I met Ric Flair June 2005 at the Jacob Javits Center in New York. This was Tuesday, the day after they had a Raw in Phoenix. Every year, WWE has a booth at the Licensing Show. I met Roddy Piper the previous day and he signed one of those "WWE Signature Mats". It didn't do Piper's signature justice, so I went on a mission to find a great picture of Flair that he could sign for me the next day at 2:00 p.m. I went through my entire collection of PWI from 1996-8 and did not find one that really did Flair justice. So I bought his book "To Be The Man" paperback the same day. 
 
I headed over to the Javits Center from New Jersey by myself and go there at 2:00 p.m. I was so lucky.  Turns out Flair wanted to get it over with and started autographs at 12:00 rather than the advertised 2:00.  He stopped signing at 2:00. I got there at 2:02 p.m. I caught him just as he was about to leave. I showed him the book I bought and he agreed to sign a picture inside it. I told him he was the greatest wrestler that ever lived and that I really respect him. He appreciated it and signed his picture "16 X Champ WOOOO Ric Flair." A picture of me and Flair is in the attachment. 
 
I asked him to knife chop me, but WWE reps wouldn't allow it! However, the day before, Piper put me in a headlock and I put him in one too! Still, it was nice of Flair to give me the opportunity even after his autograph signing was over.

Moe Mohayya
Parsippany, N.J.

***

I have so many Flair memories. He was the man to watch back in the early '80s. He was dominating the U.S wrestling scene well before Hulk Hogan ever did. Flair's blood soaked face was plastered on the cover of every wrestling magazine, whether it was a battle with Greg Valentine or Harley Race or Dusty Rhodes. Flair lit up the South when Hogan was still a WWF curtain jerker.

I'll never forget his grand entrance at Starrcade. His battles with the original Nature Boy Buddy Rogers, even though Rogers was well past his days. Or his WWF debut alongside Bobby Heenan.

Above and beyond all of those, and more, my favorite memory of Flair was at WM20 when I was there with my wife, and we were invited in to the bar by Earl Hebner (my wife's friend was close with Earl). Almost the entire WWE talent end production crew were there, including Steve Austin, Jim Ross and Eric Bischoff. Well so was Ric Flair, standing there looking every bit like the Ric Flair the champion, and class act, in a full three piece suit, when everyone else is in casual cothes, he was there surrounded by women telling a  story, when we approached, he stopped,  introduced himself , and chatted with us for about ten minutes.

Class act. I watched him steadily from the late '70s to today, always great in the ring. A true professional. With his retirement, a huge wrestling era has passed into history.

Thank you Ric Flair.

Scott Aronofsky
Nashua N.H.

***

I am 15 so I have only known Ric Flair about the last 12 years in WCW. I truly realized how good he was in 2003 at a house show here in Green Bay when I saw him wrestle. He was styling and profiling with Kane as his tag team partner and Triple H in their corner. I am a big autogaph fan and at the time I was 10, I went backstage with my mom and dad. 

Triple H, Randy Orton, and Ric Flair were about to get in a car and the fans yelled for all of them. Ric Flair started to walk towards us fans and said "You guys want my autograph huh?" 

We exploded thinking this would be a reality. All of a sudden Ric let out a loud Wooo!, and strutted back to his car just like he did in the ring. As the crowd sighed and laughed at the same time, I turned up to my dad and said, "That sucks he didn't come over here, but that guy is awesome." 

Ric Flair's longevity and love for the business ranks above Brett Favre for this die-hard wrestling and football fan from Green Bay.
 
David
Green Bay

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