Share Your Best Ric Flair Story

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lanza218
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Share Your Best Ric Flair Story

Post by lanza218 »

Either personal or one you heard. What do u got?
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heelorton79
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Re: Share Your Best Ric Flair Story

Post by heelorton79 »

Back in the early days of my wrestling collecting I would try pretty hard for Ric Flair. He had turned me down for the photo on different occasions. One night I waited overnight for him. I never saw him, but I ended up getting Vince instead.

Then WrestleMania 20 week came around and it was to this day the best experience I ever had meeting wrestlers. That week I got great names like Taker, Benoit, Nancy Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Austin and many, many others. From the beginning, Flair was holding out on everyone. I believe he and a bunch of other Superstars did a signing that week, but no photos and you were only able to get a poster signed. We tried for him in the bar but he told everyone to go away. A collector also reminded me how he told us to fuck off at one point..after only asking for the pic..which I vaguely remember happening. He took no photos that week from my recollection. Finally, it was time for him to check out. This spot allowed everyone to hang out inside, so when I saw him we asked again for the picture. He ignored everyone, while running into the gift shop, mentioning he was getting something for his daughter (presumably the one now known as Charlotte). He exited the shop and walked across the lobby, and out to his car which was waiting. I asked again and at the very last second, he turned to me before getting in the car and said, "what do you want? An autograph?" I told I just wanted the photo and he agreed to do it for me..and then left. Persistence with the "Nature Boy" paid off...

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Greg2600
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Re: Share Your Best Ric Flair Story

Post by Greg2600 »

Great story! Interesting that Flair was so tough, yet over the last few years not so much. For me, one of the great result of getting back into this game lately has been meeting the old wrestling characters, like Flair. His free Dodge dealer signing was quite a hoot, with Flair going into gimmick to and from his many bathroom breaks! However, the Big Event dual op with Ric and Dusty Rhodes was quite a moment in and of itself. I solicited Lanza's help, since he was in the room, but Dusty wouldn't stop talking or stand still, despite Flair's best attempts at trying to coach this. I just stood there between the greats, but good thing I was the only one who paid for the shot, because it was a mess! When I went to the free signing, I printed that shot and had Flair sign it. He admired the photo pretty much the whole time I was at the table, and nearly teared up, as Dusty had passed not long before. Wrestling wise, I think my favorite Flair moment was when they did the phony heart attack/mental breakdown angle towards the end of WCW. Flair had become pretty marginalized in WCW by that point, and it was great to see him front and center once again. I also felt that WCW's "Mr. McMahon" should have been the Nature Boy, he was the only one who could pull it off.

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Anthony18
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Re: Share Your Best Ric Flair Story

Post by Anthony18 »

The two times I met Ric Flair he was quiet. I wish he was in gimmick when I met him. That's ok.

I don't know if I have a favorite Ric Flair moment, but one I really liked is when he came back on September 14, 1998 to reunite with the Horsemen. That was very emotional.
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WOODMO
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Re: Share Your Best Ric Flair Story

Post by WOODMO »

First time I met Ric was in 2008 at a WWE Axxess signing which was free. This was back before Ric did signings really, so I got there at 5am, 7 hours early just to make sure I got a chance to meet him. They sadly announced no photos, but I was able to force one and I appreciated him making an effort to pose, even though he was mid sip of his water. Not the best photo, but I always really liked it and had fond memories of getting it.

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Then the third time I met him, I got a 16x20 of a photo op signed, and Ric stopped signing it, looked up at me and said "thank you for the respect". He was always pretty quiet at these things, but he seemed to genuinely appreciate it.

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heelorton79
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Re: Share Your Best Ric Flair Story

Post by heelorton79 »

Awesome stories guys!
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Re: Share Your Best Ric Flair Story

Post by ICW »

I don't really have a killer story. I've met him twice, the first time was at Big Event VIII, which was my very first wrestling con. Jenna waited on line for me while I got a few other guests. When I got to him, he was talking to one of the handlers about Charlotte. He was incredibly, genuinely proud of her and that always stuck with me. Touching, I guess.
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16times
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Re: Share Your Best Ric Flair Story

Post by 16times »

Like a lot of us, I've got a ton of Ric memories, but these two stand out:

The first time I met Ric was in 2004 at a booksigning for "To Be The Man." It was a huge deal at the time. The bookstore line stretched all around the store. No posed photos allowed, but I managed this.
RicBooksigning1.jpg
But the story got better because of what happened afterwards. Once the signing was over, a bunch of us went around to the back of the store to watch Ric leave. He eventually emerged to a chorus of Wooooo's from the crowd. He was too big a star to come over for any extra combos, but went right to the limo...and promptly realized he was locked out. There it sat running, keys inside. For a good 10 minutes, Ric, his handler, and driver tried to figure out what to do about the situation, as the crowd pelted him with good natured catcalls. "Who locked out the Champ ?" "I guess we won't be limosine ridin' today !" Ric eventually gave up and went back inside the store.
RicBooksigning4.JPG
4 years later, Reid Flair made his pro debut in a tag team match with his brother David against The Nasty Boys in a high school gym in Charlotte, NC. I made the drive down, and it remains my favorite pro wrestling experience. I had a front row ringside seat. Hulk Hogan was the referee. Jimmy Hart was the Nasty's manager. Flair, his ex-wife Beth, Ashley and Meghan sat around the corner from me. All of this in a HIGH SCHOOL GYM. At one point Saggs pulled me out of my chair and hit Reid with it. Flair was accessible to everyone that night. It was just unbelievable getting to hang out with all of them. I took video most of the time, but found this one pic I took of Ric across the way from my seat. When I left the building that night, I walked out with a small group that included the future champ Charlotte. Great, great memory.
RicRingside.jpg
With every day that Ric hangs on in the hospital, I think his chances improve. Maybe the Champ is going to kick out at 2 1/2 one last time.
"Every time you score a photo op, an angel gets his wings!"
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16times
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Re: Share Your Best Ric Flair Story

Post by 16times »

Anybody ever see the episode of "The Cleveland Show" when Ric made an appearance. Pretty entertaining....
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"Every time you score a photo op, an angel gets his wings!"
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Greg2600
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Re: Share Your Best Ric Flair Story

Post by Greg2600 »

As expected, I think :16x: wins! Only thing better would have been if they threw you in the ring and one of the Flair's put on the Figure Four!
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Anthony18
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Re: Share Your Best Ric Flair Story

Post by Anthony18 »

Ric Flair is one of the reasons I'm a huge wrestling fan. I mean characters like him. I had a day off on Monday and usually that's a good thing, but when I found out Ric was in a coma that day, it killed it. It would be SO sad if he died. Especially since his and Charlotte's book is coming out and the 30 for 30 special.
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mrira
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Re: Share Your Best Ric Flair Story

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Flair has been nice the majority of times I met him. The only time I can remember him being a dick was a TNA house show several years back.
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Re: Share Your Best Ric Flair Story

Post by prowrestlingmall »

My Flair story is both professional and personal. 26 years ago yesterday marked the anniversary of Flair winning the Royal Rumble, and with it the WWF title, in Albany, NY. I was (and still am) a lifelong Flair fan. I was there in attendance. It was absolutely electric and the pop he got when he won was unbelievable!!! I was marking out like crazy!

Later that night nearly ALL of them (Hogan, SID, Road Warriors, DiBiase, etc.) including Flair were at the Marriott bar. Flair was the life of the party, totally in gimmick buying drinks, doing the Woooooo, had a HOT brunette by his side, etc. He was AWESOME to the fans. I had the time of my life. I just watched my favorite wrestler win the Rumble and then just a few hours later was drinking in the same bar with him and most of the other participants. So sad so many from that Rumble have passed away and cameras at that point weren't on every phone like today and really were frowned on in bars. What happened at the bars back in the day stayed at the bar. LOL

What great memories!!!
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