by Ric Flair
Naturally, after all he’s done for me, I wanted to include something about Vince in my induction speech. I thought of one specific example. A few years ago, I got into financial trouble as a result of my costly divorce (from Beth), paying around $20,000 per month in alimony, investment opportunities not panning out, and maintaining a high-profile lifestyle. Vince lent me the money I needed. He said to me, “I wouldn’t let my kids borrow this amount of money from me.” It wasn’t the first time Vince helped me out financially.
All he wanted to hear me say was that I’d pay him back. I definitely wanted to talk about that in my speech. I wanted the world to know how Vince had been there for me over the years. When I let him know what I was planning, Vince’s eyes widened. He said, “Absolutely not. If you do that, I’m going to come out there and lay you out with a chair.” A few moments later, Kevin Dunn said to me, “Have fun out there.” I thought that was a nice way to balance things out before taking the stage.
My music hit, and I was ready. I walked out with beauties Kelly Kelly and Eve Torres. I saw so many of my peers I could feel myself being overcome with gratitude. It reaffirmed the direction I wanted to go with my speech.
After this storybook journey, the last four months, and knowing what was happening the next day, I wanted to leave the Nature Boy in the hotel room and introduce the world to Richard Fliehr. Lord, think of how much easier my life would be if I had done that more often. It’s so humbling to hear from fans, the WWE talent, and crew about how much I’ve meant to them. Sometimes I don’t know if I deserve that level of recognition. I wanted to let people know how much they’d meant to me.
In this profession, since you spend most of your time away from your family at home, the people you work with become your family. If you leave this business with ten true friends, you’re very fortunate. Standing at that podium with my children, Tiffany, and so many whom I admired and called friends in the audience, I felt like the luckiest man on earth.
It was so important to acknowledge Kevin Dunn and the incredible production team that makes WWE what it is every week. Kerwin Silfies and his team, the camera crew, the lighting crew, the makeup artists, producers, announcers, ring crew, talent relations, everyone who works at the TV studio, the departments at headquarters in Stamford … there’s nothing like WWE. It’s an amazing operation.
When I think of the incredible work done by the agents, Fit Finlay, Arn Anderson, Dean Malenko, Mike Rotunda, Barry Windham, Jamie Noble, Ricky Steamboat, Sgt. Slaughter, Jerry Brisco, and Pat Patterson—who wanted me to come out in my robe for the induction speech—I’m so grateful for the wisdom they impart on the locker room.
The Hall of Fame was another instance when I thought of the wonderful Olivia Walker and what her artistry did for my career. Clifford Macias was the man who made my wrestling boots. Based out of Houston, Texas, Clifford made everything by hand. Bruce Prichard helped me figure out that I must’ve worn around 580 pairs of boots during my career. I always wanted my attire to look brand new—every night I performed. If we did live television every week and pay-per-views back then, I’d have to work another two decades just to pay for my robes and boots.
I needed to mention Chris Jericho, someone I’ve known for a long time and have tremendous respect for. Whenever I see Big Show in the ring, I’m amazed at what he can do. I was so disappointed when he was brought into WCW as “the Giant” and billed as Andre the Giant’s son. Going to WWE was the best thing he ever did. When Big Show is focused like he’s been since his return to the company, he’s the best big man in our business. Period. I broke in with Andre the Giant. I drove Andre around when he’d come to Minneapolis for Verne Gagne. He didn’t speak English, so I’d talk for the both of us. I know Andre did dropkicks and came off the top rope earlier in his career. I think Andre got tired at a certain point. Tired of the travel and keeping himself in the type of physical condition to be able to perform those types of moves. Big Show can do it all: work with cruiserweights, heavyweights, other big men. Look at how he moves in the ring and his footwork. Big Show played NCAA basketball. He can do anything in that ring and is a hell of an interview on the microphone.
I knew Edge was going to be in attendance. I needed to make sure I mentioned him in my speech. He’s another member of the locker room who befriended me. I was stunned when Michael Hayes called me on a Thursday night. Michael told me that I’d be in a Ladder Match against Edge that coming Monday on Raw. Up until that point in 2006, I think I had every type of match except a ladder match. Edge made that match one of the best experiences of my career. He made it possible for me to show I could do what no one thought I could do.
Edge will be remembered as one of the greats. I’m proud of him as a friend and as a colleague. I think he did a tremendous job as World Heavyweight Champion. The championship he wore traces back to the NWA. The Rated R Superstar, as Edge is known, would’ve been really something in those days. The design of the championship itself is based on the title I brought out for the first time on WTBS in February of 1986, which is the same one I brought with me when I came to WWE in 1991.
I wanted people to know how much the previous seven years with WWE had meant to me. Over a thirty-five-year career, almost ten of those years were with WWE. They were some of the best of my life.
Writing my speech made me think back to Ken Patera, whom I first met in a bar in Minneapolis in 1972. Ken could bench-press 500 pounds six times, incline press 505 pounds eight times, and behind-the-neck press 440 pounds seated on a bench.
I was twenty-one years old and loved weight lifting. Ken was the first person in the world to press 500 pounds over his head. Ken was on the cover of every weight lifting magazine. I was the bouncer at a bar in Minnesota called George’s in the Park. I was leaning on the cigarette machine, and all of a sudden, I saw this guy walk in the bar. He took out a Salem cigarette and ordered a beer and a shot of vodka. I thought, There’s no way that’s Ken Patera. He can’t have any of that stuff. As I got closer, I realized it was.
I said, “You’re not Ken Patera, are you?”
He said, “Yeah. How are you?”
I was shocked. This was someone who won a gold medal at the 1971 Pan Am Games. He was training for the 1972 Olympic Games. I had just seen him on ABC’s Wide World of Sports. Ken said his life wasn’t going to change because he had to train. I just couldn’t believe it. We ended up drinking together that night. Two weeks later, we were roommates in south Minneapolis. Every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night, we had parties. It was like the movie Animal House. The rest … well, the rest is history. It was through Ken that I met Verne Gagne.
I’ll always be indebted to Verne Gagne for giving me my break. I remember being in his office and convincing him to let me come to his camp. Verne told me that if I was going to his training camp that I’d better not quit on him like I quit college. I assured him that would never happen.
I reported to his farm where there was a ring inside a barn. In the frigid Minnesota winter, we started with five hundred free squats, two hundred push-ups, two hundred sit-ups, and a two-mile run in his cornfield. I quit after the second day. I thought wrestling was like watching the Crusher and Dick the Bruiser. You’d talk on the microphone, go in the ring, beat some guy up, and then have a beer after the match. I had no idea of the hard work and conditioning that went into it. The next day, Verne came to my home and threw me on my front lawn. Verne said to me, “I gave you an opportunity. I expect you to make it every step of the way.” I was back the next day. One week later, I quit again. The next time, thankfully, Verne just called me. “You’d better be here in the next hour.” I drove back to camp right away. Two months later, I was in the business. Every year, Verne had Christmas parties at his home. Once midnight rolled around and we enjoyed some cocktails, Verne wanted to wrestle all the guests. Talk about an invitation! Those were wonderful days. Thank you, Verne, for believing in me and not allowing me to give up. I wouldn’t be here without you.
Wahoo M
cDaniel changed my life. Wahoo was an outstanding athlete. He played professional football for the Houston Oilers, Denver Broncos, New York Jets, and Miami Dolphins. Wahoo was a special performer in the ring and one of the toughest men I’ve ever known. I can’t count how many times he’d be in the locker room and a doctor would sew up a huge gash without giving Wahoo Novocain. He’d just say, “Okay, Doc, let’s go.” I always knew Wahoo was tough. I had no idea how tough until years later. He had a vasectomy at 4:00 and wrestled me the same night at 8:00. I did not appreciate what that meant until I had my own vasectomy years later. Wahoo was on the waiting list to receive a kidney when he passed away in Houston, Texas, in 2002. It was about a month after WrestleMania X8. I carry the memories I have of Wahoo with me every day.
I couldn’t wait to talk to the audience about Blackjack Mulligan. Blackjack was a US Marine and played football for the New York Jets. For eight years, I traveled three thousand miles a week with Blackjack Mulligan. We bought houses on opposite sides of some guy in Charlotte, and we drove him nuts with our parties and going back and forth. Jack and I owned the Knoxville territory for a little while. I learned so much from him. There are few men in the history of our great sport who were as respected and feared as Blackjack Mulligan. That was for good reason. If Jack didn’t like something, he would let it be known. If someone disrespected him, he’d feel the wrath of someone who stood six foot eight and weighed more than three hundred pounds. Along with Jack Lanza, Mulligan formed the Blackjacks tag team. Bobby Heenan was their manager. The trio represented the most feared villains in the business for a long time. I worked closely with Jack’s son Barry. He also had another son, Kendall, and his son-in-law, Mike Rotunda, was Irwin R. Schyster in WWE. Mike was broken into the business by the legendary Destroyer, who helped my son Reid many years later in amateur wrestling. I know Jack has grandchildren who have entered the business. If they have his genes, they’ll be custom-made for the ring.
When I think of another person who personified our business, I look to Harley Race. Harley is someone I owe an incredible amount of gratitude to for the wisdom he instilled in me, how he took me under his wing, and for what he did for me at Starrcade ’83. Dusty created Starrcade and dubbed the inaugural event a “Flair for the Gold.” There was a lot going on leading up to that match. There was one of the worst snowstorms in the history of the Carolinas that night, flights were canceled, and what many didn’t know was that Harley met with Vince McMahon before that event and had the choice not to show up. Harley made it to the Greensboro Coliseum.
I was standing in the locker room with Dusty and Jimmy Crockett. Harley came in and said, “I want to talk to you.” Everyone left. Harley and I stood face-to-face. I didn’t know what was going to happen. Our business was different back then. Let’s just say it wasn’t as controlled and civilized. Harley looked me in the eye and said, “I’m here for you tonight, kid.” With Gordon Solie calling the action and Gene Kiniski as the special guest referee, I won my second NWA World Championship from Harley inside a steel cage. That night made me. “Thank you” is not enough, but it’s all I can say to Harley for what he did for me.
I couldn’t have a Hall of Fame induction speech without describing my greatest opponent and someone who’s been a great friend: Ricky Steamboat. I must’ve competed against Ricky in the ring more than two thousand times. Throughout my career, there was nothing better than going to the arena and knowing I was working with Ricky. I’m honored to think how much fans and people in the business feel about the trilogy of matches we had in 1989. I wish more people had seen the matches we had in the late ’70s. There were no cameras rolling then. I remember how much fun we had when Andre the Giant was the special guest referee for our match in the Mid-Atlantic territory for the United States Championship.
Whenever I entered the squared circle, I wanted to make sure no one went home feeling bad about spending their hard-earned money to see me perform. I’m honored to say I had incredible opponents to work with. I’m speechless to have had the good fortune to work with Ricky Steamboat throughout my career. My work with Rick is timeless.
That point in my speech brought me to the great Sam Muchnick. Sam was a key figure in the formation of the National Wrestling Alliance and served as president of the NWA on more than one occasion. From the 1950s until the mid-’80s, if you were a wrestler, there were two places you wanted to work: New York for Vince McMahon Sr. and later Vince McMahon, and St. Louis to work for Sam. St. Louis was the place to be if you were in the NWA. If you wore the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, like the one I’d brought out recently on Monday Night Raw in my interview segment with Shawn Michaels, you were regarded as a sports icon in that city. Performing in St. Louis for Sam was on the same level as performing in Madison Square Garden. It was an honor working for Sam Muchnick. Thank you, Sam.
It was important to speak about the Crockett family. The Crocketts had a vision for their business. They worked so hard to make their Mid-Atlantic territory, professionally known as Jim Crockett Promotions, the most successful territory in the NWA. Jimmy Crockett pushed for me with everything he had to make me the NWA Champion, his champion, and someone that the people of the southeast felt was their champion … whether the fans were supposed to be cheering for me or booing me. The Crockett family will always be special to me.
I could never talk about my career without speaking about the Four Horsemen. The original group with me, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, Ole Anderson, and J. J. Dillon as our manager was magic.
We each wanted to have the best match of the night. We pushed each other and supported each other every step of the way. The group was so successful because, one, we backed up everything we said and did on television, and two, it was real. We traveled together, trained together, ate together, and partied together. That was a special moment in time.
My favorite iteration of the Horsemen was me, Arn, Tully, and Blackjack Mulligan’s son Barry Windham. I also had a phenomenal time in the ’90s when the Horsemen included Arn, Dean Malenko, Mongo McMichael, and me.
No matter what iteration of the Horsemen there was at a given time, the backbone of the Four Horsemen was Arn Anderson.
Arn Anderson is the brother I never had. Arn’s one of the greatest people I’ve had the honor to know and someone who made me better as a person and as a professional every step of the way throughout my life. Arn and his family have been there for my family so many times over the years. I’m so touched when fans and colleagues talk about my ability in the ring and how much they enjoyed my work on the microphone. In every way it pertains to this business, and as a person, Arn Anderson is in a class by himself.
When I spoke about close friends, it was easy for me to speak about the incomparable Jim Ross. Jim and I have been friends for more than thirty years. Along with Gordon Solie, Jim’s responsible for creating an unforgettable sound track to my career. I believe Jim Ross is the greatest announcer in the history of our business. I thank him each day for his friendship, support, and making my work sound so special.
Speaking of broadcasters, I couldn’t leave out one of my best friends, Bobby “the Brain” Heenan. Bobby started out as a manager. He got under people’s skin so much that he could start riots just by speaking to the crowd or trying to interfere in a match. Bobby’s one of the top-ten people to ever work in our industry and the greatest manager of all time. Bobby could do it all and make it look easy. Bobby was an amazing influence on me. Thank you, Brain.
In 1972, I received an invitation to a party at “Mean” Gene Okerlund’s home. That was the first time I got to speak with Gene outside of work and the first time we had a drink together. Gene was the announcer for my first match. We’ve been friends ever since. I loved reuniting with Gene when I came to WWE in 1991. I would not have made it through my darkest days in WCW without meeting Gene at the hotel bar and enjoying martinis. “Mean” Gene is synonymous with our industry and did his job like nobody else.
Since my return to WWE in 200
1, one of the highlights for me has been working with Michael Hayes. As the leader of the Freebirds, PS was a star everywhere he worked. Michael was essential as part of the support system that kept me going when I was working through self-confidence issues. Michael has always been there for me. His friendship and counsel have meant the world to me. When people talk about how cool it is that Superstars have entrance music, they need to look at Michael. He made entrance music in our industry famous. Michael is another individual who was far ahead of his time.
I couldn’t be speaking the night before WrestleMania and not mention Undertaker. He’s another person that doesn’t like public praise. I got to work with him during my first run with WWE. I’ll never forget how special our match was at WrestleMania X8. When I returned to the company, I wasn’t supposed to perform in the ring. Within months, I was lacing up my boots. I’ll always remember when Paul told me that Undertaker requested to work with me at WrestleMania. I thought we had a very good match. I’ll always remember what Undertaker did for me that night and how important that match was for restoring my confidence as an in-ring performer.
I knew this was going to get me in trouble, but I did it anyway—and that’s not the first time! You’re not supposed to talk about Vince McMahon during your Hall of Fame speech. But when you discuss the success of WWE, you have to talk about Vince and his wife, Linda. It’s almost indescribable to think about what they did throughout the years to elevate the status of this industry—and what WWE has become. I just wanted them to know how much their work and how they’ve treated me over the years have meant to me.
It was important to me to recognize John Cena. John is a great ambassador for our business and is the franchise Superstar for WWE. I consider John a friend, and he’s someone who’s part of a select group of Superstars. If my record of sixteen World Championships is broken, I’d smile if he was the one to do it. I didn’t take aim at anyone when I said John won’t leave WWE for Hollywood. I wanted the audience to know how dedicated John is to the business. I wish people could see the heart and work ethic John puts forth every day. John Cena will go down as an all-time great.