Ric Flair. A figure of mythic proportions. This is a merely a simple document contributing to the greater cause of establishing Mr. Flair as the most important cultural icon on the contemporary American canvas. Through exhaustive archival research, www.ricflair.com has managed to produce this hagiography of the greatest grappler the world has ever witnessed. We at www.ricflair.com hope that you peruse this humble submission with the utmost interest. Thank you.

THE GENESIS OF A LEGEND

Ric Flair, born Richard Morgan Fliehr, was birthed on February 25, 1949, in the small hamlet of Edina, Minnesota. The son of an obstetrician/gynecologist and a marketing executive, Ric proved himself an able sportsman, no doubt a foreshadowing of greater things to lie ahead. A basketball player in high school, he also won the Wisconsin state high school championship in amateur wrestling. By the time he started college, he was also recognized as quite the accomplished football player, being selected as a two-time All-Statelineman and going on as an offensive guard and defensive tackle at the University of Minnesota. Soon after completing his time at the University of Minnesota, Ric started his wrestling training under the watchful tutelage of Verne Gagne and Billy Robinson. Promptly joining the American Wrestling Association, his first opponent was the inimitable "Scrap Iron" Gadaski, whom he met on December 10, 1972. The match ending in a draw, Ric realized that his full potential would have to be realized at a different time in a different place.

THE MID-ATLANTIC ERA: TRAGEDY AND REBIRTH

Between May and June of 1974, Ric moved to North Carolina, wrestling in the National Wrestling Alliance around the mid-Atlantic region. Here he quickly established himself as a proficient tag team wrestler; indeed, he was initially introduced as a partner of the great Rip Hawk, winning the Mid-Atlantic Tag Team title with him on July 4, 1974, against Paul Jones and Bob Bruggers in Greensboro, North Carolina. He also showed himself to be a competent singles competitor in defeating Paul Jones for the NWA Television title on June 3, 1975 (He reciprocated the favor to Paul exactly one week later). He also defeated Wahoo McDaniel in Hampton, Virginia, on September 20, for the NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight title. However, it would only be a short time later that Flair would experience one of the greatest tragedies of his life. On October 4, 1975, shortly before arrival in Wilmington, North Carolina, his private plane crashed due to a lack of fuel. Times truly looked dire for Ric, as his back was broken in three places. Besides Flair, two other occupants, John Valentine and Bob Bruggers, suffered permanent, life-altering injuries, while another two occupants, Tim Woods and David Crockett, emerged from the aircraft with relatively minor cuts and scratches; the pilot was killed. After the crash, the doctors informed him with the wrenching news that he would most likely never wrestle again and would need at least an entire year to recover fully. Exceedingly even the most liberal estimates, Ric miraculously not only fully recovered in less than a year but also returned to the squared circle less than four months later on February 1st of the following year. In defeating Wahoo McDaniel again, the victory became not only a comeback for the ages but also the beginning of a scintillating rivalry between the two accomplished grapplers. On May 24, 1976, Flair defeated Wahoo McDaniel yet again for the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight title, this time in Charlotte, North Carolina. During the rest of 1976, Flair alternated between the Heavyweight title, exchanging it a few more times with McDaniel, and the Tag Team title, uniting with Greg Valentine to defeat Gene and Ole Anderson on Christmas Day in Greensboro, North Carolina. The rest of the 1970s bore witness to a burgeoning champion. Beginning in 1977, Flair, still somewhat viewed as a tag team wrestler, captured the NWA World and Mid-Atlantic Tag Team titles (both with Greg Valentine), but also secured the NWA Television title and the United States Heavyweight title. The Television title was obtained via a victory over the jocular Rufus Jones, and Flair snatched the US title from a particularly enigmatic Bobo Brazil in July. 1978 saw Ric obtain the US Heavyweight title again, this time from Mr. Wrestling. He also teamed with Big John Studd to win the Mid-Atlantic Tag Team titles over Paul Jones and Ricky Steamboat. The timeless feud with Steamboat started to reach a boiling point in 1979 with Ric reclaiming the US Heavyweight from him on April 1, 1979.

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