WWE: Tarnished legacy – Sad story of the 'Nature Boy' Ric Flair

Ric Flair

In the movie ‘The Dark Knight’, there was a quote – “You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain”. It applies to every individual in every field; the more you get consumed by something, the more you tarnish your legacy and your hard work.

Every good thing you’ve done becomes undone, and in the end, the fire consumes you. In the world of professional wrestling, the same logic applies. The more someone tries to stay in the spotlight, the more they destroy all they’ve accomplished.

Professional wrestling has seen its fair share of legends trying to hold on to their spot for far too long, and end up becoming a joke. From the likes of Hulk Hogan to Kevin Nash, in the end, they’ve done more harm than good to professional wrestling and their careers.

But one man’s name reminds everyone of how the best of people can turn for the worse.

Ric Flair is arguably the greatest living legend in professional wrestling. From being considered as the greatest wrestler to ever lace a pair of boots to being the most charismatic individual in the sports history, Ric Flair has “been there, done that”.

Flair also had the opportunity to travel all around the world, wrestling in front of different crowds and earning their respect. Ric Flair, whose storied career earned him adulation and love from all the fans in the wrestling world, has now taken a plunge for the worse.

Ever since he “retired” from the WWE, Ric Flair has seen the bad side of professional wrestling, and became one of the saddest stories of modern wrestling.

When WCW folded, everyone expected Flair to call it a career, and what a great career it was! From putting on 5 star matches with the likes of Harley Race and Steamboat, Flair has been the monarch of professional wrestling.

There was a time when watching Flair was nothing short of an honour and a privilege, as the arena would ring with “Wooo” every time he chopped his opponent. From being thrown down off the top turnbuckle to him dropping the elbow and rolling on the mat, Ric Flair was magic.

But that was nearly 20 years ago, and as time passed, sadly Ric Flair hasn’t moved on. Ric Flair’s battle with coming to terms with his retirement has been anything but fairy tale-esque.

From being arrested for DUIs to being dragged through messy divorces, Ric Flair’s personal life has been a car crash.

There was a time when Flair’s mugshots would be on the newsletters of the Wrestling Observer and other wrestling magazines, hailing him to be the “Wrestling God”. Today, the only mugshots we see of Flair’s are on websites informing us that he has been arrested once again, either for getting too drunk and getting into a fight, or being on the receiving end from one of his ex-wives.

The respect and love Ric has earned through the four decades of wrestling in this business has been flushed down, and he has no one else to blame but himself.

Ric Flair is in his 60s, and he was performing in TNA until a year ago. Imagine a 62-year-old flopping in the ring, bleeding all over the mat. That isn’t the picture of a legend that we respected and loved while growing up. It isn’t the picture of “The limousine ridin’, jet flyin’, kiss stealin’, wheelin’ and dealin’ son of a gun” that we popped for while watching the footage of NWA and the early part of WCW.

Ric Flair was last relevant in the mid 90s, and has been an afterthought since. Flair had his “big moment” once again when he wrestled Shawn Michaels in an emotionally packed WrestleMania match, after which he was (kayfabe) forced into retirement. After having the best send-off in wrestling history, Ric Flair began wrestling once again outside of the WWE.

Ric Flair’s necessity to perform stems from his lavish life style, and taking his gimmick too seriously.

Flair has spent millions of dollars for no reason, and in the end, has become an entourage for people who’d be willing to pay him. Through the divorces and the numerous cases, Flair still hasn’t learnt his lesson.

In the recent launch of the WWE 2K14 game, Flair was at it once again, getting drunk and prolonging the conversation, and going out of topic. Flair was once again in the WWE doghouse, as the management was irate about Flair’s demeanour during the whole press conference.

Ric Flair, who was supposed to be the greatest superstar to have ever lived, is now a joke in the world of professional wrestling. Sadly, the once “Nature Boy” has become the saddest story of professional wrestling.