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#1 |
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Inno Knows.
Posts: 43,710
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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 ![]() |
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#2 |
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RAPTURE READY.
Posts: 31,936
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I saw that last night. I have to agree with Flair on everything, especially on the Bret bashing.
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#3 |
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Ron Paul 4 EVA
Posts: 152,467
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Nis lines on Hart largely appear to be bullshit. but he's one to talk about "great atheletes."
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#4 |
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RAPTURE READY.
Posts: 31,936
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I agreed with what he had to say about Bret bitching and moaning way too much.
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#5 |
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Ron Paul 4 EVA
Posts: 152,467
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I don't. but then, Flair's fucked any credibility I once thought he had.
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#6 |
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Watched the interview, it wasn't that bad. When Landsberg asked questions about Bret Hart, Ric Flair seemed very defensive. This seemed to make Landsberg uncomfortable. The rest of the interview was good and Flair came across as a likeable person.
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#7 |
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...IN HD!!!!
Posts: 23,327
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Wooooooo!
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#8 |
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...IN HD!!!!
Posts: 23,327
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LOL Paul Nemer, didn't he used to write here?
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#9 | |
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Posts: 18,357
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Quote:
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#10 |
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RAPTURE READY.
Posts: 31,936
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WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
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#11 |
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RAPTURE READY.
Posts: 31,936
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i don't agree with him sucking up to HHH and Michaels though
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#12 |
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...IN HD!!!!
Posts: 23,327
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I'd suck up to people in power too.
I'm 99% sure everyone else here would too. |
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#13 |
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GO HABS GO!
Posts: 4,018
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...
You could easily tell flair was being a bullshitter too. |
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#14 |
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Father of Hinduship
Posts: 21,083
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I agree with a lot of what Ric said, but I disagree with comments on Bret Hart and Canada.
I'll leave it at that. |
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#15 | |
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Part time poster
Posts: 22,963
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Quote:
*Has a look at your name and just shakes head in disbelief" FACT - Bret Hart drew money. FACT - Bret Hart main evented more sucessful PPV's than Ric Flair did. How many PPV's did Ric Flair main event in the WWF again? Oh yeah, NONE! FACT - Bret Hart wrestled in front of bigger crowds when he was on top of the WWF than Ric Flair did in his peak in both WCW and WWF FACT - Bret "I can't draw" Hart was given the biggest contract in WWF history in 1996 when he was free to negociate with WCW. FACT - Vince McMahon went public saying he could not afford Bret Hart and advised him to go to WCW. FACT - Vince McMahon released Ric Flair back to WCW 4 months after he was the WWF champion because he thought he wasn't good enough for a spot on top of the WWF FACT - Vince McMahon believed Bret Hart would draw more than Ric Flair would as WWF champion hence why Flair had less than 5 months on top before being release. Bret Hart spent a bit more time on top than that and had 5 title reigns. If Ric Flair thinks he has the right to judge people's reactions to deaths then he is a fu>cking tool. What am I saying? He is one anyway. His comments speak for themselves. And speaking of things that speak for themselves, those facts do. |
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#16 | |
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Part time poster
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#17 |
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GO HABS GO!
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...
Another fact: Bret Hart drew much better worldwide. Big reason why he was so popular overseas. He was incomparable in Canada, and drew well down south, and in England he was the guy the wwf centered all their promotions on. Along with Bulldog of course. But take a lookmat the successful shows they did in india and africa..all over the world. Bret was the man headlining the gigs. Notice how wcw only got big when Hogan came around? Flair was never this elite draw so he shouldn't be spouting this crap. |
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Father of Hinduship
Posts: 21,083
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I have a question. How much has Shawn Michaels "drawn" in the past?
p.s. If Flair had left WCW earlier (due to problems with Bischoff), and WCW accidently killed David Flair, then I'd like to see what Flair would have to say. Sorry if that sounds harsh, but I think it begs the question. |
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#19 | |
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Part time poster
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Well Flair says "death is death" so he wouldn't care. Ric Flair is such a dickhead that he probably would go back to WCW licking their arses anyway. I swear I'm shocked David Flair is actually his son being that when I met him he was super cool to me. |
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#20 | |
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Father of Hinduship
Posts: 21,083
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Why doesn't Flair mention how HBK never drew? (or atleast didn't draw any more or less than Hart as far as I know). Why doesn't Flair mention how Shawn Michaels refused to JOB to Bret, etc.? p.s. A part of me wonder if ALL of this (Flair and Bret ripping on one another) is one HUGE work. Think about it. If Bret has plans to come back to the WWE for a farewell speech (but also wants one last match), then could he face Ric Flair.....at Mania? Sounds very farfetched I know (especially when you considern how personal Flair's comments are), but it would be interesting. p.p.s I know it's not a work btw. Just speculating.
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#21 | |
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#22 |
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Incoming Text
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Let it go guys. Flairs entitled to his opinions, and frankly thats all they are.
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#23 | |
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Father of Hinduship
Posts: 21,083
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Well fine. Here's my opinion. In 2006, I hope Ric Flair gets screwed out of the WWE by Vince McMahon because he "isn't drawing". I genuinely hope that in 2008, David Flair becomes the "Red Blazer" in the WWE and he dies in the exact same manner as Owen did. I hope Ric Flair's family completely breaks apart as well. Then?.....I hope someone like Shelton Benjamin makes a biography called, "dawg's story" and rips the crap out of Flair in it. Maybe he can talk about how Ric seemingly "didn't show much emotion" when David died. Heyman is entitled to his opinions as well because quite frankly, thats all they are.
Last edited by Heyman; 07-28-2004 at 08:37 PM. |
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#24 | |
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Hitman Mark
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#25 |
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Hitman Mark
Posts: 295
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BTW, Ric Flair has got to be the biggest ass-kisser in the WWE today.
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#26 | |
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Father of Hinduship
Posts: 21,083
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#27 |
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Ninja Mod, Esquire
Posts: 12,676
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He has his right to an opinion, end of story. As far as the whole drawing issue goes, maybe he's twisting facts, maybe he's not. The question is, why do we care so much? People always talk shit about other people. Just because Ric Flair's talking shit about Bret Hart doesn't mean everyone has to get their panties in a bunch.
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#28 |
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Hey
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He's entitled to his opinion and we're entitled to call him a complete lunatic for having it. It's a two way street.
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#29 |
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Hey
Posts: 15,664
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It's funny he mentions Hart just being a midcarder when Hogan was around. Michaels was too, hell Micheals was lower on the card even. I mean The Rockers only held the Tag titles once and there's controvery whether that reign even counts.
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#30 | |
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Capcom's Corporate Champ
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Flair might have gotten Bret on some points but dammit, the HBK/HHH/Vince asslickin' is way off the mark. Maybe because HBK was sort of the "heir apparent" to Flair? As someone mentioned, HBK, Diesel, Bret? They drew about the same, with Diesel at the low end, HBK at the high end, Bret somewhere in the middle. To hardcore wrestling fans, HBK and Bret were the reasons to tune in to the WWF...but they weren't as big and memorable as Hogan, Austin, Rock...even Flair himself. HBK and Bret were counterparts...torchbearers for what was about to come...the rise of Austin and Attitude. |
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#31 | |
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Hitman Mark
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#32 |
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Stickman
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Question 1) Is there any possible way to find out how much somebody drew?
Question 2) Here's my mind thinking again. Ric Flair talks about how much he drew in comparison to others, and how's he's second to only hogan, well, what's that based on. If he worked 380 times a year, abviously he drew something everyday of the year. If wrestler A (Ric Flair) drew 380 people in 380 days for $1 a ticket, and wrestler B (hypothetical wrestler) drew 380 people in one night and only worked that one night with a ticket price of $1, who drew more? Would it not be the same draw of 380 people? I'm thinking Ric Flair only drew as much as he did because he did more shows than anybody. Or am I way off base here? |
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#33 |
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Formerly Ġohâń3k
Posts: 5,009
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flair's a saggy piece of shit
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#34 |
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not gayo
Posts: 7,676
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Flair admits that Bret was a great wrestler, but says that he didn't draw. Then he says that Foley is only a glorified stuntman, although he drew quite a bit in many different promotions. He will probably just pick out the shortcomings of every entertainer except for the ones that he kisses ass to, stupid senile bastard.
He also tries to act like a martyr, saying that he hopes his family comes down to the ring and says he is the luckiest man alive if he accidentally died that day. Bullshit! The family wouldn't be any happier than the Hart family if this were to happen, especially if Flair got screwed by Vince before it happened. This man likes to criticize without putting himself in other people's shoes. |
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#35 |
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Inno Knows.
Posts: 43,710
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only thing I really agree on Flair about is that Foley did anything for the fans...which contradicts Flair saying Foley only looked after himself.
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#36 | |
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Ron Paul 4 EVA
Posts: 152,467
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Darth Teedious
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#38 |
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That's how I roll!!!
Posts: 4,437
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Ric Flair can't hold Bret Hart's jock
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#39 | |
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Ron Paul 4 EVA
Posts: 152,467
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#40 | |
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Guest
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