10 Worst Things That Can Happen When You Lose A Wrestling Match
4. You Could Be Faced With Retirement Over And Over And Over Again
The Nature Boy, Ric Flair, had teased retirement many times over the years. In November 2007, he appeared on WWEs Monday Night RAW in Charlotte, North Carolina his hometown, and the capital of Flair Country after an absence of a few months to announce to the fans in attendance and watching at home that, contrary to recent rumour, he had no intention of retiring any time soon. Just like a bad penny, out came Vincent Kennedy McMahon to make it official: hed seen too many legends carry on past the point of reason, making jokes of themselves, and wasnt prepared to see it again. Down came the ruling from the (Mc)Man the next time Ric Flair lost a singles match, it would be the last match he ever competed in. Lets skip over the fact that, even in the land of kayfable, Vince McMahon cant make someone retire (he can sack them, but he cant stop them working somewhere else) this was the beginning of Flairs best storyline in many years, and one of the greatest of his career. That night it would be Randy Orton whod seek to end Flairs career. Over the next four months, the Nature Boy would face some of the biggest and nastiest men on the WWE roster. Umaga. Triple H. William Regal. MVP. Mr. Kennedy. Even McMahon himself. Thats seven televised matches with a retirement stipulation in a row, the sword hanging over Naitchs head for sixteen weeks, until Flair would finally ask Shawn Michaels to face him at Wrestlemania XXIV, knowing that would be it: choosing the time, place and face of his retirement. Its great storytelling, with a really great match to cap it off. The wonderful thing was that there wasnt really any heel antagonist in all of that time: just history catching up with a legend, four months of the Dirtiest Player In The Game trying every trick he knew to avoid losing and stave off the inevitable, and the crowd eagerly lapping it up like it was last orders. Its a shame that brilliant storytelling didnt stick: Flair would continue to wrestle for other promotions in the following years. Well, divorces are expensive.
Professional writer, punk werewolf and nesting place for starfish. Obsessed with squid, spirals and story. I publish short weird fiction online at desincarne.com, and tweet nonsense under the name Jack The Bodiless. You can follow me all you like, just don't touch my stuff.
