Ric Flair 30 For 30: 15 Things We Learned

13. Verne Gagne's Brutal Training Regime Almost Made Him Quit

Flair first got into wrestling when Greg Gagne recommended that he join his father Verne's open wrestling camp, but Ric didn't get off to the best start.

Ricky Steamboat went on to explain Gagne's extremely arduous training regime, which he called the hardest thing he's ever done in his life. It involved each wrestler running up 21 flights of stairs, then carrying another wrestler up those stairs in the fireman's carry and wheelbarrow positions, before spending an hour training in the ring.

Greg Gagne claimed that wrestlers would rip the skin off their arms from running the ropes and take around 1000 bumps a day, to the point that Flair initially quit the camp. However, Verne confronted him and ended up hitting him, convincing him to stay, even though Flair claims he almost quit a few more times.