting, the great muta, the four horseman, Hogan, Barry Windham, Harley race, Randy Savage, Dusty Rhodes, Magnum T.A. the road warriors! (the great) Antonio Anoki! But I have to admit, it's past his time, he's still not letting go, You don't know crap about what Bret did for the business, he unlike Ric, likes to put over the younger generations! Ric has a hard time doing that! Ric Flair's the guy not showing class, hell, he commented on Bret and saying Brets have some of the most amazing matches, need proof, Iron man match, his submission match with both Steve Austin and Bob Backlund, His match at wrestlemania with owen, and then the cage match, his amazing match with the British Bulldog Davey boy smith, who Ric Flair says himself, one of the most amazing matches!

Who would disagree that Bret harts matches against the Phenom the undertaker is a whole lot better then Rics! And then Ric goes and bashes him after all the compliments. That is just typical Flair for you! He's probably still bitter that he had to drop the title to a well deserving Bret! DO U honestly think Ric (or any other superstar for that matter) can make Austin who he is today? Don't kid yourself! Ric is still talking to this day he doesn't sell at arena, or that he's sold out more, Ric is talking about Japan with his match against the great Antonio Anoki, (I'll give you the facts later) that match in Japan, I might add, drew a sold out crowd of 190,000 people, the reason that is, is because, Japan treats wrestling as a real sport, not all that $$$, ratings and politics! and it was a fact that the majority of the Japanese fans, came to see the great Antonio Anoki!

That is the only one time that a match has sold out something like that, but knowing Flair, he probably take the credit! Like I said earlier, if he's not doing anything wrong behind the scenes in "sports entertainment" these days, he'll do something dumb or embaressing to get some publicity! Don't say EVER that Bret can't carry his jockstrap, it's actually the other way around, but at least Bret can say his time is done and Bret doesn't make a fool of himself in front of or behind camera! KNOW YOUR FACTS BEFORE YOU DISS THE HITMAN!!

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Yeah, I've got to agree with Sid on this. Flair is a legend and he's just a fantastic professional wrestler. That can't be argued by anyone that's even remotely sane. However, as Shocky mentioned, it seems that Ric Flair is unappreciative of many that have helped him achieve great success. The WWE gave him a fantastic send off and he's pretty much crapped all over it if you think about it.

Ric Flair is someone that lives within his character. His Nature Boy persona no doubt represents a great deal of his actual personality and it's caused him to be an embarassment at times. However, whatever screw up or embarassment he's perpetrated, his talent has seemingly always excused him and I don't think that's done him any favors.

I've looked at Flair since he came to TNA and I find myself disliking his presence the more and more I think on it. Ric Flair is 60 goddamn years old and he's going to be wrestling again. He's been wrestling again for a while, but he's going to be on live television next month, wearing nothing but his boots and his tights and he's going to be in the main event of TNA iMPACT!. It's just time to call it a day. I love the guy for what he's been in wrestling, he's given me some great memories that will last me the rest of my life, but it's getting downright embarassing to watch Flair now. In a lot of ways, it's almost like he's become something of a parody of himself. The women that have been shown coming to the ring with him and Styles, and backstage with them during promos, just kind of make me shake my head a little. The first thought that went through my mind was that they looked like a couple of young women escorting their grandfather to a retirement dinner in his honor.

I'm sorry, but Ric Flair is at a point in his life where the whole kiss stealin', wheelin' and dealin', party all night playboy routine is just kind of embarassing to watch. I equate it to watching Triple H and Shawn Michaels running around, cutting their lame jokes and behaving like a couple of idiot frat boys too dumb to realize that they're not being funny.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

I have to agree with Sidious 100% on this one. In many threads on this forum, I always love to talk about how I went to Wrestlemania 24. It was such a memorable moment in my life, and the one thing that always sticks out in my mind is the match between HBK and Flair. The match it self wasn't all that good, but the emotion that was put into it, and the standing ovation he got at the end was truly a surreal moment. Now that Flair has wrestled Hogan in a series of matches in Australia, and plans to wrestle again in TNA, that great moment has been tarnished. Flair was given the MOST grand send-off we might ever see a pro wrestler receive, and he has completely thrown all of that out of the window.

Flair has had a series of problems with women and other things over the years. If you ask me, I think the man is obsessed with being "the nature boy". He just can't put the glory days behind him, and he constantly feels the need to be in the spotlight. Flair still has the passion, but at 60 years old, the 80's and early 90's Ric Flair just isn't believable any more. When Flair starts wrestling again, I hope it will be on a VERY limited basis. There's plenty of talent in TNA who need opportunities to get their chance at the spotlight, and they need to be given all the time they can.

 

[NikNitro24]

It was definitely an immediate disappointment when I saw Ric Flair arrive at the Impact Zone for the first time with Hogan and the other new acquisitions. As soon as I saw him I immediately began shaking my head. I said to myself, "what the hell is he doing there?!". As has been noted, he was given the greatest send off ever. He was recognized and appreciated so roundly by everyone involved, fans, wrestlers, and staff alike. I remember last year, leading up to Mania '25, when he so very adamantly denied wanting to wrestle Y2J. He talked about how much he did not want to ruin the send off that the WWE had given him the previous year.

In reality, all he did was abandon merely placing a blemish on all that he was given in favor of leaving a huge, steaming dump on it. I know that a lot of the guys who so lovingly paid him tribute and respect were hurt by that. As everyone has pointed out, he needs to just let go and get the hell out of the business.

The truth is, we all [wrestlers, staff, fans, everyone] gave him that respect that he so vehemently demanded and what did he do with it? He dropped trou and shat on it. I still respect him for all that he gave us fans in the prime of his career, most especially his legendary matches with Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat and his two periods of time with my all-time favorite wrestler ever, "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes.

Unfortunately, his brain never left those days, his body and the rest of the wrestling world have left it long behind, and at this point in his life, the once legendary "Nature Boy" Ric Flair just seems like an obsessed, crazed old man who is slowly losing his touch on reality.

 

[Henry Hill]

I'm not necessarily a Flair apologist as I don't really like the guy or see why others think he's that great, but come on. Some guys have bad luck and some have strings of it. If this board was around a few decades ago you guys probably would have blamed Flair for that plane crash. I don't think that in any of the incidents that were mentioned was Flair found to have done anything wrong. His whole family seems pretty screwed up, from his wives to his children, but the only thing Flair did wrong there was that he was at work all the time, as pretty much every other wrestler is.

And how is getting in to a fight with your wife unprofessional? Getting on a mic during a live show and berating the writers or commentators is unprofessional. Missing a booking because you were drunk or high is unprofessional. What they do with their time is their business and it seems pretty voyeuristic for you to care. Who does this effect? Kids? Which kids still look up to Flair? They probably see him as a flailing blob moving about a ring. By this logic there should be an identical thread named "Stone Cold demands respect, yet is always the epitome of unprofessionalism."

You're right to a point. If this was an isolated incident, you'd have to give Flair the benefit of the doubt. The unfortunate problem, however, is that this seems to happen once ever couple of years. If its not a problem with his wife, its with his daughter, or her boyfriend. Or he's getting into road rage trouble, or he's making an ass of himself at a bar. Clearly this isn't a case of bad luck, its someone who is not in control of his own life.

 

[maar130]

First off let me say THE PERSONAL LIVES OF WRESTLERS are NONE OF OUR BUSINESS, this is the part of the IWC i hate all i care about if the show on tv. Same thing with Tiger Woods its NONE OF OUR BUSINESS!!! Flair is one of the GREATEST OF ALL TIME!!!! Flairs personal life NOT OUR BUSINESS, HOGANS personal life NOT OUR BUSINESS! Your like a woman reading OK magazine!!!

I think I could not agree more.

First of all, I don't know this was "Wrestling people's court" to begin with, second who do you really thing you are to criticize anyone for his personal life? for real.

What ever Ric or Austin or HHH or Dixie Carter or any other person related to the wrestling business does outside of the working hours, is their own problem.

Look at it like this, You are about to get a big promotion and get home and for some reason you have an arguement with your wife, for some reason is a loud argument but it resolves itself during the night.

Next morning you get to work and everyone looks at you in a funny way and even your boss tells you" you know what Matt? the promotion is not going to go" -"what? ...why?"--"Well, Benjamin (your co-worker and neighborg) heard you screaming at your house last night, we don't want anyone that cannot control himself as Supervisor excutive Jr."

First thing that comes to your mind is: "What do you care what I do at home, you don't even know what that was about, why should this matter in all this?"

Well, same thing applies here, what Ric does at home, is Ric's problem.

You want to crucify a guy for a domestic dispute? that is crap and that means any guy, So know everyone works for TMZ? Give it a rest and let the guy alone.

 

[proofinlife]

This thread has great input. Aside from a few "bumps in the road" with Kliq, all the comments are completely spot on for the side/take on it.

I will completely agree that Flair has tarnished everything he's done; be it through spousal mishaps that hit the press, accidents, and poor public portrayal of himself. As everyone has said, and couldn't be said enough, he was given that grand send-off.

But the other side of the fence is this : Flair has gone on officially saying that it was WWE who retired Ric, Ric did not retire from wrestling. Now, I don't know if that's true, or if it plays into my next point....

Ric's been through multiple marriages. In the divorces, each and every ex-wife has financially taken him for everything he owns. Each and every time this guy decides to marry a 20-some year old bimbo, he doesn't see the fact that he's eventually going to get a divorce because a) He can't handle a younger, irresponsible women and b) The women can't handle an older, irresponsible, and sometimes explosive man. He's the one that puts himself in these positions by marrying who he does without actually taking the time to think if the woman is actually the person he should be marrying. Also, I have never read in any report that Flair has ever signed a pre-nuptual agreement, so if he's not trying to protect his estate, then by all means, he deserves having half... if not more taken away each and every time he marries one of these young bimbos.

With that said, Flair will never give up; not while he has divorce settlements to pay out and new houses to buy after his wives take him for half of those as well. It's no wonder he does real-estate on the side, he needs to keep his eye open for new houses to hand over to the next woman he marries.

People used to (and probably still do, although I haven't seen it lately) rag on Terry Funk for not being able to "hang up the boots". Of the top of my head, I can count 5 separate occasions that Funk made the big announcement that he was retiring from wrestling.... 6 months later he's got the big billed "Return match of Terry Funk". Now, the difference between Terry and Ric is that Terry doesn't really need the money so much as he needs the ring; he's truly addicted to the lifestyle of being beaten up in hardcore matches at his age, it literally just doesn't make sense.

However, in Ric's position, considering all the legal drama that man has put himself through, be it all the charges and public embarrassment others have listed in this thread, divorces taking everything he has, and just plain stupid financial decisions are what will keep Ric from retiring until he literally breaks his back again and can't wrestle.

Senility and most likely a 30 year long mid-life crisis are driving Ric to keep making these stupid decisions, but hey, like I said, until he literally destroys his body worse than it is now, he's going to keep coming back, regardless of any "legacy" he's created.

So as I said, people may rag on Terry Funk, but Ric Flair got the huge send-off Terry Funk never will, and never has, and Ric has a long, storied career that built to that send-off. People will quit referring the Terry Funk name to wrestlers who can't "hang it up", they'll start using Ric's name far more often. You'll hear wrestling topics about how some old wrestler is "Pulling a Ric Flair".

I think I could not agree more.

First of all, I don't know this was "Wrestling people's court" to begin with, second who do you really thing you are to criticize anyone for his personal life? for real.

What ever Ric or Austin or HHH or Dixie Carter or any other person related to the wrestling business does outside of the working hours, is their own problem.

Look at it like this, You are about to get a big promotion and get home and for some reason you have an arguement with your wife, for some reason is a loud argument but it resolves itself during the night.

Next morning you get to work and everyone looks at you in a funny way and even your boss tells you" you know what Matt? the promotion is not going to go" -"what? ...why?"--"Well, Benjamin (your co-worker and neighborg) heard you screaming at your house last night, we don't want anyone that cannot control himself as Supervisor excutive Jr."

First thing that comes to your mind is: "What do you care what I do at home, you don't even know what that was about, why should this matter in all this?"

Well, same thing applies here, what Ric does at home, is Ric's problem.

You want to crucify a guy for a domestic dispute? that is crap and that means any guy, So know everyone works for TMZ? Give it a rest and let the guy alone.

The difference between an average joe and Ric Flair and anyone of any level of celebrity status is this; no one cares about you or me or the next average joe out there. However, being a celebrity, Flair's life is under a microscope. ANY celebrity is. When you do things in the public domain that make you look stupid, the public has every right to comment on it. What you do in your home is your own right, but as soon as you do something like beating your wife that garners public attention, the public have every right to comment on it because you did it to yourself and put yourself in the public domain.

Reporters get access to law-suits and charges simply because they cannot be deemed private. Once you're arrested by the public law enforcement, the press has every right to ask questions, and the law must abide by the public domain and release the info. Once that information is the hands of the public domain (Ie. Press) it's basically open game hunting; anyone can/will read it, and anyone can/will speak their mind about it.

It would be a little different if Ric Flair lived like a saint and didn't beat his wives, publicly choke people in their automobiles for cutting him off, and treat fans and general people like utter sh*t. Ric Flair isn't a saint, and all of his actions are taken by the public domain because we have every right to once it is there.

 

[maar130]

Unfortunately, you are wrong. As you soon as you enter into a position where you are a public figure, where your image, personality, position and likeness are used as a marketing point, your personal life comes under scrutiny. People in the entertainment industry need to understand this. In decades past it was far less of an issue, but with the advent of the internet and the speed with which information travels and how easily it can be accessed, these people need to understand just how public they are.

People like Ric Flair represent a company as a public face, as well as an array of sponsors. Incidents like this tarnish the image of these organizations. That is why people who are under such a spotlight need to be extra careful with what they do and what situations they let themselves be a part of. Indiscretions quickly become a matter of public record.

I personally don't care one way or the other what Ric Flair or any other "celebrity" does. If he wants to get into drunken brawls, it doesn't matter one bit to me. However, I think it is completely beyond stupid to repeatedly allow yourself to be caught in these situations, knowing full well that it will get out to the public. Have the smallest amount of common sense and learn restraint.

Well I would like to disagree with your point, why? because even though they are public figures, this is supposed to be a kayfabe business and their lives should be private. Even if the WWE wants it to be more into entertainment the way both companies (TNA and WWE) portrait theirselves is kept private with the audience and also the lifes of its employees.

Is like the Angle and Jarrett situation, sure they also ploit it into a storyline too but at first none knew ad they were keeping it private until someone oppened his big mouth and then, everyone started to crap on Jarrett and Karen Angle like if they did tried to kill Kurt or someting, and this was when they were divorced already.

I mean, I am not the biggest fan of Flair or anything, but the way I see some people crap on him for a something that should be private is lame.