This is, perhaps, the most unfortunate inclusion on the entire list, because when you think of WCW, you think of Ric Flair. He was one of NWA/WCW's biggest stars for well over 20 years, winning a total of 41 titles under the NWA or WCW banners. It's a damn shame that he wasn't able to sail off into the sunset with the company that helped to make him, arguably, the greatest professional wrestler that ever lived. His problems with WCW really began in 1991, when he got into a financial dispute with then-WCW President Jim Herd. Herd had already removed Flair from the head booker position, and was trying to move the company away from Flair in the ring, as well. Herd wanted Flair to change his name, shave his head, get an earring, and all kinds of other incredibly dumb ideas. When Flair refused, Herd fired him, even though Flair was the company's top draw and was the WCW Champion at the time. Because WCW had not sent Flair his deposit money for holding the title back yet, he didn't send it back and took it to the WWF with him. In 1994, Flair took an immediate backseat to Hulk Hogan upon Hogan's arrival, which is another odd theme on this list. That backseat went on for years, and the nWo ran wild over Flair and his Four Horsemen. Then came a disrespectful mocking of Arn Anderson's legit retirement by the nWo that angered each of the Horsemen. The continuous mismanagement of the company only upset him further, and Eric Bischoff's disrespect (including telling the WCW locker room that only Hogan, Roddy Piper and Randy Savage were able to draw big money on the roster) made it even worse. A heated lawsuit between Flair and WCW was the boiling point, and it would be years before Flair and Bischoff's relationship would even be cordial. Add Flair's name to the list of people who breathe wrestling, but were so unhappy with what was happening in WCW that they became disenchanted and disliked having to go to work on a daily basis. Flair went from being one of the cockiest and self-assured men in wrestling history to being a broken shell of a man with no confidence in himself, all thanks to WCW.
Columnist/Podcaster/Director at LordsOfPain.net for nearly seven years, with nearly 2000 total columns written. Interviewed and/or involved in interviewing the likes of Tyler Black/Seth Rollins (twice), Diamond Dallas Page, Jimmy Jacobs, Christopher Daniels, Uhaa Nation and more.
