Gallery 352
Spotlight on Ric Flair

Ric Flair was the ultimate Pro Wrestling Champion: skillful in the ring, cocky, flamboyant, brutal.  You just had to love to hate him.  Check him out with his flowing blond hair, that huge gold belt exposed under his fancy robe, that intense look in his eyes as he stares down his opponent..  He is The Man!

The Nature Boy was a master in the ring. Here he easily dominates muscular Paul Orndorff with a kneeling Side Headlock.  You had to bring your "A" Game when you stepped in the ring with Flair.

The Nature Boy cinches on another tight headlock, looking dominant and in control.  Flair wasn't the biggest wrestler, or the fastest wrestler, or the most handsome wrestler, but he might have been the sexiest.

Despite his arrogance and great skill, Flair was always willing to put another wrestler over by suffering some abuse. His periods of agony are what made his matches exciting to watch.  Here, Flair lays back on the steel railing and allows young Brian Pillman to beat on him.

There was something masculine as well as feminine that made Flair so hot:  his muscular body draped in beautiful sequined robes, his kick-ass attitude paired with his long gorgeous blond hair, his aggressive grappling mixed with devious tricks and bitch slaps.


Flair sits with his buddies, Greg Valentine and Paul Jones, after convincing Jones to become an evil rule-breaker. Jones wraps his arms around the two blond bad-asses, his new best friends. This must have been during the 1970's judging from their long hair, huge Disco collars, and shirts open to about 4 buttons down.


Before Jones joined the Dark Side, he tortured poor Flair with a painful arm twist.  Flair was one of the greatest when he suffered, often yelling "Ohhhh GOD!" until you really believed he was in total agony.

Later, Flair's friendship with Valentine was also shattered, as we see Flair suffering nicely while Valentine prepares a Boston Crab.  Valentine was probably jealous that Flair was more adept at slapping on the Figure 4 Leglock, which both men used as their favorite finishing hold.

Now Flair is back in domination where he belongs.  He has one arm hooked through this young stud's crotch as he prepares to slam the kid hard on the mat.  Flair loved to teach the young lions some respect.

Wow, check out that huge Championship Belt on the blond hunk! A big belt for a big ego.  Flair yells his famous war cry: "WHOOOO! !"

Of course Flair's signature move was his knee-cracking Figure 4 Leglock. Here he slaps it on some hairy chested hunk in blue trunks.

Flair loved to twist to one side for added leverage, then flop on his back to snap the knee, as he is doing to this dude in green and yellow briefs.

Bob Backlund is able to twist out of Flair's deadly hold.  Hopefully this twist injured his knee and Flair can easily finish him off to become the undisputed champion of the world.
The Nature Boy destroys yet another punk, this time Sting, with his incredible Leg Lock. Let's face it, Sting isn't good enough to carry Flair's jock.

"Seven time NWA/WCW World champion Ric Flair often uses the ropes for leverage in applying the figure-four.  He seems to have a sixth sense as to when the ref might look his way."

Flair also loved to rock his body back and forth as he applied the hold, violently grinding his hips.  It almost looked like he was jerking himself off against his opponent's legs.

Of course all the Wanna-Be's like Harley Race had to copy Flair by using his awesome hold against him. Race almost looks naked with his huge belly draped over his tiny trunks.  It looks like a rubber band wrapped around a water balloon.


Now we see where Flair learned his crippling variation of the Figure 4:  from the original "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers.

Eddie Guerrero tries to make a name for himself by beating The Nature Boy with his own Figure 4.  Of course Flair knows how to escape his own hold, as he reaches for the ropes.
I don't think Flair appreciated being punished with his own patented Leg Lock. He forces Eddie to kneel before him like a lamb in the slaughterhouse.  Then Flair pounds a few hard fists into his face.


There, this is more like it! The Nature Boy takes revenge on this cocky punk with the patented Flair Figure 4 Leglock, forcing him to pass out from the awful pain in his leg.


Wow, Flair looked lean and musclar in this match!  Check out that flexed thigh muscle as his chubby opponent grips his leg.  He's probably trying to injure Flair's leg to avoid the Figure 4 Leglock.

Another nick name for this incredible grappler was "Dirtiest Player in the Game."  He lives up to that name by yanking Harley Race around by his curly locks.

Now he shows off his strength by whipping big fat Harley Race, wearing his usual skimpy briefs, across the ring.

If you wanted to grapple with Flair, he could trade holds with the best of them.  If you wanted to get brutal and bloody, he was OK with that too, as he demonstrates on Race's bleeding face.

Flair was such a classy stud, making us believe that the life of  a wrestling Champion was glamorous.  He's wearing yet another flashy robe and showing off yet another shiny gold belt.  While Hulk Hogan was running around in torn, ragged t-shirts, Flair taught us how a World Champion ought to dress!

Dusty Rhodes was able to extend his career a few more years, thanks to Flair kindly agreeing to give the fat old wind-bag about 32 title bouts in a row.


Roddy Piper has the upper hand on Flair, slapping on a sleeper hold and pulling Flair's long hair.  Piper better press his advantage quick, because Flair is known for his amazing come-backs.  "If you wanna BE the Man, you gotta BEAT the man!"
Sure enough, Ric takes control of the match, gripping Piper's hair and hammering his face like a punching bag.

Hmmm, I'm not sure what the Nature Boy is doing in this rare photo.  He seems to have stripped off his clothes, strutting around the ring in just bikini briefs and cowboy boots, showing off his manly physique and powerful legs.  That's a pretty sexy look for him, but I didn't realize strip-tease was also among his many talents.


Kerry von Erich also made a name for himself by repeatedly locking up with the great one, Ric Flair.  Here they are face to face, chest to chest, getting ready for one of their epic battles. Von Erich looks totally intimidated by the Champ!

CRACK!   Flair also loved to chop his opponents right across the chest, as he demonstrates on Kerry's big bulging pecs.  If you watch Pro Wrestling now, the fans all yell "WHOOOOO!" when one wrestler chops another on the chest, in honor of Flair.

Kerry von Erich slaps the Fig 4 on Flair.  Can't this redneck think up some cool holds of his own, so he doesn't have to steal Flair's move?  Luckily Flair knows how to roll over to reverse the pressure.

Later Flair teaches the idiot how to properly apply the Figure Four, cranking on the pressure until Von Erich is forced to cry for mercy like a whipped puppy.
Another trade-mark move for The Nature Boy was to bounce off the ropes, stride across the ring, then drop a knee to the opponent's forehead as he lies on his back. It always looked like Flair about cracked his opponent's skull.

Speaking of Skull Cracking, former friend Greg Valentine tries to knock Flair's head off his shoulders with a Guillotine Elbow Smash.  

It looks like Flair and Valentine actually did remain close. Here they are laying chest to chest as Flair lets his buddy crawl on top in the dominant position.


When they list the Greatest Wrestling Matches of all time, they often include some of Flair's epic bouts with cute Ricky Steamboat. Here Flair tortures the young lion in a side-splitting Ab Stretch as the ref pleads with the hunk to just submit to the stronger man.

Later Steamboat is trapped in the dreaded Figure Four Leglock, but struggles and strains until he is able to reverse it, with sweat pouring down his face. Flair wrestled Steamboat 2 or 3 times per week for 5 years, so I think the two liked to lock up with each other.

Here, Ricky locks Ric in a spine snapping Boston Crab.  

"Ohhhh GOD!  MY BACK!!!!  AAAHHHH GOD!!!"

Check out the evil scowl on Steamboat's face as he grinds on a tight headlock, trapping Flair's face against his hard abs.  He twists Flair's neck from side to side like he's trying to unscrew it from his shoulders.

OK, Flair has played around with this cocky kid long enough.  It's time to finish him off with some good old brutal beating.  He bloodies Steamboat's handsome face, and continues to slam fist after fist into his forehead.
"Here is your Winner,   and STILL Heavyweight Champion of the World, the Nature Boy....


RRRRRRRRRRRRIC


FLAIIIIIRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!"




"WHOOOOOOOOOOO!"