9 Ric Flair Moments You Have to See

There has never been a greater heel in wrestling than Ric Flair. The self-proclaimed dirtiest player in the game was the perfect villain for the 1980s, but his work and his influence lasted far beyond that decade. He was unapologetically cocky. He flaunted his wealth and rubbed it in your face. When Ric Flair entered the arena, he got heat before even picking up a mic. He was so easy to hate that you couldn’t help but love him. He was also a fantastic wrestler. One of those rare talents who possessed both unparalleled skills on the mic and the in-ring chops to back them up.  

Flair and Peacock just announced a new documentary, Woooooo! Becoming Ric Flair. You’ll get the full story of how Richard Fliehr became The Nature Boy, Ric Flair. With the documentary on the way, it’s worth looking back at some of the biggest moments of Flair’s career to remember what made him the stylin’, profilin’, limousine ridin’, jet-flyin', kiss-stealin', wheelin’ and dealin’ son of a gun we all know him to be. 

1. Starrcade 1983 - Ric Flair vs. Harley Race

Ric Flair is so well known as a heel, it’s fun to see him as a face in this early match. Flair takes on Harley Race inside a steel cage for the NWA world title, and his technical skills are already top-notch here. Still greater moments were on the horizon for Flair, but this is the match that made him a star. 

Watch Starrcade 1983 on Peacock. 

2. Starrcade 1985 - Ric Flair vs. Dusty Rhodes

By 1985, Ric Flair was the heel we all know him to be. Starrcade 1985 was the culmination of a feud with Dusty Rhodes, The American Dream, that had ignited earlier that year. Dusty Rhodes was a working-class hero, for whom the conspicuously consumptive Flair was a perfect foil. Still, Rhodes saved Flair from a beatdown at the hands of Soviet wrestlers Nikita and Ivan Koloff. Pride outweighed patriotism for Nature Boy though, and he turned on Rhodes, brutally beating him in front of an enraged crowd. That set the stage for a spectacular contest for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. The match built slowly into an aggressive all-out brawl. Even the referee got caught in the crossfire at one point. This ended in a loss for Flair, but that only revealed another of his talents as a heel: When he lost, he made his opponent look like the strongest man on Earth. 

Watch Starrcade 1985 on Peacock. 

3. WrestleWar 1989 - Ricky Steamboat vs. Ric Flair

Flair and Ricky Steamboat had built up an iconic feud by WrestleWar 1989. This was the culmination of a trilogy of matches. Each meeting between the two Superstars was more vicious and extreme than the last and this match gave the storyline the finale it deserved. Everything is on the line for Flair here, and he shows off some of the best moves of his career up to that point. In addition to technical skill, Flair also pulls every dirty trick available to him. When Flair takes the championship, he knows you hate him. And he’s loving every minute of it. 

Watch WrestleWar 1989 on Peacock. 

4. Royal Rumble 1992 - Royal Rumble Match

Widely considered the greatest moment of Ric Flair’s career, the 1992 Royal Rumble is one everyone has to see at least once. With the WWF Championship vacant, the winner would take the title. In one massive match, Flair faced Hulk Hogan, The Undertaker, Sgt. Slaughter, and Macho Man Randy Savage. He beat them all. That moment of triumph was only bested a moment later when Flair said, “With a tear in my eye, this is the greatest moment of my life!”  

Watch Royal Rumble 1992 on Peacock. 

Ric Flair

5. WrestleMania VIII - Randy Savage vs. Ric Flair

With his victory at Royal Rumble, Ric Flair’s first appearance at WrestleMania was going to be something special. This match pit Nature Boy against Macho Man Randy Savage after a long feud involving Savage’s wife Elizabeth. Beyond that though, this was a thriller between two titans at the absolute top of their game. Flair got the crowd 100 percent behind Savage, drawing all the heat from the crowd as he got the edge over Savage. That heat made it all the sweeter when Savage was finally able to pin Flair for the win. 

Watch Wrestlemania VIII on Peacock. 

6. Raw: January 18, 1993 - Mr. Perfect vs. Ric Flair

Flair’s first stint in what would become WWE only lasted about a year. With WCW calling him back to his roots, plans were set in motion to get Flair off the roster. What better way could there be than a Loser Leaves Town match? WWF sent Flair off with a match against Mr. Perfect. Flair got to pull out all the stops and remind everyone in the audience just how good he still was. He played as dirty as ever, but Mr. Perfect was, well, perfect. He frustrated Flair at every turn before nailing the final pin and putting an end to the match. Flair’s time under Vince McMahon was over. For now. 

Watch Raw: January 18, 1993 on Peacock. 

7. Royal Rumble 2002 - Vince McMahon vs. Ric Flair

The other matches on the Royal Rumble card rarely get the same attention as the main event. They absolutely should. Especially in the case of this fight from 2002. Just a couple months earlier, Ric Flair returned to WWE, revealing to a furious Vince McMahon that he was now co-owner of the company. Flair also challenged McMahon to a Street Fight match at the Royal Rumble, punching him in the jaw to make sure he accepted the challenge. Though he’d been back for two months, this match was Flair’s true homecoming at WWE. A no-rules, no-disqualification match, this one got bloody fast. The Chairman of the Board got a few good hits in on Flair, but Nature Boy turned the tables on him and forced a tap out. 

Watch Royal Rumble 2002 on Peacock. 

8. Unforgiven 2005 - Carlito vs. Ric Flair

As the 2000s went on, the audience’s love for the Nature Boy only grew. He was absolutely a face at this point, but no matter what role he played, you couldn’t help but cheer for him. At Unforgiven 2005, Flair chased the one WWE title he had not yet earned: The Intercontinental Championship. Flair faced Carlito in the opening match. At 56 years old, Flair showed he could still hang with the rest of the roster, taking big falls and delivering hits that felt just as big. With the win, Flair became the oldest Intercontinental Champion in history and the 13th person ever to win all three major WWE titles. 

Watch Unforgiven 2005 on Peacock. 

9. WrestleMania 24 - Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair

Ric Flair’s time on the WWE main roster ended with one of the most spectacular matches of his career. As 2008 started, Vince McMahon began laying the groundwork for Flair’s exit. The next match Flair lost would be his last. Flair then went on an amazing winning streak. Nobody knew when his last WWE match would be. Where else could it have occurred but WrestleMania? Flair faced Mister WrestleMania himself, the Heart Break Kid, Shawn Michaels. The match was bittersweet, as the two men were friends. Shawn wasn’t excited about being the one to retire a legend like Flair, but it was his responsibility. What followed was a masterpiece of in-ring storytelling. The two friends gave this one everything they had. The 59-year-old Flair showed everyone he still had a few big moves in him and kept the match competitive. Flair even gained the upper hand at one point before Michaels mouthed “I’m sorry. I love you,” and brought Nature Boy’s career to an end. Everything about this match, and the outpouring of love Flair got from the crowd before and after, was a fitting send-off to a true legend. 

Watch WrestleMania 24 on Peacock. 

Don't Miss Woooooo! Becoming Ric Flair, streaming only on Peacock Dec 26.