Ric Flair (@ricflairnatureboy) is a legendary professional wrestler and a 2-time member of the WWE Hall of Fame. He sits down with Chris Van Vliet in Tampa, FL to talk about the recent passing of Bray Wyatt, his thoughts on his last match, why he wants to wrestle again, his WOOOOO Energy drink, the psychology of his knife edge chops, why he feels Charlotte Flair and Brock Lesnar are the best athletes in WWE, who he thinks is the greatest wrestler of all time, what went wrong with WCW, his personal issues with Eric Bischoff, his thoughts on The Rock, his son Reid Flair, advice for his younger self, the fact that Sting is still wrestling at 63 years old and much more!
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Quote I’m thinking about:If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one. – Dolly Parton
On losing Bray Wyatt:
“This year was really [hard] losing Bray Wyatt, who I wasn’t best friends with. But his dad and I were very close. As mother and I were very close and 35 years old. 36 rather. So he was the same age as my son. No, my would have been 35. And they were all together all of them together. And when I retired in Orlando WrestleMania 24, it was Bray, Taylor, his brother, Wes Brisco, and my son, all there at the same time in catering.”
On multiple wrestlers sadly passing away:
“Well, I mean, it’s, well, this one had nothing to do with, it wasn’t drug-related or anything. Just a health issue that, they didn’t see coming. I’ve heard so many different stories, whether it’s COVID-related or not, but it just. Yeah, I mean, actually, Billy Graham, lived a lot longer than people thought, he had kidney issues forever. So The Sheik, at least it was normal. But the problem for me is that they’re all within a couple years of my age. It makes you it makes you aware.”
On skirting death multiple times:
“I know twice. I mean, the aeroplane crash would have to be considered one. And then of course, in 2017 when I was on life support for 13 days on ICU for 31. And then, which a lot of people still don’t understand. I didn’t know where I was for six months after I woke up. I had no memory of anything behind me. Just going forward. I didn’t even know that I lived in Charlotte. Didn’t know that I had lawyers. I couldn’t remember anything for six months. That’s how I got beat up so bad legally. Because I’d forgotten I had lawyers and when I was dying, you probably heard this everybody was taking away a lot of my sh*t. Including my agent who stole about 300 grand, it was on escrow. If I was dead, then it would have gone and so she took it all out of escrow. Put in her pocket, including $50,000 from ESPN for the 30 for 30.”
On his memory coming back:
“I had texts. When I woke up. I think I actually think I counted it because they wouldn’t give me my phone. But I had like 170 texts, right? And half of them I didn’t realise. I thought Who is this person? I mean, I saw 704 which is the Charlotte area code and I didn’t know who it was and then it just started at it and while I was sitting in recovery and I was basically sitting in a black chair. I had never watched Netflix in my life I’d never watched Prime I didn’t even know what they were. So then I started to watch Arrow and then after that I watched the Webster and I mean right down the line of seeing them all.”
On the correct way to spell Wooooo:
“It is a trademark for 5 o’s but I can afford to. McDonald’s did one where the guy went Woooo. And we went right to McDonald’s and shut it down, rather than put me into commercial or, pay me. I don’t know what it cost them to shoot down a commercial that a minute-long commercial has to cost them millions to put together I mean, based on my knowledge of it especially with the production values.”
Why was Ricky Steamboat not considered for Flair’s retirement match:
“It just didn’t work out. You know, for health issue wise. Rick had some minor ones. I don’t know for sure. You know, it’s funny. We’ve probably wrestled each other, without embellishing, we’ve probably wrestled each other between 1,500 to 2,000 times in so many times over an hour right? Or an hour and a half. But we became very close friends. But we didn’t socialise a lot. Does that make sense? Yeah, Rick is a quieter guy, sticks to himself, he drinks some beer once a while, but he just keeps himself and he’s too humble. He was so great.”
On competing in his last match:
“Everything went great, including the 9,000 people we packed in there which was more than WCW or WWE had had in the building forever. And then I just walked on the ramp and I just you know, a combination. I guess I’d be nervous and everything started out fine though. So like I don’t know why I got lightheaded for a second. I made the mistake of saying to one of the guys I don’t feel so good. Well, they all went they all thought I was telling them like my heart or something like that. And that’s the worst thing I did and then I was like I got real lightheaded. And I know that was I was in and out all during the match.”
On making it through the match:
“Oh, yeah, I was fighting like hell to get through it. But it was just fighting here. Nothing that I felt, I wasn’t hurting anywhere. I just felt bad because the guys had been all panicking and worried about my health. And we had said we had constructed such a great match. If it had come off the way we’ve practised forever, it would have been a masterpiece, but, you know, when I walked back to the locker room Taker made me drink three Gatorades. Then I went to Kid Rock and drank all night long.”
On spots that got cut:
“Oh God. They were just gonna slam me off the top, suplex me, stuff on the floor. Everybody’s just panicked. You know, it all was a concern for me, they didn’t forget their parts. They just [went] let’s get through this. I mean, that’s why I had to fake that heart attack. I went slow down, slow down, I’m okay. Should have never said anything. So then we got a little bit more back in. But my son-in-law [Andrade] had to put the brass knucks on my hand. He’s going, Wake up sir. That was it.”
Was that Ric Flair’s final match?
“I want to wrestle again right now. Isn’t it crazy? I feel like because, Ricky Morton, the guy that I should have chosen for my last match would have been great. Ricky Morton is still wrestling. You know what the best thing for me about it was, is I forced myself to really get in shape. I’ve heard this from guys over the years. And when they were older, I was like, in my prime. The older guys would say a man, I’m tired of working out. And there gets a time when you just get bored working out. You don’t have a goal. I mean, they gave me a goal and I just attacked it. I didn’t stop drinking or anything but I was training literally training three hours a day, five days a week in the ring, or I was doing the sled, the ropes. Yeah, I got my bench press up for two and a quarter. I mean, so from being dead to all that was pretty cool.”
On Charlotte Flair breaking the championship record:
“I certainly hope it happens. I don’t know what they’re doing right now. But who knows? It’s got to happen. It’d be the biggest thing in the business. If they’re really interested in doing something. Because I feel like the women have had more empowerment right now than they ever had, and deservedly, right. But the biggest thing that could happen, John and I talked about this, John Cena. Can you imagine us walking down and congratulating Charlotte? What kind of rating would that get on TV? To see that finally happen? I think it’s the biggest thing they could do right now.”
On Brock Lesnar:
“She’s [Charlotte] the most skilled athlete. She and Brock Lesnar are the two best athletes in the company. It’s not even arguable. Brock is a phenomenal athlete, and Brock has learned how to work. I sent him a text the other day I just said, you know, he was so intimidating when he first came in. I had to work with him too. But you know, he’s just a big guy with incredible athletic ability. I mean, that’s almost a 40-inch vertical jump when he jumped up on top of the apron, I would have to say that’s close to 40 inches, right? At 280 pounds to do a 40-inch vertical jump. I don’t want to be there the day that he misses and falls. I don’t want to be his opponent. Now he’s an incredible athlete. And they’ve got some really good athletes in the company. But Ashley could have gone and played 3 D1 sports if she wanted to.”
On his relationship with WWE:
“It’s fine. I don’t work for them. I mean, I’m always gonna be indebted and be thankful for the relationship over the years. But when you work with them, you’re pretty much locked up to, you know, to anything, and they have a real tough, enforceable contract. So I wouldn’t be able to do the marijuana. I certainly wouldn’t be able to have the energy drink unless I gave them 50% of it or something like that. I mean, you know, and in all fairness, I don’t like that. But I can understand they’re gonna give you the TV time and help give you the opportunity for yourself to become a star if you have that star quality, then they deserve to get a part of the money. I understand it. I don’t like it. But if it’s only fair, I’ve seen a lot worse situations for people.”
On who is the GOAT:
“Well, I think to me, the goat is the guy that did the most for the business. Not necessarily, had to be the best wrestler. But the guy that did meant the most to our business, and the guy that saved [it] in my eyes, saved the WWE. Steve Austin. Yeah, I mean, what Steve did, and then to be injured and retire at 39. I mean, I keep forgetting this and until people remind me, well, I don’t see Steve as much as I used to. But he quit. He had to quit because of a broken neck at 39. Yeah, he got back in and out. But I mean, think about that. I mean. And he took a couple of swings. They put one label on him, but when he found that niche, him and Vince The Attitude Era, but it was Stone Cold, Shawn, Mike Tyson. And we were arguing about the NWO who’s gonna win a match? And can we go with three minutes instead of 10? I mean, it’s just bullsh*t. But that’s, that’s when all of a sudden where Bischoff didn’t know how to run a company. Then he put himself into it, which made it worse.”
What is Ric Flair grateful for:
“The relationship I have with my 2 girls, [my wife] Wendy and having 20 close friends.”
