All the partying he did I find it dumbfounding he says he did 500 air squats every day.

All the partying he did I find it dumbfounding he says he did 500 air squats every day.

 

You have to give him credit, he had crazy stamina in his prime. As mentioned in the 30for30 he wrestled 100s and 100s of hour long matches at a break neck pace.

You have to give him credit, he had crazy stamina in his prime. As mentioned in the 30for30 he wrestled 100s and 100s of hour long matches at a break neck pace.

 

I remember many a Flair/ Steamboat match of that duration and pace. It was something to watch.

You can tell that he had regrets about being an absent father; not so much about a cheating husband. I'd be willing to bet, if asked if he'd do it all over again the same way, the answer would be a resounding YES. Addicted to the fame. Sad really.

@Pile Driver You are probably correct. He was so fun to watch, but as a person he was irresponsible. I don't know many "stand up guys" that have been divorced at least twice, been arrested for tax evasion, and drink as much as he did.

 

But he was my absolute favorite when I was a kid, even when all my friends hated him.

The fact that he was adopted by a family that he could never get approval from is likely the main reason behind why he drank everyday and was a womanizer. Show me someone who has had a bad relationship with their parents growing up and you likely will see someone who is abusive to themselves or others.

 

Parenting isnt easy but it is imperative to how your kids end up.

The fact that he was adopted by a family that he could never get approval from is likely the main reason behind why he drank everyday and was a womanizer. Show me someone who has had a bad relationship with their parents growing up and you likely will see someone who is abusive to themselves or others.

 

Parenting isnt easy but it is imperative to how your kids end up.

 

Ric is responsible for Ric, but I agree that this was to his detriment.

 

A great upbringing doesn't guarantee goodness, nor does a terrible one guarantee the opposite. But it sure is advantageous to have the former.

Really enjoyed the show. A few quick takeaways:

 

1. Being a student of the history of pro wrestling, I was well aware of the first Nature Boy, Buddy Rogers. I knew that Flair was heavily influenced by Rogers. Ric took the "Nature Boy" to the ultimate level- all the way to "Space Mountain" and beyond.

 

2. Can you imagine partying with Ric and Wilt Chamberlain? 20,000 + 10,000 = 30,000 . I like that math !!!

 

3. Loved the story about going to the psychiatrist. By the end of the session the shrink was on the couch and the Nature Boy was doing the counseling. :lol2:

 

4. I found Flair to be very real in this documentary. Didn't try to deny that he was a bad father, bad husband. Seemed very candid about his life.

 

5. Amazing that he is still alive after all the abuse his body has taken. I won't forget that one shot of him just sitting there looking into the camera looking like an aged and beaten man. You could see the mental and physical pain the hard living years had dished out on him. He looked 90 yrs old in that one shot.

 

6. The best matches I have ever seen in my life(and I challenge all wrestling fans to go to youtube and watch some of these) were the Ric Flair- Ricky Steamboat matches. Ric and Rick were two epic performers that could keep fans engaged for a full 60 minutes of wrestling. Seriously, go back and watch those matches. You don't see stuff like that anymore.

 

7. Ric Flair transcends pro wrestling. He is a pop culture icon. He has had an influence on sports figures from many different sports, as well as entertainers outside of sport. Interesting comment in the show from Snoop Dogg about what Ric meant to the hip hop industry.

 

8. Poignant moment when Ric talked about one of his biggest regrets- not being more of a father to Reid, instead of just a buddy.

 

9. Buying the big house and expecting his dad to be impressed when he saw it, only to have his dad say, "what do you need with all this room? , " seemed to sum up their father-son relationship. Ric never could get dad's approval or live up to dad's expectations. I believe that really affected him his whole life.

 

10. Flair never was comfortable in the skin of Richard Morgan Fliehr. In fact, it seemed painful to even reflect on the real person. He was able to hide behind the mask of the "Nature Boy" for four decades. It seems he has never been able to come to terms with who he is deep down.

 

11. Interestingly, Ashley said she wouldn't be where she is today were it not for her brother's tragic death. Seems she is determined to live out his dream.

 

12. Seems like Ric was quite the exhibitionist. Apparently, Sting saw more of "Nature Boy" than he bargained for.

 

13. There was a Tony Schiavone sighting ...

 

14. Interesting take from Ric on why he and Dusty made such a great "Face-Heel" tandem.

 

15. Can you imagine the bar tab for an Andre the Giant / Ric Flair all-nighter?

 

I think it was Flair’s book where I read that he, Dusty, Andre and one other were driving to the next town which was like 2-3 hours away. Stopped at a gas station. Andre came out with bottle of wine and case of beer. Flair asked him to hand a beer over. Andre told him that he needed to get his own!!