Ric Flair: 30 for 30 Review

Last Week, ESPN premiered their first 30 for 30 Documentary on a Professional Wrestler. That Wrestler was none other than 16-Time World Heavyweight Champion "Nature Boy" Ric Flair. The Documentary was publicized almost heavily. There were Interviews with Ric's Family, from his First Wife to his Fiance, along with Charlotte Flair and David Flair. Also featured in the Documentary were Hulk Hogan, The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, JR, Sting, and others. You also had celebrity interviews with the likes of Snoop Dogg and Michelle Beadle. The Story starts off with Ric's early childhood where he was originally adopted as a Child. Flair says that his Parents only saw him wrestle at least twice, which tells me he had abandonment issues. Ric goes on to talk about how he dropped out of College to pursue his Career in Professional Wrestling. Flair goes into detail about the Infamous Plane Crash in 1975. Doctors said that he would never wrestle again, which motivated him to train even harder than ever. When Ric was in rehab, he had the idea of being a great heel champion with blonde hair. Flair would call himself the "Nature Boy" because he was influenced by the Original "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers. The rest was history. Flair talks about when he won his first World Title on September 17, 1981, when he defeated Dusty Rhodes, his future rival. My favorite part of the Documentary was when they showed the parallels between Ric Flair and his counterpart up North, Hulk Hogan. Jim Cornette said that the NWA was like the Boston Celtics, and the WWF was like the Harlem Globetrotters. I would say Hogan was more like the Los Angeles Lakers. It was great to see ESPN go into detail about the contrasts between the two Icons. Flair said that Hogan was into telling kids to eat their Vitamins and Saying their Prayers while he was into booze and women. However, this Documentary did make Hogan look like a second wheel compared to Flair. Hulk even said that Ric was "Ten Times Better, No Brainer". That was the bombshell for me because it was surprising to hear Hogan speak so humbly and put Flair over like that. They also talk about how they never had the Epic WrestleMania Match that so many people wanted and how their chemistry didn't always click. Triple H definitely touched on this point. Another big takeaway from this Documentary was when Flair revealed that he slept with 10,000 Women within at least 20 years of his Career. This obviously led to turmoil within his Marriage. Ric's Infidelities would later come back to bite him with the strain of his relationships with his children. The Story also goes into Flair's second stint leading to his retirement. This is where Shawn Michaels comes into the picture because Ric Flair was his hero growing up. HBK was straightforward when he said that Ric Flair is a Myth, Richard Fleihr is the real person. He also said Ric hasn't really gotten to know himself. I don't even want to touch the TNA Chapter because it was shameful.

Overall, it was a great way to Humanize Ric Flair for the Casual Fans. It was nice to see Ric's Influence on the World of Wrestling and Pop Culture.