When Ric Flair joined forces with World Heavyweight Champion Triple H in 2002, may fans were outraged. Flair, who had once been widely accepted as the best wrestler in the world and could still outperform many younger talents, was seen as being demoted in order to serve the ego of Triple H. On the May 19, 2003 Raw, Co-General Manager Steve Austin gave "The Game" the opportunity to defend his championship against any one of a number of wrestlers assembled in the ring. Thinking he had outsmarted "Stone Cold," Triple H selected Flair, who was by his side. When confronted later about "doing business," though, Flair was hesitant. After a pep talk from Shawn Michaels "The Nature Boy" decided to do his best for a 17th world title in front of the Greenville crowd. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-w8b5uxShpc The audience was rabidly in Flair's favor, but it wasn't enough - Triple H hit him with a Pedigree and scored the pinfall. After the bout finished and Raw went off the air, though, the roster poured into the ring for an impromptu celebration of Flair's career. Triple H hoisted "The Nature Boy" up on his shoulders, and a tearful Flair hoisted the famous "big gold belt" above his head one last time.
Scott Fried is a Slammy Award-winning* writer living and working in New York City. He has been following/writing about professional wrestling for many years and is a graduate of Lance Storm's Storm Wrestling Academy. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/scottfried.
*Best Crowd of the Year, 2013
