How Good Was Ric Flair Actually?

For all of his incredible work in other companies, Ric Flair's greatest moments came in WWE. Entering at number three in one of the most stacked Royal Rumble line-ups of all time in 1992, Ric won the WWE Championship for the first time by outlasting Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels, Roddy Piper, The Undertaker, Randy Savage, and a whole host of other future Hall of Famers.

Flair lasted over an hour, with Bobby Heenan's legendary "it's not fair to Flair" punctuating what a remarkable achievement it was. When he then followed it up with one of the greatest promos in WWE history, Ric became immortal in one night's work.

His other unforgettable moment came in his WWE retirement match at WrestleMania 24 against Shawn Michaels. Knowing that he was staring defeat in the face and about to bring the curtain down on his legendary career, Flair stood with tears in his eyes and beckoned HBK to do what had to be done. As Michaels uttered "I'm sorry, I love you," and planted a Sweet Chin Music on The Nature Boy for the three count, he rolled ruefully out of the ring as Flair looked up at the lights and bawled his eyes out for the world to see. Wrestling is described as "cinema" when at its best, and this was an all-time Oscar-worthy performance from both men.

Monday Night Raw would also be the home for a host of unforgettable Ric Flair masterpieces. His 'Loser Leaves Town' match with Mr. Perfect pitted him against his former partner, as Perfect would send Ric packing out of WWE, but not before giving him one last five-star classic. These two impeccable athletes put on one of the first classic bouts in Raw history and one that still stands up against any contest in the history of the show. 

Flair's return in 2001, the night after the Invasion angle ended, was an all-timer, too, where he revealed he was the consortium that had bought out Shane and Stephanie McMahon and was going to be partners with Vince McMahon (which gave birth to the legendary meme of Vince grabbing his earlobe in astonishment). There was also an incredibly emotional night on Raw in 2003, in which Triple H chose his Evolution teammate to defend the World Heavyweight Title against. Expecting Ric to lay down and play dead for him, Flair rolled back the years in Greenville, North Carolina. At 54 years old, Naitch took the fight to The Game in his prime, with the champion lucky to emerge victorious after a barn-burner of a match. 

Ric Flair's insistence on not letting his in-ring career go at the end of WrestleMania 24 is an unfortunate stain on his career. That he had signed with TNA inside a year of that Michaels superkick was a great shame. That, and that fans then had to watch him have his final match on a PPV for Jim Crockett Promotions, with everyone watching through their fingers and praying for his safety, in 2022 at the age of 73 are ill-advised moments that bring down his overall legacy and how he'll be remembered.

8.5/10