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http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2003560001-2004180004,00.html

By THE LILSBOYS

THREE years ago wrestling legend Ric Flair thought he had hung up his
famous robes for the last time.

WCW, the company he was synonymous with, had gone out of business and
its bosses had destroyed Ric's confidence and enthusiasm.

But, as the Nature Boy told us in an exclusive webchat, going to the
WWE to work with Vince McMahon, Shawn Michaels and Triple H changed
his life and got him stylin' and profilin' once again.

Indeed, the star says that his current run at the age of 55-years-old
is just as big a thrill for him as his legendary NWA/WCW championship
feuds with fellow icons Harley Race, Ricky Steamboat and Sting.

Replying to your questions, Ric gave his candid opinions on everyone
from Eric Bischoff and Mick Foley to Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate
Warrior.

So read on as we go 60 minutes with the Nature Boy and get answers on
all those important topics – like just how exactly his catchphrase is
spelt.

And you can catch Ric as part of WWE Backlash, which will air live in
the UK on Setanta Sport - Sky Digital channel 435 - on Sunday April 18
at 1am and is repeated throughout the week.

Sky Digital customers can watch the show by pressing the 'Select'
button on channel 435 or by calling 08708 500 005. NTL and Telewest
viewers can see it through their 'TV On Demand' service.

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Hi Ric, you're an absolute legend and what I think is so special is
that every top star in the WWE today thinks and says the same. How
does it feel to be so well respected by your peers?
Charlie, London

It's an awesome feeling and something that I felt I always had. But
there was a period of time when I thought I had lost that respect,
because I doubted myself.

In the last couple of years of WCW, the company purposely put me in a
position to destroy my legacy and downgrade who I was.

It was Eric Bischoff who did that, and he did it because I knew him
back before he got started. I helped Eric get his job in charge of
WCW, I went and got Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage for the company, I
wrestled them both and when they wouldn't do business, I did business.

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At the Raw in Greenville where the WWE superstars paid tribute to you,
I remember you saying: "The Nature Boy wasn't the Nature Boy for a
while, I lost a little confidence…" When did this loss in confidence
take place, and was there a moment when you realised you were still
the Nature Boy?
Lee Burton, Nottingham

When I said that last June I was referring to what Eric did to me in
WCW. I don't have the Nature Boy feel totally right now, but I started
getting it back that night in Greenville.

People always ask me what the biggest match or biggest night of my
career was. It's easy to look back in time and say it was the first
time I won the NWA championship, but right now the greatest moment in
my career was that night on Raw.

That was the first time I realised that everything I thought was wrong
and had been lost from the industry was right there in front of me.
The best professional wrestlers around cared about me, and that's what
is important. Not people who were jealous because they never got there
or people in executive positions who didn't know anything about me.

The fact that I'm wrestling on top today should tell you what I could
have done 10 years ago in WCW. But they didn't want me, because they
knew if they featured me other guys could never get over me.

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Your promo and match with Sting at the last ever WCW Monday Nitro in
2001 were very moving for a lot of fans. What emotions did you go
through?
Navdeep Rehill

I was glad to see WCW close down! The company was an embarrassment to
anything I'd ever known or been part of. Vince Russo had turned it
into a circus.

I was emotional to be involved in the show but I wasn't prepared to
wrestle and I didn't want to wrestle. I was honoured to be there with
Sting and I understood what they were doing, but they made me fight.
The interview was just something I've always been able to do.

It was such a sad day for the 150 individuals who lost their jobs –
with relatively small compensation packages – and the people
responsible for that happening should be dead.

I totally blame Eric Bischoff, Russo was just another add-on. The
management didn't take into account anyone's feelings, they kept
hiring the wrong people and there were no controls in place.

Instead of concentrating on making our product better, Bischoff was
consumed with beating Vince. Any success he and the company enjoyed,
Eric bought. There was no creative genius.

And he needlessly spent millions of dollars. If Vince bought an
aeroplane we had to have an aeroplane, if Vince had ten limousines
then we had to have ten limousines. At least when Vince spends money,
it's his money.

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Is there still any real-life animosity between yourself and Eric
Bischoff? Is it hard working with him every week on Raw?
Edwin Bear

I tolerate Eric and he tolerates me. I'm sure he knows how I feel.

I'm not the only one, there are 10 guys in there who want to kick his
a*** every time they see him. But we're in a controlled environment
and we have to get along.

He's a strange guy and the sad thing about Eric is that everyone who
know him knows that if he could go away and get a millionaire to go
into business against Vince he'd do it tomorrow. Take my word for it.

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EVOLUTION ... Flair with Triple H, Dave Batista and Randy Orton

Hi Ric, who on the current WWE roster do you think has the brightest
future ahead of them? And who can wear your old tag as the "greatest
professional wrestler alive today"?
Ben, Southampton

Triple H is by far the greatest professional wrestler alive right now,
and Shawn Michaels is too when he wants to be. Shawn was the best and
then along came Triple H, who is now finally getting his due.

And Kurt Angle is the WWE's Alex Rodriguez, if he can get healthy
again he could be the top wrestler of all-time.

I think Randy Orton and Dave Batista have the best shot of making it
big, and John Cena is in the top five. Randy and Dave have improved a
lot working with Hunter and myself in Evolution.

When Dave and I go on the road as tag team partners – and much to my
dismay they're making me work more than I want to – it's great
experience for him. He gets to wrestle Shawn Michaels and Chris
Benoit, and when you're working with guys like that you going to learn
your craft.

Randy is a phenomenal athlete, and his dad was a great performer.

It is just going to take a little bit of time for both of them to find
their niche, get their own style and become better talkers.

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What do you think of Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit as champions? Do
you think the WWE are moving towards the traditional wrestling you
always represented?
Tracey, Sheffield

I think they are both very very good and have earned their positions.
They'll learn even more with the responsibly of being the champion.

Part of that is being able to work with everybody around you. As a
champion you try and get your opponent up to your level, but if you
can't you have to be able to hang wherever they are and still have a
fantastic match.

I think the WWF/E have always had some great wrestlers on top, but
also some people with bad ideas using them in the wrong way.

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What was it like wrestling at the biggest WrestleMania ever last month
in MSG? How did the main event compare to your most famous matches?
Steve

It was tremendous, me and The Rock had a lot of fun and that main
event was as good as anything I've ever been in… well maybe not quite
as good!

Hunter, Shawn and Chris stole the show, and they stole it at the end
of a night where they were match number 12 – and that's a lot. If the
crowd were exhausted you wouldn't have known it, as they were
thundering. The match was flawless.

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You have fought so many legends in the wrestling business – but do you
have a favourite feud?
Daniel

My matches with Ricky Steamboat in 1989 are considered some of the
best of my career. I probably wrestled Steamboat 2000 times and I
don't think we ever had a bad match.

I've also been involved in so many classic feuds with people like
Wahoo McDaniel, Harley Race, Sting and Lex Luger. I was just getting
started on one with Steve Austin when he left in 2002.

I also think I've got some major feuds ahead of me, and I would never
have said that a few years ago.



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Hey Ric, was there a lot of animosity in the early days between the
NWA and WWF/E? How did you 'real' wrestlers feel about your more
cartoony rivals from up north – especially when Vince buried the likes
of Dusty Rhodes and Harley Race?
Martin Winters

I never got involved in that, because a lot of the guys in WWF/E were
my friends and I knew they were in a position where they were making a
lot of money. I didn't agree with it but when I look back on it I
certainly didn't have any animosity towards anybody.

I think people who are offended by stuff like that are afraid of the
challenge. I was only wrapped up in myself, and my success certainly
wasn't hurt by theirs.

I've always felt any time you start knocking the competition it can
come back to haunt you, because you never know where you're going to
go. And a lot of guys who did that ended up in a bad way and are not
working right now because of it.

Harley went to the WWF/E at the end of his career, and I honestly
believe Dusty's lack of success there is because of things he said
when he was with NWA.

Dusty had a lot of animosity with a lot of people, because of what he
would say about WWF/E on TV. In all fairness to Dusty it was an
attempt by him to make us look better but nobody cared, when you start
talking about the competition it just makes people aware of them.



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Whenever I talk to non-fans about wrestling they always ask about Hulk
Hogan, Ultimate Warrior or Steve Austin? Do you ever wish you made
your name in the WWF/E rather than the NWA?
Mark, Glasgow

No, because although I didn't have the notoriety they had I had the
NWA championship. And I think the NWA championship is recognised to
this day as the most prestigious trophy our sport has ever had.

I have the original belt at home and I know a lot of guys wish they
had it. You just have to look at the champions who wore it - people
like Dory Funk Jr, Jack Brisco, Harley Race and Gene Kiniski.

I also have a copy of the bigger belt, which Chris Benoit won from
Triple H and wears on Raw right now. I don't have the original of that
though and I don't even think Hunter has, I've heard Hogan kept it.
That certainly isn't right, but that's Hogan!



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THE REAL WORLD'S CHAMPION ... Ric
with his title belt in 1992
 


I loved your run in the WWF/E in the early 1990s when you won the
Royal Rumble and two world titles, but why did WCW let you take their
championship belt with you?
Jonny, Richmond

The NWA champion always had to put up a $25,000 deposit for the belt,
and when NWA rolled into WCW they never gave me my money back. So it
was very simple, all the company had to do was write me a lousy
cheque.

But they wouldn't pay me the money they owed me. Jim Herd, who was in
charge at the time, said: "Screw it, just take the belt and go".

Did Jim Herd realise the impact it would have turning up on someone
else's show with the title? No, he didn't care, he was an idiot. It's
not even a question of me being fair to him – the man was an absolute
idiot.

I said, "you'll be gone in two months buddy," and he said,
"f*** you".
I replied: "No it's not f*** me, it's f*** you. Watch where the belt
is next Monday!"

I loved my spell in the WWF/E from late 1991 until early 1993, it was
one the best 18 months of my life. I got to work with Roddy Piper,
Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage and Bret Hart and travel with Bobby Heenan,
Curt Hennig and Ted DiBiase.

And you know what happened when I went back to WCW? They gave me
$36,000 for my deposit plus interest, and Jim Herd was long gone.



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Were you disappointed that you never had a match with Hulk Hogan at
WrestleMania VIII or any other WWE PPV – considering it was truly a
dream bout for fans for almost a decade? Were you a fan of the
Hulkster?
Bob

It was a disappointment at the time but nothing that I dwelled on.

I still don't know for sure what happened, but I think at the time
Hogan was holding them up to go and make a TV series and they didn't
want to give him the championship belt just to have him leave.

That's one theory, the other is that they wanted to plug Randy Savage
back in as champion. But when Elizabeth left that killed Randy.

It would have been a huge match then, but when it happened in WCW two
years later it wasn't the same… not even close.

I wasn't a fan of Hulk Hogan, but I liked him personally.

The problem with Hogan was he always had creative control of his
character and his career with WCW, and I think he wished he had that
in the WWF/E.

You could never book Hulk Hogan, it was a case of asking him and have
him say "yes" or "no" and then change his answer 10
times after he'd
gone home and thought about it. That was very difficult.



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Vince McMahon seems to have really changed his tune from ignoring
NWA/WCW history to releasing the Ric Flair Collection – which was
almost all dedicated to it – and inducting Harley Race into the Hall
Of Fame. Have you been an influence on his change of heart?
Paul, California

I'd like to say I have, but I don't think so.

Vince has always treated me fantastically, I think he has the same
respect for me that I have for him. I'm only a couple of years younger
than he is and we have a lot in common. We both grew in the business
together and his father was on the NWA board of directors, so I knew
his parents quite well.

I think that there's been a lot of influence from Hunter and Shawn,
who argue for the wrestling part of the business to take precedence
over the entertainment side.

Hunter is not only a nice addition to the McMahon family as a person,
he's also a very smart guy. And Shawn pushes Vince, he used to push
him too hard, but now he pushes creatively and challenges him. My
observation is that Vince works better when he's challenged.



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Who's the best person you've ever stolen a kiss from and was there any
wrestler you couldn't match "drink for drink and woman for woman"?
Barry, Kent

My wife will be reading this, so the best person I've ever stolen a
kiss from is… my wife!

Woman for woman no one could touch me but drink for drink I had a very
difficult time with Mike Hegstrand (Hawk) and Roddy Piper! But those
were the only two.

Ricky Steamboat didn't drink much, and Hunter reminds me a lot of him.
Triple H has a more intense personality and doesn't drink at all, but
they are both so into their bodies and their training.

Although if I'd met Hunter 20 years ago I'd have ruined him… and he
knows it!



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We all know over the years that the Nature Boy has been a kiss
stealin' son of a gun who makes all the girls cry. We also know that
you're a happily married man. You've always been one for "living the
gimmick" so has Mrs Flair ever gotten overly suspicious?
Jeff Meadows

Oh yeah, more than overly suspicious, she's been over-the-top
suspicious. It's caused a lot of rows. She's never accepted it as part
of my job description!

We get along great and in all fairness I've put my wife through a lot
of bad times. Not intentionally, but eventually everything catches up
with you.

I met my wife in 1979 and we were travelling every day. When I first
became NWA champion in 1981 I was gone on the road for 330 days a
year. I'd work 380-400 times a year, twice on Saturday and Sunday –
and you can never have a night off when you're the champion. I took my
wife with me a lot, especially overseas, but it was still very tough.

Now the guys have it really easy. The kids complain but they don't
even know what we used to do. International tours are perceived as
being hard – because you leave after Raw and are then non-stop until
you come back for next week's Raw – but you fly first class, stay in
the nicest hotels and eat the best food. Travelling 3000 miles a week
in a car, that was hard!



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How many children and grandchildren do you have? Is David still in the
wrestling business after being let go by the WWE and will Reid be
following in your footsteps too?
Caroline, Hartlepool

I've got four children and I'm going to have my first grandchild on
May 9 from my daughter Megan.

None of my kids are in the wrestling business right now. I think David
would like to work for the WWE again, but he was there when they
picked up 25 new guys from WCW and ECW and had 50 on contract.

Some of the guys weren't going anywhere and are still going nowhere.
People like Nathan Jones - that deal was just a disaster. They tried a
thousand ways to get Nathan involved but he just didn't have it in his
heart.

It was very difficult for David to be moved out and I don't know if
he's emotionally ready to go back. He'd need to be assured of some
security. He does still work independent dates periodically if the
money is right.

Reid is an amazing amateur wrestler and I wasn't a patch on him at his
age. He's 16 and has been a national champion three times, a six-time
All American and nine-time state champion.

If he elects to do it, he will be an awesome professional wrestler. He
has lots of personality, almost too much and he can beat me in a fight
right now.

He's a big kid, willing to learn and all the WWE guys have seen him as
he loves playing around in the ring. Shelton Benjamin, who is a
fantastic athlete, is coming down to work out with him for two days
during the summer.



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WOOOO ... Ric gives Simon LilsBoy his famous chop
 


Hi Ric, I think this is the most important question you'll be asked
today – Can you clear up how many world championships you've won and
how woo is spelt?
Danny, Bristol

I've probably won the world championship 22 times, 16 that have been
documented. The others were when we were on tour and I'd lose the
title and then win it back. For example I lost the belt to Harley for
two days in New Zealand. That total includes my two WWF/E titles.

I don't know for sure how to spell it – I think it's w-o-o-o-o.
There's no h in it, I don't say "who" - it's woooo!



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Hey Ric, every match I see you in nowadays you go to the top rope and
always get thrown off. When was the last time you hit that move?
Kyle, Philadelphia

Thirty years ago! And I think I got it once in 1991.



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Hey Nature Boy, what were you talking to President George Bush about
when you had lunch with him recently? I hope you put the Figure Four
Leg Lock on his sorry ass! Would you ever run for political office?
Lewis Cook

We talked a lot about fitness, as he's got a bad knee. He used to run
every day but now he's swimming. I knew his father very well and he's
a really nice guy. I am a big supporter of George and he knew who I
was and introduced me in his speech, although I don't know if he's a
fan.

The Republicans want me to run for Governor Of North Carolina. I get
asked every year, but I don't want to while I'm still in the wrestling
business.

I went to see Jesse Ventura – who was Governor Of Minnesota – and that
made me realise how huge the time-commitment is.

I'm not ready to do that. When I finish with the business, I'm just
going to relax and enjoy spending time with my family and grandkids.



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How are you responding to the charges of sexual harassment that have
recently been made against you, Scott Hall and Dustin 'Goldust'
Runnells by two female flight attendants on the "WWE flight from hell"
in May 2002?
Brian Nisbet

I don't even know what they're talking about, none of that happened. I
really don't have a comment as there is no truth there.

And the claims have been made two years later. If it was bad then, why
didn't something happen then?



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How did you come back so quickly (in four months) from the plane crash
that broke your back and should have ended your career in 1975?
Becky

There wasn't time to feel sorry for myself or go away and rehab for a
year and a half, I just had to get myself ready. I really worked hard
for a long time to get back. I lost 70lbs in body weight and I've
never been nearly as big since.

I haven't had any problems from coming back and, touch wood, my back
feels fine. The only difficulty I have is whenever someone throws me
off the top I can never land flat anymore, I always end up on my side.



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Of all of the Four Horsemen incarnations, which one was your favourite
and how do Evolution compare?
Ernesto Lou, Panama

My favourite was Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, Barry Windham and
myself.

Evolution is a different group entirely. Hunter is the best in the
business, but Dave and Randy are just young kids learning the ropes.



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Who do you travel with and who are your best friends in WWE? Are you
as close to Evolution as you were with the Horsemen?
Aaron Rosenthal, Sidcup

The Horsemen had a great run and we really lived that gimmick! We did
everything together and were all best friends, and I still am with
Arn.

I wouldn't say I'm good friends with Dave or Randy, but Hunter and I
are very close.

Hunter travels with the McMahon family now he's married to Stephanie,
and behind the scenes I travel a lot with Shawn Michaels – as we don't
really have anyone else there from our generations.

When we travel internationally, I ride with Hunter and Shawn. It's
very rewarding for me travelling with those guys and we have so much
respect for each other. But we don't debate who is the best… they
already know!



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UNKIND TO MANKIND? ... Flair doesn't rate Foley
 


Do you ever watch NWA:TNA and how do you feel they are continuing your
legacy?
Ali, Southall

I've watched it a couple of times and what I saw of it was terrible.
Anything that Vince Russo is involved with is going to be bad, I'm
sorry but he's a cartoon character.

Jeff Jarrett is a good performer, but some of the stuff they've had on
it with Raven and others wasn't enjoyable. I wouldn't pay a dollar to
see Raven headline.

I've never seen a good match on NWA:TNA. People talk about the
high-flying stuff but that's not wrestling. That's just raising the
bar and one of the reasons the WWE has toned back down is those guys
won't last five years.

It doesn't translate into money and when someone gets jumped on from a
guy on a ladder, how does he come back? That's why people say
wrestling is fake, because they say nobody could do that and they're
right. I respect the fact those guys can do it, but so what.

It is like Mick Foley – falling off a building does not make you a
wrestler. Where would he be if he hadn't fallen on a bed of thumb
tacks?

I get along with Mick, he's drawn a lot of money and been very
successful - but he's not a great wrestler by any means. He's a stunt
man. He couldn't have even got started when I started in the business.

Could Mick wrestle for an hour? Does anyone think he could go for 60
minutes tomorrow against Chris Benoit or Eddie Guerrero? You're
kidding, he's out of shape. I'm just telling it how I see it.

They'll replay that bump Mick took off the cage and through the table
forever, but where do you go with that? He can only wrestle one style
of match.

Look at Steve Austin, probably the biggest star the WWF/E has ever
had, did he do any hardcore wrestling? Did Hogan, The Rock, Hunter or
Shawn Michaels? No.

You've got to build your company around guys who can wrestle. Hogan
was not a great wrestler but he brought everything else to the ring.



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Hi Ric, when is your autobiography coming out and will it be as good
as Mick Foley's?
Stu, Blackpool

It's out on June 28 and everyone who has sent in questions should read
my book, you'll all love it.

I've not read a wrestling book yet, but I can't imagine Mick Foley's
life story after being in the business for 10 years is anywhere near
as good as mine.



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Howdy Ric, now you're 55-years-old have you ever thought about
retiring?
Daniel, Cardiff

I honestly thought I'd quit two years ago. Even when I came back to
the WWE I never agreed to work. I said: "I'm definitely not going to
wrestle again." But Vince talked me into it!

I think I'll wrestle for maybe one more year. I wouldn't mind being a
road agent for the WWE in the future, but it's a very demanding job
with long days and I don't know if I'll be able to put the time in.



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What do you think of superstars like Brock Lesnar and The Rock leaving
wrestling to fulfil other ambitions, do you think it's selling out?
Could Brock have been one of the all-time greats?
Billy, Stockport

I think it's down to individual choice. Rock's intentions were known
for years and I'm a big fan of his.

I like Brock very much too, but I don't think he was smart in his
timing. I think he should have waited until after WrestleMania to
announce his retirement, because for a couple of days it seemed to get
more attention than the event. It actually didn't, but it didn't make
the situation any better.

I don't think it was due to Brock, as he's not a malicious guy. I
think he was ill-advised by somebody telling him he could get more
publicity retiring at that time.

Brock can be considered one of the best big guys we've ever had -
because with his athletic ability he could do a lot of stuff you
wouldn't imagine – but he wouldn't have become one of the all-time
greats.

He's very good but he's not a talker. When he talked he didn't sound
like a giant, the fans didn't get what they saw. And to be one of the
greats you've got to love the business, and I don't think Brock ever
loved it.



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Legend has it that Ric Flair could have a good match with a broom, but
were there any opponents you just couldn't get a good bout out of?
Danny, Minnesota

Oh yeah, the list would be endless. The problem for them was I
wouldn't leave the ring until I got a match. If we were meant to go 15
minutes and we hadn't had a match, I'd make them work for 45 minutes
until we got one.

The worst guy I ever worked with was the Ultimate Warrior, I just
couldn't get a match out of him. He was a huge player and a very nice
guy, but I can't tell you with a clear conscious that he was a good
wrestler.

He got very rich in his time. Hey, maybe that's my problem - I should
have learned more about politics and lifted more weights!



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Hey there Slick Ric, who do you consider the greatest wrestler of
all-time?
Simon Baillie

I've been in the ring with everyone, so I can truly determine who the
greats are and the four best wrestlers I've ever seen are Harley Race,
Shawn Michaels, Triple H and Ricky Steamboat.

It's not fair to call Steamboat the greatest of all-time, as he never
wrestled both ways, but as a babyface he was the best wrestler I've
ever been in the ring with.

I tell Shawn sometimes that he's as good as Steamboat, but only when
he wants to be.

Hunter's the best there is right now, and Harley was in a league by
himself too when he was younger.

But I put myself ahead of all of them! Not really, I don't think about
where I fit in – that's for the fans to decide.


--- Internet Rex 2.29