Richard Morgan Fliehr (born Fred Phillips; February 25, 1949), better known as Ric Flair, is an American professional wrestling manager and professional wrestler.
Background[]
Pre-WrestleMania[]
WrestleMania VIII (1992)[]
WWE Champion "Nature Boy" Ric Flair, looking to further cement his legacy, antagonized "Macho Man" Randy Savage for weeks leading up to their match at WrestleMania VIII. Flair targeted Savage's only real weakness, his love for Miss Elizabeth.
According to Flair, he and Elizabeth had a steamy love affair. Flair presented pictures of Elizabeth and Flair dining together as proof of their illicit behavior.
Week after week, Flair threatened to release even more incriminating photos of Miss Elizabeth. Savage remained silent, preserving his rage for the most opportune time-at WrestleMania VIII, with Flair's WWE Championship on the line.
WrestleMania XXIV (2008)[]
On the February 25 episode of Raw, 2008 WWE Hall of Fame Inductee Ric Flair challenged Shawn Michaels to a match at WrestleMania. Michaels accepted after some reluctance, knowing that due to a previous announcement from WWE chairman Mr. McMahon the next match Flair lost would result in his forced retirement. Flair said that "it would be an honor for [him] to retire at the hands of Shawn Michaels."
Match Record[]
Winner | Loser | Location | WrestleMania | Stipulatons | Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Randy Savage | Ric Flair (with Mr. Perfect) | Indianapolis, Indiana | VIII | Singles match for the WWE Championship | April 5, 1992 |
Undertaker | Ric Flair | Toronto, Ontario | X8 | No Holds Barred match | March 17, 2002 |
Ric Flair/Randy Orton/Batista | The Rock/Mick Foley | New York, New York | XX | Handicap match | March 14, 2004 |
Rob Van Dam | Ric Flair, Shelton Benjamin, Finlay, Matt Hardy, Bobby Lashley | Rosemont, Illinois | 22 | Money in the Bank ladder match | April 2, 2006 |
Shawn Michaels | Ric Flair | Orlando, Florida | XXIV | Career Threatening match | March 30, 2008 |
In wrestling[]
- Finishing moves
- Diving knee drop – early career
- Figure-four leglock
- Signature moves
- Back body drop
- Chop block, usually as a setup for the figure-four leglock
- Dropkick – early career
- Elbow drop
- Flop (Dropping face first to the mat, usually after a punch, with theatrics)
- Knife-edged chop, usually followed by a "Woooo!" from the crowd
- Low blow
- Multiple suplex variations
- Belly to back
- Delayed vertical
- Double arm
- Gutwrench
- Piledriver
- Raking the opponent eyes
- Running jumping knee drop
- Shin breaker, usually as a setup for the figure-four leglock
- Snapmare
- Turnbuckle flip evasion, landing on the apron, with theatrics
- Testicular claw
- Managers and valets
- Arn Anderson
- Baby Doll
- Bobby Heenan
- Curt Hennig
- Debra Marshall
- Double D
- James J. Dillon
- Fifi (Wendy Barlow)
- Hiro Matsuda
- Jimmy Hart
- Miss Elizabeth
- Ole Anderson
- Sherri Martel
- Woman/Women
- Wrestlers managed
- Beer Money, Inc.
- Big Show
- Carlito
- Charlotte Flair
- David Flair
- Desmond Wolfe
- Evolution
- Fortune
- Gunner
- Matt Hardy
- The Miz
- Reid Flair
- Ricky Morton
- Rob Terry
- Snitsky
- Steve Austin
- Nicknames
- "The Alimony Pony"
- "The Dirtiest Player in the Game"
- "The Golden Stallion"
- "I Da! Ba-Loot!"
- "Kyouran no Kikoushi (Japanese for the "Nobleman of Fury")
- "Limousine Ridin', Jet Flyin', Kiss Stealin', Wheelin' Dealin', Son of a Gun"
- "The Man"
- "The Master of the Figure-Four"
- "Naitch"
- "Naitcha' Boy"
- "The Nature Boy"
- "The Original Party Animal"
- "Rambling Ricky" Rhodes
- "The Real World Champion"
- "The Sixty-Minute Man"
- "Slick Ric"
- "Space Mountain"
- "Wrestling God"
- Entrance themes
- "Dawn" section of the tone poem "Also sprach Zarathustra" by Richard Strauss (WCW/WWE; 1970s–June 2, 2009)
- "Also Sprach Zaratustra" by Jim Johnston (Woo Quotes) (WWE; December 17, 2012–present)
- "The Wanderer" by Dion
- "Fortune 4" by Dale Oliver (TNA; used while a part of Fortune)
- "Immortal" by Dale Oliver (TNA; used while a part of Immortal)
- "Recognition" by CFO$ (WWE; September 21, 2015 – May 23, 2016; used while managing Charlotte)
Championship and accomplishments[]
- Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling/Jim Crockett Promotions/World Championship Wrestling
- WCW World Heavyweight Championship (8 times)
- WCW International World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
- NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
- NWA (Mid Atlantic)/NWA Television Championship (2 times)
- NWA (Mid Atlantic)/WCW United States Heavyweight Championship (6 times)
- NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Rip Hawk (1), Greg Valentine (1), and Big John Studd (1)
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (Mid-Atlantic version) (3 times) – with Greg Valentine (2) and Blackjack Mulligan (1)
- First WCW Triple Crown Champion
- World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment
- World Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Batista (2) and Roddy Piper (1)
- WWE Intercontinental Championship (1 time)
- WWF World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
- Royal Rumble (1992)
- Thirteenth Triple Crown Champion
- Slammy Award for Match of the Year (2008) vs. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XXIV
- WWE Hall of Fame (2 times)
- Class of 2008 for his individual career
- Class of 2012 as a member of The Four Horsemen
WWE Champions |
---|
Bruno Sammartino ● Bob Backlund ● Iron Sheik ● Hulk Hogan ● André the Giant ● Ultimate Warrior ● Sgt. Slaughter ● Undertaker ● Ric Flair ● Bret Hart ● Yokozuna ● Diesel ● Shawn Michaels ● Sycho Sid ● Stone Cold Steve Austin ● Kane ● The Rock ● Mankind ● Triple H ● Mr. McMahon ● Big Show ● Kurt Angle ● Chris Jericho ● Brock Lesnar ● Eddie Guerrero ● JBL ● John Cena ● Edge ● Rob Van Dam ● Randy Orton ● Jeff Hardy ● Batista ● Sheamus ● The Miz ● CM Punk ● Alberto Del Rio ● Daniel Bryan |
WWE Intercontinental Champions |
---|
Pat Patterson ● Greg Valentine ● Randy Savage ● Ricky Steamboat ● The Honky Tonk Man ● Ultimate Warrior ● Rick Rude ● Mr. Perfect ● The Texas Tornado ● Bret Hart ● Roddy Piper ● British Bulldog ● Shawn Michaels ● Razor Ramon ● Diesel ● Hunter Hearst Helmsley/Triple H ● Rocky Maivia/The Rock ● Stone Cold Steve Austin ● Ken Shamrock ● Road Dogg ● The Godfather ● Edge ● D'Lo Brown ● Chris Jericho ● Kurt Angle ● Rikishi ● Eddie Guerrero ● Billy Gunn ● Jeff Hardy ● Kane ● Albert ● Christian ● William Regal ● Rob Van Dam ● Booker T ● Randy Orton ● Ric Flair ● CM Punk ● JBL ● Big Show ● Daniel Bryan ● The Miz |
Royal Rumble winners |
---|
Jim Duggan (1988) ● Big John Studd (1989) ● Hulk Hogan (1990 and 1991) ● Ric Flair (1992) ● Yokozuna (1993) ● Bret Hart and Lex Luger (1994) ● Shawn Michaels (1995 and 1996) ● Stone Cold Steve Austin (1997, 1998 and 2001) ● Mr. McMahon (1999) ● The Rock (2000) ● Triple H (2002 and 2016) ● Brock Lesnar (2003) ● Batista (2005 and 2014) ● Undertaker (2007) ● John Cena (2008 and 2013) ● Randy Orton (2009 and 2017) ● Edge (2010) ● Alberto Del Rio (2011) ● Sheamus (2012) |