8 Wrestlers Who Faked Their Retirement

We're not talking about The Nature Boy's 2008 attempt to hang up his robe with the fabled WrestleMania XXIV match, which all for intents and purposes was actually supposed to be Ric Flair's match, only for him to turn up in TNA a year later, of all places. Rather, this is the first of Flair's record-breaking retirements, brought on by defeat at the hands of Hulk Hogan at the similarly alliterative Halloween Havoc '94.

Nobody sensible suspected 'Natch would be gone for good - he was a sprightly 45 - though presumably that didn't include many of WCW's viewers at the time, given the drastic programme pitting Hogan against the Three Faces of Fear.

Flair's absence from TV only heightened his aura, and when he bought his own ticket for Clash of the Champions XXX, he re-entered the fray refreshed and revived from his defeat. He was, however, adamant though he couldn't wrestle - but that he wanted to be involved in the industry once again.

Soon enough, he became Vader's manager, replacing Harley Race (who had been legitimately injured in a car accident). Infamously, an 'insane' Flair ran riot on Hogan's 'Ultimate Surprise' (Renegade, the ersatz Ultimate Warrior), earning a storyline suspension for his trouble.

For whatever reason, rivals Hogan and Savage petitioned WCW's board to reinstate Flair, reasoning he was safer in than out. The episode resulted in the brilliant 'Fair to Flair' segment, and after much tarrying, The Nature Boy was eventually reinstated.

For his first official match back, he drew 190,000 spectators to witness him take on Antonio Inoki in Pyongyang, North Korea. And at least some of them wanted to be there.