10 Most Heartbreaking WWE Moments Ever

3. Ric Flair Says Goodbye

Tegan Nox
WWE

Flairs love a good cry, but 'The Nature Boy's tears were mostly shed because he really couldn't kick the habit of a lifetime - being Ric Flair.

Few would admit to being the exact embodiment of the turned-up version of themselves more so than 'Slick Ric', with wrestlers and road-friends alike paying glowing tribute to man who's penis they'd probably seen more than their own since entering the profession.

The first in the hotel bar and the last to leave, Flair's lifestyle was his entire life by the time he begrudgingly accepted the offer from Vince McMahon to retire and go in the company's Hall Of Fame as WrestleMania 24's centrepiece performer.

It showed itself later in the year when Flair and McMahon came to an agreement to sever ties because the 16 (and the rest) time World Champion believed there was more money to be made selling his legacy on the independent scene. Perhaps finding what he was chasing all along, some ugly-looking matches with Hulk Hogan on an Australian tour opened the door for both to roll back the years in TNA.

WWE thankfully sticking to their promise has allowed this to remain powerful, albeit on something of a technicality.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett