Ric Flair as a commentator?

[Mr. Nerfect]

Ric Flair is expected to re-sign with the WWE for three years, apparently, so after he retires as a wrestler, I fully expect Ric Flair to stay on television in some shape or form, and really, it would be a mistake to not keep Flair on-screen. The man cuts a great promo, and would make a fantastic manager, and has proven to be capable of playing the owner/authority figure role.

Anyway, my question is whether or not you'd believe Ric Flair would also be able to play a commentator role? I have not seen much of Ric Flair over his career, but I'm sure he's sat in the booth in at least one occasion to call one of his opponent's matches, however I'm not sure if he's ever been used in a more permanent commentary role anywhere.

Flair is so knowledgeable about the business, and such a great wrestler, that I can't imagine him doing a bad job. He's got the charisma, the speaking skills and the knowledge to do the job well, and he's so well respected that he could call a match and make it seem huger than it is by adding his voice over the top of it.

An extended question is this: With JBL returning to in-ring competition on RAW, would you be opposed to seeing Ric Flair replace him as colour commentator of the SmackDown! brand? The next time SmackDown! taping is in the New Year, I believe, which is after Triple H and Ric Flair's match. All you do is have Flair lose, send him off on the first RAW of 2008 with a lot of fanfare, and then have him show up on SmackDown! in the booth. It wouldn't be my favourite option, but it seems pretty damn convenient.

[Londoner]

I can see them setting up Flair to be commentator of smackdown after this jbl/jericho feud.

[ClockShot]

I highly doubt they would give Flair a field position like other former wrestlers in the company.

I could see Ric sitting behind the table with Cole. But the only way I think it would work is if he turns bright red and gets a little wild like he usually does when he got a mic.

[The Optimist]

Honestly, he slurs his words when he gets extremely "elbow drop on the coat" excited. Maybe that would add a bit of comedy if they wanted to pull it off right.

I can dig it. I don't expect it. But I can dig it.

[KYR]

I think Flair would probably make a pretty good color commentator.

Do I think it will happen? No.

Who's your source?

Everything I have read about Flair in "retirement" revolves around his Finance Business with no interest in a "Wrestling After-Life".

[Mr. Nerfect]

I think Flair would probably make a pretty good color commentator.

Do I think it will happen? No.

Who's your source?

Everything I have read about Flair in "retirement" revolves around his Finance Business with no interest in a "Wrestling After-Life".

I'm pretty sure all the credible news sites are reporting that Flair has been offered a three-year contract extension. I might be wrong. I remember Flair saying that he used his time away from the WWE to really get it off the ground.

[KYR]

Damn it. I won't believe it until Matt Boone doesn't report it.

[Slow]

Save_us_wooooooooooooooooooooo

[FourFifty]

No, just no.
I love The Nature Boy almost as much as people say The Noid loves Val Venis, but I wouldn't be able to stand hearing him for two hours on end. Make him start a stable instead. Start ir off with he's in HHH's corner, stabs HHH in the back and starts to look after Randy Orton, and then jump to another upper/mid carder (within a year, not week after week after week) that wins the IC or US title.
And then have Flair get his own group up. People will think that Ric Flair only takes on champions, people who can hold a title. Ric Flair could make anyman look like a star. Hey, it worked with HBK back in the day when he had Sherri Martel in his corner.

[Theo Dious]

Flair becomes totally incoherent when he gets the least bit excited. That being said, he couldn't be any worse than Dusty.

[Porcupine]

In my opinion, Flair or Rhodes would make atrocious commentators. This is probably because I don't understand 20-80% of what Flair says depending on his excitement and 50%-100% of Dusty depending on his excitement. I love JBL's in ring work, but I hope he comes to the commentary desk after this comeback again.

[Lock Jaw]

Also, by necessity of character Flair would gave to say "woooo" 67.3782 times a broadcast. Which would get a bit tedious.

[Porcupine]

Also, by necessity of character Flair would gave to say "woooo" 67.3782 times a broadcast. Which would get a bit tedious.

Tedious? I would say incredibly annoying.

[Stickman]

His lisp would not help the broadcast booth.

[Theo Dious]

Also, by necessity of character Flair would gave to say "woooo" 67.3782 times a broadcast. Which would get a bit tedious.

Tedious? I would say incredibly annoying.

Stop slandering my name. :rant:

[Mr. Nerfect]

Yeah, Flair wouldn't be my first choice, either, but I could see the guy adjusting to the position, and not being ignorant enough to just "WOOO! everything. I think he'd really work if he slowed down, didn't get excited, or if he did just do a little heelish laugh, and just talk softly and deliberately about the psychology being employed in the match.

[The Lone Wolf]

Flair would be a terrible commentator since you can't hear what he is saying half the time and he just covers it up with Wooo's.

[Heros Welcome]

If that ever happened, I hope everyone who is watching the show has captions

[Fox]

In my opinion, Flair or Rhodes would make atrocious commentators. This is probably because I don't understand 20-80% of what Flair says depending on his excitement and 50%-100% of Dusty depending on his excitement. I love JBL's in ring work, but I hope he comes to the commentary desk after this comeback again.


Dusty Rhodes WAS a commentator for WCW during 97 and 97.

And Flair, when he's not screaming and going insane, actually has a pretty good speaking voice and if he let loose he could offer some really good insight during matches. I'd love to see how it worked out. If not, Flair makes an awesome GM and nobody could be worse than Guerrero.

[NeanderCarl]

Well, as Flair would be retired he could tone down his "wrestling character" in favour of a new, calmer commentator character, much like many other retired wrestler/commentators have.

Hell, Gorilla Monsoon was a non-English speaking wildman heel prior to sitting in the booth, yet was a knowledgable, articulate and honourable play-by-play man after hanging up the singlet.

When Bobby Heenan quit managing, his commentary style became less aggressive and more comical (although he had always been comical, now he had less "vested interest" in the matches and therefore didn't have to act so hard to be the heel and could rather just be a humourous antagonist).

Mr Perfect, the commentator, didn't spend the whole show droning on about his own perfection, because he no longer competed in the ring and therefore didn't need the mic time to get himself over. He alluded to it occasionally but not ad nauseum, no more than Ric Flair would have to say "whoooo" every eighth word.

Jesse Ventura would only bring up his wrestling career to enhance the danger of certain matches or moves ("I've been in this type of match in my career, Monsoon, and it is one of the most dangerous matches you can compete in", "I've had that move done to me, McMahon, and it hurts!") and would rarely, if ever, get himself over as tougher than the guys in the ring at the time. Kinda similar to Tazz.

So Flair the commentator is do-able, as he wouldn't have to be "Ric Flair The Wrestler" at the desk.

To be honest, as great a promo as Ric Flair was in his prime, nowadays - much like Roddy Piper - the verbal spark seems to have been lost, even when he does get the chance to speak. I'm not sure Flair would really work out as a commentator... but I could be wrong.

One wrestler who would have been a tremendous commentator upon his retirement (if he had lived to see it, of course) would have been Owen Hart. His guest colour commentary at King of the Ring 1996 was superb.