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| Ric Flair | |
|---|---|
| Name | Richard Morgan Fliehr |
| Ring name | "Nature Boy" (ring name) |
| Birth name | Richard Morgan Fliehr |
| Birth date | February 25, 1949 |
| Birth place | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Billed | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in |
| Weight | 243 lb |
| Debut | 1972 |
| Retired | 2022 |
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr (born February 25, 1949) is an American retired professional wrestler and wrestling manager best known for a flamboyant persona, lengthy career across multiple promotions, and influence on sports entertainment. He achieved fame in regional territories and national promotions, capturing numerous world championships and headlining major events in front of global audiences. His career spans associations with prominent organizations, feuds with marquee performers, and appearances in mainstream media.
Fliehr was born in Memphis, Tennessee and raised in Edina, Minnesota, where he attended Wayzata High School and played scholastic sports before enrolling at University of Minnesota for a time. During his youth he trained in amateur grappling and collegiate-style conditioning influenced by coaches from Minnesota Golden Gophers athletic programs and regional AAU clubs. Early mentorship came from local promoters and trainers connected to the National Wrestling Alliance territories, and he worked small shows in the Upper Midwest while learning fundamentals from veterans associated with promotions in St. Paul and Minneapolis.
Fliehr began his professional career in the early 1970s within the National Wrestling Alliance system, working in territories such as Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, Georgia Championship Wrestling, and Florida Championship Wrestling. He rose to prominence in the 1970s and 1980s with lengthy runs in Jim Crockett Promotions and later World Championship Wrestling (WCW), engaging in headline feuds with performers affiliated with Dusty Rhodes, Terry Funk, and Sting (wrestler). In the 1990s he transitioned to World Wrestling Federation programming, participating in high-profile angles with talent from Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, and Hulk Hogan. Returning to WCW for multiple stints, he captured additional world titles and was central to storylines during the Monday Night Wars era involving promotions such as Extreme Championship Wrestling. Into the 2000s and 2010s he made recurring appearances for World Wrestling Entertainment, reunited on-camera with past rivals and allies, and later worked as a manager and mentor in independent promotions and international tours, including engagements with organizations connected to New Japan Pro-Wrestling talent exchanges and appearances on pay-per-view events.
His on-screen persona adopted a flamboyant "Nature Boy" archetype echoing earlier performers from the mid-20th century, incorporating elements associated with Harlem Globetrotters-style showmanship and Hollywood-inspired excess. The character emphasized braggadocio, elaborate robes, and catchphrases delivered during promos in arenas like Madison Square Garden, Charlotte Coliseum, and Wembley Stadium. In-ring technique blended classic NWA-era psychology, technical holds, forearm strikes, and signature moves such as the figure-four leglock—an homage to practitioners like Buddy Rogers and Lou Thesz. Matches often featured long-form storytelling, count-outs, disqualifications, and dramatic comebacks, framed for television programs like World Championship Wrestling Saturday Night and Monday Night Raw.
He is credited with multiple world heavyweight championships recognized by major promotions including titles from National Wrestling Alliance, World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and World Wrestling Federation. His accolades include inductions into the WWE Hall of Fame and honors from regional halls tied to Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling and other territorial bodies. Tournament victories and marquee match wins occurred at events promoted by Starrcade, WrestleMania, and other flagship cards. He received awards from industry publications and organizations such as Pro Wrestling Illustrated and earned placement on lists compiled by ESPN and historian-driven rankings of top performers.
Fliehr has been married multiple times and is the father of children who have participated in professional wrestling and entertainment, with family members appearing on programming associated with WWE and independent circuits. He lived for extended periods in the Charlotte metropolitan area, engaging with local institutions and charitable initiatives tied to sports and veteran causes. Off-screen activities included coaching younger talent, appearing on podcasts featuring guests from Stone Cold Steve Austin-era peers, and participating in autograph conventions alongside contemporaries from the territorial era.
Throughout his career and post-retirement life, he faced legal and financial disputes, including litigation over personal matters and disagreements reported in regional courts in North Carolina and Nevada. Controversial incidents involved publicized health scares, allegations regarding personal conduct presented in media outlets covering wrestling, and business disputes with promoters and management companies connected to touring events. These matters attracted attention from mainstream outlets and wrestling-focused publications such as Wrestling Observer Newsletter and prompted commentary from peers like Triple H and Shawn Michaels in interviews.
He is widely regarded as a foundational influence on the modern sports-entertainment persona, inspiring generations of performers in WWE, AEW, and international promotions including New Japan Pro-Wrestling and Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre alumni. His promotional style and microphone work informed coaching curricula at wrestling schools affiliated with figures like Dale Gagner and Roddy Piper-era trainers, and his matches are cited in retrospectives on programs such as WrestleCrap-era analyses and documentary films about the industry. References to his persona appear in music, television, and film, with celebrities from The Rock to mainstream actors acknowledging his cultural imprint during awards shows and sports broadcasts. His influence endures through hall of fame inductions, tribute matches, and the continued use of stylistic tropes by performers across multiple generations.
Category:American professional wrestlers Category:1949 births Category:Living people