How Good Was Ric Flair Actually?

How good Ric Flair was from his prime to the end of his in-ring career in WWE is a vital component to what makes his presentation and promos work. The kind of grandstanding that Flair made his forte would be a dime a dozen if he couldn't back it up, but when he spent the 1980s insisting that he was the best wrestler in the world today and backed it up with cold, hard evidence, that meant every boast that fell from his lips landed with the impact of a gale-force hurricane.

For the rest of time, every wrestling crowd from local bouts to arenas and stadiums will "woo" in unison to a superstar landing a knifedge chop in the corner as homage to The Nature Boy. His in-ring psychology was near perfect, as was his moveset. From his unforgettable knee drops to flailing his hair around with his Figure-Four Leg Lock finisher applied, Flair's every movement was designed to become legendary. 

He lived up to his nickname of The Dirtiest Player in the Game, with regular low blows, hitting people with the title, poking foes in the eye, and having an unforgettable way of going to shake his opponent's hand before pulling away at the last minute and running his fingers through his hair. Fans paid their hard-earned cash to see Flair get his ass handed to him because of all of these elements, and so when Ric hit the canvas via the Flair Flop, crowds would go nuts with delight.

Where Ric Flair stands a cut above Hulk Hogan and Dusty Rhodes is that he was truly superb in the ring. It's on record that Ric's cardio was world-class, and his ability to put on high-octane matches was so far ahead of its time. Alongside Ricky Steamboat and Randy Savage, he was the best in class in the 1980s. Ric was still putting on clinics throughout the '90s and even achieved high-quality matches when called upon in the 2000s. To be that good for that long is just another reason that Flair will appear on many a Mount Rushmore of wrestling.

8.5/10