A LIMOUSINE RIDIN', JET FLYIN', KISS STEALIN', WHEELIN' DEALIN' SON OF A GUN: Given the amount of attention I tend to devote to untimely and tragic deaths in the world of sports entertainment, simple fairness and my intense respect for the man require me to note that tonight, 16-time world champion "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair will lace up his boots for the final time at WrestleMania 24 in Orlando, at the age of 59, facing Shawn Michaels.
If professional wrestling were to have a Mt. Rushmore, Ric Flair would be on it. No one has played the bad guy better -- the arrogant heel wearing the fanciest robes, employing unmatched technical skills and every dirty trick in the book to create compelling stories both in and out of the ring -- and he did so without resort to the aerial risk or extreme violence which characterized later eras.
Flair was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame last night, and this tribute video covers a lot of ground well. What struck me during the induction ceremony (what -- you weren't watching last night?) was that during his speech, Flair apologized to his first two wives for the wild life he led, thanking them for raising his four children essentially by themselves, saying "you were right to leave me" -- which takes a level of self-awareness and emotional maturity one doesn't expect from a professional wrestler.
To be The Man, Ric Flair often said, you have to beat The Man, and lord knows, Ric Flair has been The Man for quite a long time. May he enjoy a retirement that keeps him healthy and outside the ring. It looks like he's already started on his next endeavor ...
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