Recap of Flair on "Off the Record"

**Innovator** · 07-28-2004, 05:56 PM

Recap of Ric Flair on TSN's Off The Record
Date: July 27, 2004
Host: Michael Landsberg
Guest: "Nature Boy" Ric Flair
Recap by: Paul Nemer of WrestleView.com

Landsberg plugs Ric Flair's book "To be the Man."

Where does it come from that Ric Flair is singly driven to be a wrestler?

Flair said that when he started wrestling, he found the groove and became obsessed with the Ric Flair character and sacrificed everything along the way, his health, his family...

Give us an example of how obsessed you were?

When Flair wasn't working, he would leave town and travel with Dusty Rhodes and Dick Murdock for a week. Paying out of his pocket when he didn't have the money to do it. Leaving his wife at home. That's how obsessed he was.

You were wrestling 380 times a year?

Yes, it started in 1976. Regularly working for the Crockett's, twice on Saturdays, twice on Sundays and in the summer twice on Wednesdays.

Example of Ric Flair partying.

Wrestling for an hour, walking out the door at 12, coming back to motel at 6, hitting the gym at 9 and then catching a plane to the next city. Flair said that he wanted everyone to think that he was the best at everything, whether it was parting or wrestling.

Landsberg asked him if he took drugs and Flair said no.

When people look back at Ric Flair's early career, would they say he was an alcoholic?

Ric Flair said yes. He's been told that he was an alcoholic.

Still an alcoholic?

He said no, not now. He's been to therapists and after an hour session they'd be the ones on the couch. When he found out he was sick and his heart was bothering him, he quit that day.

How has fear stirred Ric Flair's life?

He doesn't remember being afraid of anything in this business until 1998.. when people would say why are you doing this? Why don't you just quit.

The WCW lawsuit.

Flair had arranged to take his son to the AAU Nationals in Detroit. Eric Bischoff was in Japan negotiating some big deal and had called someone in charge to tell Ric Flair that he is booked for WCW Thunder. Flair said that he couldn't because he had to take his son to Detroit. His son had been waiting six months for that. WCW said that they'd send a plane for him and he'd only pay half. That was the same plane that would bring Hulk Hogan around for free and they were going to charge Flair half. Either way, Flair said no. Then on Monday, Bischoff told everyone that he was going to sue him and that the 200 lawyers they had were going to sue Flair and his family to bankruptcy.

He said that in his life, he always put wrestling ahead of everything and he's sorry for that towards his family.

If he looked back on it and he had the chance to do it all again, would he do it differently?

Flair said that he probably couldn't and not be Ric Flair. He wouldn't be sitting here today doing this interview. Landsberg said that if he could do it again and at some point in his life... let's say he had to make a decision where the number one focus in Flair's life is, would it be his career or his family?. Flair said definitely his family. But what Flair is saying is that if he hasn't worked as hard as being the character, then he probably wouldn't have come a long as far.

Landsberg asked him the following questions:

Do you like Hogan? Yeah.

Eric Bischoff? No.

Bret Hart.. he hesitates and Landsberg cuts him off and they go to commercial.

They discuss Bret Hart

Landsberg says "As you know, each territory has its favorite son, and here in Canada a lot of people still love Bret Hart." Landsberg sums up what Flair said in his book.

Flair said that in Canada, they're starving for the sight of a good athlete. Landsberg said that it's not really true. Flair says it is. He said that Canada doesn't have any big players right now. When Gretzky left, they had nobody really and Bret later became champion. Landsberg says that there are some Canadian guys in the WWE right now, but it's still not the same. Flair says that he's talking about here in Canada.

Flair said that Bret Hart came from a very strong family and he starts naming the facts. He said when Hart was with the WWF in the 1980's when Hogan was running wild, he was just mid-carder in the Hart Foundation. When he got the title, he didn't draw any money. Vince being the genius that he is couldn't find a way to fire him because he had signed him to a huge contract. He said finally, Bischoff as dumb as he is, signs Bret Hart. He said Bret went to WCW, didn't draw a dime, picked up his toys and went home. Does that make you a big star?

Landsberg said that he thinks Flair left some stuff out of the story.

Technically would you say Bret Hart was a brilliant wrestler?

Flair said yea, but it has nothing to do with it. Landsberg said there are different kinds of stars. Flair said that stars are stars. They are successful at every level. They draw big money or they don't. He said that if Bret was drawing money, Vince wouldn't have let him go. Landsberg points out that it was a downtime in the industry. Landsberg read something that Bret mailed to his show.

Bret Hart said this: "How can he (Flair) say that he was any kind of draw compare to me? Many of the house shows and PPVs with me headlining were some of the biggest (they name PPVS......) Also unlike the NWA or WCW, the WWF actually wrestled in front of real live people and not just chairs for most of his house shows."

Flair said that he wasn't saying that he was a big draw in the WCW war against the WWF. But he did wrestle against the Bruiser Brody, Dick the Bruiser and he starts naming them. He asked, "where is Bret in that equation?" Flair says that the WWE machine is made by Vince McMahon. (Flair didn't clearly respond to the statement).

Are you pissed at Bret because he didn't do what he was asked to do at the Survivor Series?

Flair said that he's not pissed at him at all.

Did you lose respect for him?

He said yes. Where he lost more respect of Bret is that he whined about it for years. He said that when Owen died, which was a tragedy... He said that when that happened, Bret brought up Montreal again. He can document that for us if we want to.

Landsberg asked Flair "Don't you think this is an area that you shouldn't go to? Here is a guy who lost his brother and you're pointing out the fact that you don't like his reaction to his own brother's death? Why do you have to mention that?"

Flair doesn't know why he did, it was something that was on his mind.

Flair said that he felt bad for the McMahons. Landsberg cuts him off and says "You felt bad for the McMahons?"

He did, because Bret was making it such a personal issue. Landsberg says "But it was personal." Personal between him and the McMahons?! Personal with he loss of Owen to his family. Flair also added that he didn't hear anyone else in the Hart family going crazy.

Landsberg tells Ric not to forget that Bret is the guy that was under the media spotlight and always had a microphone shoved underneath his throat because of his fame.

Then Flair says that if on RAW, he's 55 years old, if someone gives him a piledriver and he breaks his neck. Flair wants his family to walk down to the ring the following week on RAW and he wants his family to say that my dad was the luckiest son of a bitch alive to be part of this show and we love you, thank you for every minute of life he had. That's Ric Flair's perception.

Flair basically said that the Hart family should have reacted differently.

Landsberg said that getting killed with a piledriver is different than getting killed the way Owen got killed. Flair didn't know what to say and said "death is death."

Commcerial break.

Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Bobby Orr, that's the debate in hockey. In wrestling it's Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair. Greatest of all-time?

Flair says that he would pick Bobby Orr. He also said that he would pick Hogan because he drew more money. Was Hogan a better wrestler than Flair? No, but he did draw more. Flair said that Hogan worked for the WWF, he was part of the McMahon machine. Landsberg says that makes Hogan the most profitable, not the greatest. Because if Flair said that Bobby Orr was the greatest of all-time, that might not be correct because statistically there may be others.

Flair said that the travesty of Hulk Hogan is he should have been at WrestleMania XX in some capacity. He was at the first one, he deserved to be at WM20. Flair said that for Hogan it was about the money. Flair said that if he was in Hogan's spot he would have showed up.

Calling Mick Foley a "glorified stunt man."

Landsberg mentions that Flair criticized Mick Foley. Flair said he didn't criticize him, he said it like it is. Landsberg said that calling Mick Foley a glorified stunt man is criticism. Flair said that Mick did draw money, but Mick couldn't wrestle an hour with five oxygen tanks on his back. That form of entertainment leads to a lot of guys getting hurt. Flair said that he respects the fact that Foley did anything for the fans.

What would be the greatest match ever right now?

Flair said "HHH vs. HBK, it already happened." And HBK vs. Angle. (I wonder who his friends are in the company).

Reader, Greg Beacham, e-mails in a question:

"Ric, is it true you used to wrestle in car dealerships? And if so, what is the softest car you ever landed on?

He has in the rain for an hour when he was NWA champion.

Where does this book come from and why should people buy this?

Flair said that if people like wrestling or something from the heart, they should buy it. If they perceive someone to be something their not, they should buy it.

Did you find out something about yourself after writing this book?"

He found out earlier and too late. How bad he treated his family by always taking off. Up to this day, it still upsets his older kids. When they were growing up, he never got to see them.

Landsberg thanks him and the show is over.

credit: PWInsider.com

07-28-2004, 05:56 PM	#1
Innovator Inno Knows. Posts: 43,710	Recap of Flair on "Off the Record" Recap of Ric Flair on TSN's Off The Record Date: July 27, 2004 Host: Michael Landsberg Guest: "Nature Boy" Ric Flair Recap by: Paul Nemer of WrestleView.com Landsberg plugs Ric Flair's book "To be the Man." Where does it come from that Ric Flair is singly driven to be a wrestler? Flair said that when he started wrestling, he found the groove and became obsessed with the Ric Flair character and sacrificed everything along the way, his health, his family... Give us an example of how obsessed you were? When Flair wasn't working, he would leave town and travel with Dusty Rhodes and Dick Murdock for a week. Paying out of his pocket when he didn't have the money to do it. Leaving his wife at home. That's how obsessed he was. You were wrestling 380 times a year? Yes, it started in 1976. Regularly working for the Crockett's, twice on Saturdays, twice on Sundays and in the summer twice on Wednesdays. Example of Ric Flair partying. Wrestling for an hour, walking out the door at 12, coming back to motel at 6, hitting the gym at 9 and then catching a plane to the next city. Flair said that he wanted everyone to think that he was the best at everything, whether it was parting or wrestling. Landsberg asked him if he took drugs and Flair said no. When people look back at Ric Flair's early career, would they say he was an alcoholic? Ric Flair said yes. He's been told that he was an alcoholic. Still an alcoholic? He said no, not now. He's been to therapists and after an hour session they'd be the ones on the couch. When he found out he was sick and his heart was bothering him, he quit that day. How has fear stirred Ric Flair's life? He doesn't remember being afraid of anything in this business until 1998.. when people would say why are you doing this? Why don't you just quit. The WCW lawsuit. Flair had arranged to take his son to the AAU Nationals in Detroit. Eric Bischoff was in Japan negotiating some big deal and had called someone in charge to tell Ric Flair that he is booked for WCW Thunder. Flair said that he couldn't because he had to take his son to Detroit. His son had been waiting six months for that. WCW said that they'd send a plane for him and he'd only pay half. That was the same plane that would bring Hulk Hogan around for free and they were going to charge Flair half. Either way, Flair said no. Then on Monday, Bischoff told everyone that he was going to sue him and that the 200 lawyers they had were going to sue Flair and his family to bankruptcy. He said that in his life, he always put wrestling ahead of everything and he's sorry for that towards his family. If he looked back on it and he had the chance to do it all again, would he do it differently? Flair said that he probably couldn't and not be Ric Flair. He wouldn't be sitting here today doing this interview. Landsberg said that if he could do it again and at some point in his life... let's say he had to make a decision where the number one focus in Flair's life is, would it be his career or his family?. Flair said definitely his family. But what Flair is saying is that if he hasn't worked as hard as being the character, then he probably wouldn't have come a long as far. Landsberg asked him the following questions: Do you like Hogan? Yeah. Eric Bischoff? No. Bret Hart.. he hesitates and Landsberg cuts him off and they go to commercial. They discuss Bret Hart Landsberg says "As you know, each territory has its favorite son, and here in Canada a lot of people still love Bret Hart." Landsberg sums up what Flair said in his book. Flair said that in Canada, they're starving for the sight of a good athlete. Landsberg said that it's not really true. Flair says it is. He said that Canada doesn't have any big players right now. When Gretzky left, they had nobody really and Bret later became champion. Landsberg says that there are some Canadian guys in the WWE right now, but it's still not the same. Flair says that he's talking about here in Canada. Flair said that Bret Hart came from a very strong family and he starts naming the facts. He said when Hart was with the WWF in the 1980's when Hogan was running wild, he was just mid-carder in the Hart Foundation. When he got the title, he didn't draw any money. Vince being the genius that he is couldn't find a way to fire him because he had signed him to a huge contract. He said finally, Bischoff as dumb as he is, signs Bret Hart. He said Bret went to WCW, didn't draw a dime, picked up his toys and went home. Does that make you a big star? Landsberg said that he thinks Flair left some stuff out of the story. Technically would you say Bret Hart was a brilliant wrestler? Flair said yea, but it has nothing to do with it. Landsberg said there are different kinds of stars. Flair said that stars are stars. They are successful at every level. They draw big money or they don't. He said that if Bret was drawing money, Vince wouldn't have let him go. Landsberg points out that it was a downtime in the industry. Landsberg read something that Bret mailed to his show. Bret Hart said this: "How can he (Flair) say that he was any kind of draw compare to me? Many of the house shows and PPVs with me headlining were some of the biggest (they name PPVS......) Also unlike the NWA or WCW, the WWF actually wrestled in front of real live people and not just chairs for most of his house shows." Flair said that he wasn't saying that he was a big draw in the WCW war against the WWF. But he did wrestle against the Bruiser Brody, Dick the Bruiser and he starts naming them. He asked, "where is Bret in that equation?" Flair says that the WWE machine is made by Vince McMahon. (Flair didn't clearly respond to the statement). Are you pissed at Bret because he didn't do what he was asked to do at the Survivor Series? Flair said that he's not pissed at him at all. Did you lose respect for him? He said yes. Where he lost more respect of Bret is that he whined about it for years. He said that when Owen died, which was a tragedy... He said that when that happened, Bret brought up Montreal again. He can document that for us if we want to. Landsberg asked Flair "Don't you think this is an area that you shouldn't go to? Here is a guy who lost his brother and you're pointing out the fact that you don't like his reaction to his own brother's death? Why do you have to mention that?" Flair doesn't know why he did, it was something that was on his mind. Flair said that he felt bad for the McMahons. Landsberg cuts him off and says "You felt bad for the McMahons?" He did, because Bret was making it such a personal issue. Landsberg says "But it was personal." Personal between him and the McMahons?! Personal with he loss of Owen to his family. Flair also added that he didn't hear anyone else in the Hart family going crazy. Landsberg tells Ric not to forget that Bret is the guy that was under the media spotlight and always had a microphone shoved underneath his throat because of his fame. Then Flair says that if on RAW, he's 55 years old, if someone gives him a piledriver and he breaks his neck. Flair wants his family to walk down to the ring the following week on RAW and he wants his family to say that my dad was the luckiest son of a bitch alive to be part of this show and we love you, thank you for every minute of life he had. That's Ric Flair's perception. Flair basically said that the Hart family should have reacted differently. Landsberg said that getting killed with a piledriver is different than getting killed the way Owen got killed. Flair didn't know what to say and said "death is death." Commcerial break. Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Bobby Orr, that's the debate in hockey. In wrestling it's Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair. Greatest of all-time? Flair says that he would pick Bobby Orr. He also said that he would pick Hogan because he drew more money. Was Hogan a better wrestler than Flair? No, but he did draw more. Flair said that Hogan worked for the WWF, he was part of the McMahon machine. Landsberg says that makes Hogan the most profitable, not the greatest. Because if Flair said that Bobby Orr was the greatest of all-time, that might not be correct because statistically there may be others. Flair said that the travesty of Hulk Hogan is he should have been at WrestleMania XX in some capacity. He was at the first one, he deserved to be at WM20. Flair said that for Hogan it was about the money. Flair said that if he was in Hogan's spot he would have showed up. Calling Mick Foley a "glorified stunt man." Landsberg mentions that Flair criticized Mick Foley. Flair said he didn't criticize him, he said it like it is. Landsberg said that calling Mick Foley a glorified stunt man is criticism. Flair said that Mick did draw money, but Mick couldn't wrestle an hour with five oxygen tanks on his back. That form of entertainment leads to a lot of guys getting hurt. Flair said that he respects the fact that Foley did anything for the fans. What would be the greatest match ever right now? Flair said "HHH vs. HBK, it already happened." And HBK vs. Angle. (I wonder who his friends are in the company). Reader, Greg Beacham, e-mails in a question: "Ric, is it true you used to wrestle in car dealerships? And if so, what is the softest car you ever landed on? He has in the rain for an hour when he was NWA champion. Where does this book come from and why should people buy this? Flair said that if people like wrestling or something from the heart, they should buy it. If they perceive someone to be something their not, they should buy it. Did you find out something about yourself after writing this book?" He found out earlier and too late. How bad he treated his family by always taking off. Up to this day, it still upsets his older kids. When they were growing up, he never got to see them. Landsberg thanks him and the show is over. credit: PWInsider.com