Do You Style And Profile? How Much Do You Know About The "Nature Boy" Ric Flair?
- by Lucas Wesley
- – on
- in Sports
WOOOOO! For over 40 years, the one and only “Nature Boy” Ric Flair has been a styling and profiling, limousine riding, Learjet flying, kiss stealing son of a gun, and throughout most of his journey, he also just so happened to be the greatest wrestler in the world. To prove it, Flair won the World Championship a record 16 times, and that’s just counting the reigns WWE considers official. In total, Flair himself has counted over 20 such reigns, and either way, the more important part is how long each reign lasted.
Unlike champions of today who hold a title for two months and call it a record, Flair’s reigns as World Champ often lasted full years if not longer, cementing his legacy from the first time he held the Big Gold Belt. On top of that, the matches Flair wrestled over his gold were truly amongst the best of all time, with rivalries against names like Ricky Steamboat, Randy Savage, Harley Race, Terry Funk, and Dusty Rhodes all going down in history as examples of pro wrestling at it’s absolute finest.
After his own career was winding down, Flair kept his legacy going as a manager, aiding younger talent like Triple H or his daughter Charlotte in etching careers that were nearly as great as his. With the amount of time he’s spent in or near the ring, practically every fan of pro wrestling has been able to experience the “Nature Boy” in one way or another, but only Ric Flair’s true fans have studied his career from beginning to end. 20
Who did Flair take “The Nature Boy” name from?
To most wrestling fans, the term “Nature Boy” will always make them think of one man, and given who this quiz is all about, we probably don’t even need to point out we’re talking about the man himself, Ric Flair. However, Flair was far from the first wrestler to use the “Nature Boy” name, rather he’s simply the most famous to do so. In fact, Flair openly stole the title from another iconic wrestler. Holding true his own maxim that “to be the man, you gotta beat the man,” Flair and this legendary athlete did indeed compete, with the new Nature Boy coming out on top.
How many times was Flair the WWE Champion?
Because of some dicey record keeping in the NWA, followed by weird last-second decisions in WCW, the exact number of World Championships Ric Flair held in his career will forever be debated. WWE says 16, Ric himself says twenty something, and sleuths on the Internet have dug up somewhere around 25. All of these numbers could be called accurate depending on how one looks at the specifics, but the point is, it wouldn’t be fair to ask you to find the real answer when no one seems to agree on it. However, the subject of Flair’s WWE Championships is a lot clearer.
Who did Flair beat for his first World Championship?
The Nature Boy first became The Man on September 17, 1981, when he won the NWA Championship in Kansas City, Missouri. Flair went on to hold the championship for over 600 days, instantly cementing himself as one of the greatest of all time. That he went on to repeat that incredible achievement no less than 15 subsequent times only further explains why fans of the sport will forever consider him an icon. They already had an idea 36 years ago, though, because in winning the title, Flair also defeated another all-time great. Who was it?
What iconic group did Flair form in the ‘80s?
Not even the greatest wrestler of all time can reign on top forever all on his own. Inevitably, fame and fortune breed contempt and jealousy from a wrestler’s coworkers, something Flair definitely experienced throughout the 1980s as his reign turned into one of terror. With every heroic babyface gunning to take Flair down, it was only natural the man would look for some help in watching his back. Luckily, he found the absolute best help money could ever buy in the Anderson brothers and Tully Blanchard, thus forming one of the most iconic factions in wrestling history.
Who did Flair wrestle on the last episode of WCW Monday Nitro?
His career spanning some 40+ years, Ric Flair has wrestled in at least a dozen different wrestling promotions. By and large, fans consider Flair’s best years to have taken place in either the NWA or WWE, yet there’s also a strong contingent who believe the Nature Boy reached his peak in WCW, where he spent a solid 8 years filled with strange ups and downs. If nothing else, Flair at least got to leave WCW on a high note, wrestling in the main event of the last episode of Monday Nitro. Who was his handpicked opponent?
Which of the following wrestlers was never one of the Four Horsemen?
Despite their very name containing a limiting factor in the number Four, over the years, Ric Flair and Arn Anderson would allow somewhere near 20 other men to join them as fellow Horsemen. Calling themselves the elite force in pro wrestling, the one thing all Horsemen had in common was a technical mastery of the sport they loved…or at least that was the theory. Unfortunately, not all Horsemen quite lived up to this reputation, leaving some incarnations of the group are less fondly remembered than others. Which of these wrestlers didn’t have anything to do with that?
What stable did Flair form with Triple H in WWE?
As Ric Flair got older and his skills began to diminish, the Nature Boy gradually accepted he wasn’t going to be competing for anymore World Championships. Even so, he wasn’t ready to call it quits entirely, and so he became close friends with someone else who still had plenty of Big Gold Belts in his future, Triple H. Together, Flair and HHH ran roughshod over the WWE Universe for several years, and the two weren’t alone, finding another pair of young, hungry wrestlers to help them maintain their power. What did the group call itself?
How many times has Flair been WWE Tag Team Champion?
Ultimately, Ric Flair’s career belongs in the wrestling books for his work as a solo wrestler, as nothing in the industry can compare to 16+ runs with the World Championship. However, Flair also spent plenty of time working with other wrestlers in the tag team division, as well. Naturally, he’s also won a fair amount of gold in the doubles rank, although just like his unparalleled success on his own, it’s sometimes a little hard to quantify exactly how many tag team belts Flair held. For this reason, once again we’re going to simply the question and ask how many he won in WWE.
Which legend was Flair’s last WWE Tag Team Championship winning partner?
Oddly enough, the most memorable moments of Ric Flair’s time in the tag team division were arguably his last. While fans appreciated his tag team with Greg Valentine back in the mid 1970s, footage of that time period has largely been lost to history, whereas Flair’s more recent WWE Tag Team Championship victory with an old rival turned friend will forever be remembered on YouTube. Even without increased technology, his final moments in the tag division would be memorable based on his partner alone, as few fans who witnessed their battles in the ‘80s and ‘90s would ever picture them winning the gold in 2006.
Who trained Flair to wrestle?
For all the talk about being a “Nature Boy” and thus a “natural” in the sport of pro wrestling, Ric Flair was just like anyone else in that he needed someone to show him the ropes before attaining his future greatness. Luckily, he had an all time legend of the industry to do so, picking a fellow multiple time World Champion to teach him the difference between a headlock and a wrist watch, so to speak. Strangely, Flair and his trainer rarely worked together after his education was over, perhaps making this a hard question for some.
What did Flair name his autobiography?
Ever since Mick Foley hit pay dirt by telling fans to “Have a Nice Day,” just about every pro wrestler of worth has attempted to follow in his footsteps by (ghost)writing an autobiography or two. As one of the most iconic wrestlers of all time with over 40 years of stories to his name, Flair naturally became one of the many wrestlers to share his life with fans in written form. Flair was lucky in that he had no less than a half dozen catchphrases to name his book after; which one did he choose?
Which of the following championships did Flair never win?
Very few wrestlers win the World Championship and nothing else, a trend Ric Flair held true by winning a significant number of lesser titles both before and after winning the Big Gold Belt. We’re not just talking about his dalliances in the tag division either, as Flair held almost every piece of solo gold that exists in all the various companies he’s worked for, as well. This is no exaggeration—Flair won minor championships in the NWA, WCW, and WWE, adding new gold to his repertoire until the final months of his career. That said, which of these titles eluded his grasp?
Which year did Ric Flair win the Royal Rumble?
From the beginning of his career to the very end, Ric Flair was a class above his contemporaries due to the top-notch performances he always gave in the ring. Always giving fans their money’s worth, Flair was especially great at wrestling “Broadways,” meaning matches that lasted well over a full hour of nonstop action. Arguably his greatest and best known performance of this kind took place when he entered the Royal Rumble at number 3 and went on to win the whole thing, literally outlasting 28 other superstars in doing so. What year did he pull off the incredible feat?
Who did Flair last eliminate to win the Royal Rumble?
The 1992 Royal Rumble was such an iconic and memorable event in Ric Flair’s career you’ll have to forgive us for asking two questions about it in a row. On the other hand, it’s hard to imagine anyone complaining about a focus on Flair’s landmark achievement, considering just how many iconic names he bested through his victory. Not only were all of the potential answers to this question in the match, and thus defeated by Flair, but other names like “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Jimmy Snuka, Shawn Michaels, and Jake Roberts were all on board as well, and not one of them could stand up to The Nature Boy.
Who did Flair wrestle in the main even of the first Starrcade?
Almost a full year and a half before Vince McMahon changed the face of sports entertainment forever by creating WrestleMania, Jim Crockett had the same idea down in the NWA when he devised Starrcade. Combining all the NWA’s powers into one, this landmark Pay-Per-View was supposed to represent the best wrestling America had to offer, delivering on that promise in spades. At the top of it all was Ric Flair, challenging a hated rival for the chance to become the NWA World Champion for a second time.
Who did Flair defeat for the WWE Intercontinental Championship?
Long after Ric Flair’s final World Championship had come and gone in WCW, he was still lacing up the boots for WWE. Repeat attempts at recapturing the glory days came up short, and it looked like Flair would never reign as World Champion again, but he still wasn’t ready to give up, slumming as it were to take his career down a step and go after the Intercontinental gold. Turned out this was exactly what Flair needed to do in order to reclaim his glory, as he held the secondary gold for the first time in his career in 2005.
Who did Flair defeat for his only United States Championship while in WCW?
Well before Ric Flair decided to drop down from World Championship status to the Intercontinental level in WWE for reasons related to his age, WCW forced him to make a similar jump because, well, WCW. At a time when Ted Turner’s executives refused to push anyone except Hulk Hogan as a star, Ric Flair realized the only way to hold any gold would be dropping himself down a level and challenging for the United States Championship for a little while. As per usual, he managed to win the gold and bring it up to his level for a few months.
Who was Flair’s first partner as WWE Tag Team Champion?
Always an innovator in his medium, Ric Flair had a novel idea when he first started challenging for the WWE Tag Team Championship. Because he was nearing the end of his career, Flair picked a younger, stronger athlete as his partner, letting the monstrous protégé do all the heavy lifting while he mostly stood in the corner strutting, woo’ing, and getting the crowd into the action. It’s a pairing we’re kinda surprised WWE doesn’t try more often, although not all legends can keep it going as long as Flair did. Digressing to the point, who was Flair’s powerhouse partner?
Which of the following wrestlers was not with Flair during his infamous 1975 plane crash?
In many respects, any wrestling fan who got to see Ric Flair work in his prime could be considered lucky, yet some of us may not even realize the half of it. The truth is, Ric Flair himself is lucky to have even stepped into the ring after 1975, when he very nearly lost his life in a horrific plane crash. Though there were no casualties, Flair got off fairly easy by just breaking his back, while others on the flight would never walk or wrestle again. Which of these fellow superstars wasn’t with him on that fateful evening?
Who was the executive that fired Flair from WCW in 1991?
Notwithstanding the plane crash that very nearly took his life, perhaps the most regrettable moment of Ric Flair’s career came in 1991, when he was fired from WCW while reigning as World Champion. Just like the plane crash, this misstep was hardly Flair’s fault, as it came after repeat arguments with an executive who, quite frankly, didn’t understand how the wrestling industry worked in the slightest. Flair himself mocks this exec as a former Pizza Hut manager way out of his element, a fact the guy proved by firing the greatest wrestler of all time at his peak. Who was he?
Which iconic manager introduced Flair to the WWE Universe?
By the time Flair officially entered the WWE Universe for the first time, he was already an iconic known world over as one of the best wrestlers ever to lace his boots. Of course, this was all due to his time in the NWA, an organization that WWE seldom acknowledged even existed at the time. For this reason, they had to find some middle ground that would present Flair as a massive deal without acknowledging why, and they settled on having their top manager handle his introduction. Who was it?
Who defeated Flair for the Intercontinental Championship?
With at least 16 wins and losses attached to Ric Flair’s various reigns as World Champion, it would almost be too complicated for us to ask about any specifics regarding them. Dozens of men were involved in Flair’s title victories and losses, so asking who did what would quickly become a confusing affair. On the other hand, he only held the WWE Intercontinental Championship the one time, so it should be a lot easier for fans to remember who beat him for that chunk of gold. Can you?
What did Flair call his short-lived WCW talk show?
To this day, WWE and other wrestling companies remain fascinated with the idea of pro wrestlers hosting their own talk shows wherein they interview and otherwise interact with their fellow superstars. The first of this kind was Piper’s Pit, hosted by the iconic “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, and though none have quite reached his brilliance, Ric Flair came closer than most in doing so. Flair’s talk show didn’t last all that long, but it was nonetheless responsible for plenty of classic moments that shaped the course of WCW. What was it called?
Who is Flair’s WWE Women’s Championship winning daughter?
Even fans who weren’t lucky enough to watch Ric Flair in his prime can forever enjoy his career on the WWE Network and other streaming services, a fact that will keep his legacy alive for many years to come. In a more immediate sense, Flair also has a daughter doing the same thing on SmackDown from week to week, already having won multiple Women’s Championships and showing a flair for the sport that matches her father’s. According to Ric, his daughter may even be better at the whole wrestling thing than he ever was. Who is she?
Who is Ric's son that briefly wrestled for WCW?
Since her career began, Charlotte Flair has earned rave reviews from critics and fans alike, all who seem to agree with Ric’s assessment she could one day match or even overcome his legacy. In stark contrast to this was Flair’s other wrestling offspring, who spent several years working for WCW to moderate success. Though this younger Flair won the United States and Tag Team Championships, most viewed him as a pale comparison to his father, which probably explains why his wrestling career ended before he even turned 30. Who was he?
With whom did Flair win his first NWA Tag Team Championship?
We’ve got one last question about Ric Flair’s time in the tag team ranks, and right away we’re going to admit it might be one of the harder queries on this quiz. Like we’ve pointed out more than once already, the specifics of Flair’s NWA career are a little hard to trace at times, as not all promoters were as meticulous as Vince McMahon when it came to documenting their own history. However, there’s a general consensus that Flair’s first NWA Tag Team Championship was won way back in 1974. Who was his partner?
What ‘90s TV show did Flair and other WCW wrestlers appear on?
For the most part, Ric Flair has eschewed the now common practice amongst main event wrestlers to attempt appearing in at least a handful of films in addition to their primary careers inside the ring. Granted, there was no WWE Studios back in Flair’s day, so it’s not like he had that many opportunities, but his persona and style nonetheless could have made him a natural actor had he felt like trying it out. That said, Flair decided he only wanted to act a handful of times, including an appearance on a pretty bizarre episode of an iconic ‘90s series.
Which of the following nicknames has Flair never used?
Throughout the course of this quiz, we’ve managed to make a bunch of fun references to Ric Flair’s many catchphrases, and we hope you enjoyed reading them as much as we did writing them. With Flair’s incredible gift of gab, it was only natural the man also come up with a half dozen nicknames for himself, a practice Tony Schiavone and other announcers absolutely reveled in promoting. “The Nature Boy” may have been the most common of these sobriquets, but it was hardly alone, as it once seemed like Flair came up with a new title for himself almost every week.
Who did Flair wrestle is his last match for WWE?
Decades of wrestling excellence finally came to an end in March of 2008, when Ric Flair wrestled his final match at WrestleMania XXIV. Well, that was the idea anyway, as Flair would actually continue stepping in the ring for TNA and various other independent promotions, but that’s not really the point right now. Focusing on the positives, Ric’s WWE career at least went out with a bang, as he wrestled one of his most emotional matches ever against a fellow icon, ending when he basically accepted it was over, taking a loss and ending his career in the process.
Which iconic piece of music has always been Flair’s theme song?
The history of entrance music in professional wrestling has been slightly controversial for several decades now, as just about everybody wants to take credit for starting the trend. Hulk Hogan and Sgt. Slaughter are just two names who claim they invented the idea, and yet others point to Gorgeous George, who walked to the ring with great “Pomp and Circumstance” decades before the practice was commonplace. Another name beating most others to the trend was Ric Flair himself, who started using music at Starrcade 1983 and never looked back. He also never changed his tune, so to speak—what song was always Flair’s theme?
True or False: One of Ric Flair’s robes has been on display at the Smithsonian.
All right, so Ric Flair is obviously an icon of the professional wrestling industry, and this is a fact that no one could ever deny. That said, becoming the focus of a display at the Smithsonian is an achievement on an entirely different level. Sure, the national museum of the United States has whole sections dedicated to sports and pop culture, but it’s not like pro wrestling is something the government ever gives much consideration to. Of course, if they ever did, Flair would be the sort of wrestler deserving such attention, so did they really give him an exhibit?
What plus-sized group did Flair lead during the dying days of WCW?
Every fan of pro wrestling remembers Ric Flair’s iconic role as the leader of the Four Horsemen, and with good reason. No matter who else was in the group, throw three reasonably talented individuals behind the best of all time, and you’ve got a faction that no man can stand up against. In theory, throw another handful of guys into the fold and you’ve got an even stronger group, and yet in practice, that wasn’t quite the case. Flair found this out the hard way during the last few months of WCW, when his even larger stable failed to live up to the Horsemen’s legacy.
Who did Flair initially manage when working for TNA?
To many fans of WWE, and Ric Flair’s career in general, the less said about his late career stint in TNA Wrestling, the better. By and large, we understand the feeling, but this quiz wouldn’t be a true test of his career without a few questions focusing on the era. While there’s plenty to complain about, if nothing else, TNA at least started things out on a relatively strong note, making Flair a manager and mentor to one of their greatest talents. Who was it?
What group did Flair lead while working for TNA?
From the very beginning, critics derided NWA: TNA as “WWE lite,” noting the company’s propensity towards rehashing old ideas that worked during the Attitude Era and even hiring former WWE superstars to do it. Though they couldn’t exactly revive the Four Horsemen due to copyright reasons, the fact they had Ric Flair on board made it inevitable another number based group would pop up to try and ape his earlier successes. While the group contained a number of great wrestlers, they never came near the Horsemen’s success, making it feel like a pale imitation. What did they call the blatant knockoff?
True or False: Flair has been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame more than once.
After everything this quiz has asked about, it should be no wonder that Ric Flair was eventually inducted to the WWE Hall of Fame. That career defining moment came in 2008, when Flair was named the head of a class also including legends like Mae Young, Gordon Solie, and Rocky Johnson. For as legendary as Ric Flair was, most fans assumed that would be the end of it, but recently, the organization has taken to inducting tag teams and stables as well, creating the opportunity someone could get inducted twice or more. Has Flair been so honored?
Who did Flair defeat for the WCW Championship at Starrcade 1993?
For as great as Ric Flair’s legacy was for the NWA in the 1980s, his time in WCW across the next decade is much less fondly remembered. This is both because of his diminishing skills in the ring and the fact the company had no idea how to properly use the talents he had left, and truth be told, the latter issue had a lot more to do with it than the former. Proving this were Flair’s occasional moments of prolonged greatness, like his classic match at Starrcade 1993 where he recaptured the WCW Championship. Who did he beat to do so?
Which of the following Horsemen did Flair (and fans) feel never belonged?
When a wrestling faction is around as long as the Four Horsemen was, existing on and off for somewhere in the neighborhood of two decades, it’s inevitable that some members won’t be as good as others. The four-person nature of the Horsemen means that someone always needs to get replaced for a new wrestler to enter the fold, making it much more easier for fans to notice when someone doesn’t compare. Flair himself has acknowledged at least one Horsemen never belonged in the group, and most wrestling critics resoundingly agree. Who was it?
True or False: Flair has made appearances for Ring of Honor.
Formed by Rob Feinstein in 2002, it could be said Ring of Honor kinda missed the boat when it came to Ric Flair. Even if they could get the legendary wrestler to appear for their promotion, his advanced age and semi-retirement would have made it impossible for Flair to truly fit in, no longer able to wrestle the hour long technical wrestling classics the company is known for. Not that RoH wouldn’t still do whatever they could to get Ric to make an appearance, simply because of the history attached to his name. Did they ever succeed in doing so?
Which of the following legends did NOT wrestle on Flair’s behalf at WrestleMania XXV?
Less than a full year after Ric Flair’s WWE retirement at WrestleMania XXIV, his old rival Chris Jericho began trying to egg him back into the ring for one more match. Ultimately, Flair stuck to his promise to never again lace up the boots (for WWE), instead finding a handful of friends willing to step up to the plate and do so for him. Along with actor Mickey Rourke, who stood in their corner watching their backs, the three legends competed against Jericho in a handicap match at WrestleMania XXV. Who wasn’t part of the bout?
At which even did Flair wrestle Vince McMahon?
For at least 20 years prior to his second run in WWE, Ric Flair had been traveling the globe and telling people that in order to be the man, they had to beat the man. Once he resumed his working relationship with the McMahon family, he realized the phrase actually should have ended they had to “beat McMahon,” thus leading to a battle between the iconic wrestler and his new boss live on Pay-Per-View. Thanks to the aid of a steel pipe, Flair walked away with the victory, not that it changed much in the long run. Where did the bout take place?