10 Wrestlers Who Can HONESTLY Be Labelled A Genius
9. Ric Flair
Ric Flair's ability to cheat was everything.
The whole 'Dirtiest Player In The Game' thing wasn't just a catchphrase with which to sell himself; his foremost character trait and the manner in which he performed it accomplished so much. Flair was a tremendous technician and an incredible athlete, known also, of course, as the '60 Minute Man': as the (multi-time) NWA World Heavyweight Champion, Flair was tasked with an immensely challenging role.
He had to travel across the air during most of his waking life, touch down on different soil, and work an epic, intense, main event match with the local draw. Each performance, of which there were countless, required as much attention to psychological detail as stamina and physical endurance. Flair had to retain his unbeatable, World Champion aura to put himself over and preserve the integrity of the title for his successor. He also had to put his opponent over as force; otherwise, the local crowd would lose interest.
It was a delicate ecosystem Flair had to keep in balance, which he did through his expert heel work. He cheated out of desperation, and he barely had to sell his desperate, flailing petition to the referee. This was the cumulative effect of the drain, and it allowed him time to recharge, ready to bump all over the ring for the face all over again.