More Memories of Ric Flair's career: Fan who attended the 1992 Royal Rumble changed his tune on Flair

You are invited to send in some of your favorite Ric Flair memories. Whether you saw him at a house show, met him in person, or watched his career on television, you are welcome to contribute by sending your comments to dotnetjason@gmail.com. Please write, "Flair Memories" in the subject line and do your best to limit your comments to a few paragraphs at the most.

I went to the 1992 Royal Rumble in Albany, NY in my "Macho Man" Randy Savage t-shirt, hoping to see him win the vacant WWF title in the Royal Rumble match.  Once he was ditched, I was cheering for Sid.  After Hulk Hogan helped Ric Flair win the match and the title, I—as an 11-year-old boy—shed a few tears, upset that the bad guy had won.
 
Sixteen years later, I was in the Citrus Bowl welling up again over the Nature Boy.  This time it was in tears of joy and respect, getting caught up in a moment that was as real as could be in a world of make-believe.  And I believe being in attendance at the Amway Arena Monday night was the cherry on the sundae. It's a moment I'll never forget, watching 16,000 people on their feet for the entire 30-minute segment.

I got goosebumps when the Horsemen logo flashed on the Titantron and the music hit. I jumped for joy when Ric gave a final elbow drop to his jacket, and a lump jumped in my throat when Vince hurried into the ring and gave Naitch a big bear hug.
 
Before this past weekend, the '92 Rumble was the highlight of my in-person wrestling experiences. Now, I can nearly guarantee nothing will match the emotional roller coaster felt in these past two evenings. Kudos to Ric Flair and to the WWE for making it happen.
 
Chris
Orlando, Fla.

***

As a fan of wrestling for over two decades, my favorite wrestler was "Nature Boy" Ric Flair. When I first began watching wrestling, I always rooted for the faces. That was until 1989 when Flair was trying to regain the NWA World title from Ricky Steamboat. I don't know if it was classic Clash of the Champions match that saw my loyalties switch from Steamboat to Flair, but as I watched Flair and Steamboat go at it as Flair's last shot at the title at WrestleWar '89 on PPV, I found myself rooting for Naitch.

Whether he was a face or a heel, I was a Flair fan. I bought my first WWF PPV, the Royal Rumble, because Flair was going after the title—a title he eventually won. As a longtime NWA/WCW fan, I was glad to see the Nature Boy come back home, winning additional World Titles along the way. While many people may disagree, my biggest WCW Monday Nitro moment wasn't during the NWO years, but when Ric Flair defeated Jeff Jarrett for the WCW World title. I knew he wouldn't have a long reign, but it still felt special.

I didn't want Ric Flair to go back to the WWE. Ric Flair was WCW, was the NWA. Not Hollywood Hogan. Not Sting. Still, I will give credit to Vince McMahon and the WWE. They treated an icon, not of their own creation, mind you, with the respect and dignity a performer such as Ric Flair deserved. As Dusty Rhodes said, Flair is a national treasure. Thank you Ric. Thank you Ric. Thank you Ric.
Diamonds are forever, and so is Ric Flair.

Brett Chafin

***

I went to a house show right around the time the Ric Flair Ultimate DVD came out. They were doing a house show at the Garden and Naitch was signing copies of the DVD at the FYE in Times Square before. I read the card on WWE.com so I knew he was facing Shawn Michaels (my personal favorite) that night. When it was finally my turn to the table where Ric was sitting, I walked up placed the DVD down, shook his hand and said: "Mr. Flair it's an honor to meet you. You and Shawn are my favorite wrestlers of all time. I'm really looking forward to the match tonight." He smiled and said, "Thank you, young man." He signed my DVD. I said thanks, shook his hand again and left.

At the show, it was easily one of the best matches I've ever seen live. Naitch bladed, they wrestled 25 minutes (a 20-minute time limit expired as HBK was in the figure four, so Ric jumped on the mic and demanded there has to be a winner). The match continued and Shawn won with a superkick. Not nearly as good as the WrestleMania match, but the best of the night and they went all out, which is something I didn't expect but should have. 

Just classic Nature Boy. Going from him being very friendly and outgoing which made me less nervous, to him going full throttle and having an awesome match. With the exception of this past weekend, without a doubt this is my favorite memory on the Man, Whooooooooo!

James
Long Island, N.Y.