How Good Was Ric Flair Actually?
Just how good was Ric Flair?
Ric Flair is one of the most decorated wrestlers of all time. A man who shone in the days of the territories, where he embodied the idea of the travelling champion who travelled from town to town, living hard and wrestling harder, and became one of the only superstars of that time who translated to the era of global television.
Through feuding with Dusty Rhodes, jumping ship from WCW to WWE, being part of the Monday Night Wars, and having a glittering final run after WWE's flawed Invasion angle, Slick Ric had three whole decades of being one of wrestling's main characters. But how well does his body of work stand the test of time, and how good was he actually?
Join us as we cast our critical eyes over his legendary feuds, moments, and promos, take a look at how some of the biggest wrestlers in the game today are still stealing the tricks of The Dirtiest Player In The Game, and try to find the holes in one of the most well-respected and pioneering wrestlers to ever stand in the squared circle.
10. Presence/Look/Presentation
Custom-made from head to toe, Ric Flair is perhaps the definitive wrestler when it comes to "living the gimmick". The Nature Boy is a pioneer, as will become a common theme in this feature. When it comes to playing a company's top heel, Flair is the example by which all others are judged. The limousine-riding, Learjet-flying, wheeling, dealing (woo!), son-of-a-gun character Ric has embodied since the late '70s is the quintessential wrestling villain.
We've covered how Dusty Rhodes was so much of an everyman that you can imagine sharing a pint with him. Well, Ric is the man letting you know that he's in a suit worth more than your monthly paycheck, behind the red rope of a club you could never get into, and stood with women that wouldn't be seen dead talking to you.
Ric Flair's look is iconic. His platinum blonde hair, flamboyant robes, and regal pyrotechnics are perfectly intertwined with his theme music, 'Also sprach Zarathustra' from Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, to create one of the most recognizable entrances in the history of professional wrestling. His arms outstretched as he twirls 360 degrees to show the audience the magnificence of his robe, the swagger in his walk as he rocks the Flair strut towards the ring, and a "woo" down the barrel of the camera lens. It's flawless showmanship from one of wrestling's most flamboyant and unforgettable characters.
10/10