Background: The Day The Wrestling Died-In 1975, Ric Flair was aboard a small plane with a promoter and three other wrestlers. Just 100 yards short of the runway the plane dropped, hit a utility pole and crashed. The pilot died from his injuries and US Heavyweight Johnny Valentine was paralyzed for life. Valentine retired one week before he was set to take on NWA Heavyweight Champ Dory Funk Jr. Flairs back was broke in three places and doctors told him he would never wrestle again. What Could Have Been: It wasnt mechanical problems or weather that caused the crash, just human error. The weight of the passengers was aligned incorrectly and to lighten the load the pilot dumped fuel. Valentine was seated at the back of the plane but switched seats with Flair who was scared of being up front. David Crockett wasnt even supposed to be on the plane, but offered to go instead of his sick brother. The Aftermath: Valentine could well have had Flairs career as he was the top man in the mid-Atlantic territory, and inevitably the timelines of WCW, TNA, and WWE would be greatly altered in Flairs absence. The possibility of Reid Flair, David Flair or even Charlotte being involved in wrestling likewise would have been greatly reduced. Enjoy this article? Share your appreciation below in the comments thread.
