10 Worst Ever Wrestling Retirements

7. Ric Flair (WCW Nitro)

matt hardy lita
WWE Network

One of the ugliest on-screen moments of Vince Russo's detestable reign as WCW head writer came in the summer of 2000 when his character was to strip Ric Flair of his dignity and his career at the same time.

Having won a match with his career on the line the night before, Flair took the ex-WWE writer to task for the hateful abduction of his son David during an early segment on that evening's edition of Monday Nitro.

As things so often did under Russo's pen, it escalated rather quickly into an impromptu handicap retirement hair vs hair match between Vince, David and Ric.

Flair's family (including a young Charlotte and the late Reid) sat ringside, which only added to the uncomfortable scenes when 'The Nature Boy' was beaten down in a four-minute match that concluded when his oldest daughter Megan threw in the towel as Russo pathetically smashed him in the head with a miniature Statue of Liberty ornament.

With Reid, Megan, Ashley (Charlotte) and even his wife Beth held back by Russo goons, the pair shaved Flair bald as he lay unconscious and banished from WCW. They then turned on Reid, shaving his head too until Ric could recover.

It was a deeply uncomfortable moment that was typically undersold. The show moved immediately on to the next match, stifling the intense emotion of the heartbreaking scene.

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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