Rick Flair

lovablemum · Joined: 02 Aug 2005 Posts: 4068 Location: Northants

Name: Ric Flair

Height: 6 foot 1
Weight: 243 pounds
From: Charlotte, N.C.
Finishing Move: Figure-four Leglock
Career Highlights: WCW United States Champion; WCW Champion; WWE Champion; Intercontinental Champion; World Tag Team Champion

â€œTo be the man, you gotta beat the man,â€? the world renown motto of one of the most celebrated legends and champions in all of sports entertainment. Ric Flair has been the man for over three decades. â€œSlick Ricâ€? gives off the aura of a world class, one of a kind cocky and brilliantly gifted champ. While Flair can match hold and move with the best, he often chooses to go the extra mile in securing wins using any and every cheat in the book, giving him the notorious reputation as the dirtiest player in the game.

Indeed, Flair has made a name for himself by being the best of the best in every walk of life in and away from the ring. Dressing in tailor made suits, seducing gorgeous women and flying after main events to party in trendy hotspots across the world, Flair is everything you have always wanted to be, but arenâ€™t â€“ and heâ€™s often revels in rubbing it in anyoneâ€™s face that isnâ€™t in his elite inner circle.

It almost seems fitting that Flair first made his mark as a champion in the era of decadence which was the 1980s. Typically going the distance on any given night, Flair developed a reputation as the â€œ60 Minute Manâ€? not only with his adversaries but with the ladies as well.

Considered by many as sports entertainmentâ€™s most celebrated star, Flair has made a career out of big fight main event clashes which have led him to an exceptional 16-time reign as WWE/WCW Champion making an impact in WCW/NWA as well WWE for nearly 25 years. It was also during this period that Flair founded the Four Horsemen with his long-time running buddy â€œDouble Aâ€? Arn Anderson. The first group of its kind, the Horsemen did what they wanted when they wanted how they wanted, winning championship gold and dominating nearly all that crossed their path. However, this wouldnâ€™t be the last revolutionary cornerstone faction Flair would co-found.
However, Flair would further cemented his reputation as the dirtiest player in the game and a brilliant strategist by aligning with Triple H as a manager and wrestler in Triple Hâ€™s pursuit of the World Heavyweight Championship and conquest to be â€œThe Game.â€? Eventually, this led to the two â€“ arguably greatest World Heavyweight Champions forming a new cornerstone faction known as Evolution. Recruiting two of the hottest up-and-comers in all of sports entertainment, Triple H with Flair by his side filled the third and fourth slots in Evolution with third generation superstar Randy Orton and â€œthe Animalâ€? Batista. For nearly two years, the group â€“ decked out in suits, flying on private jets to clubs all over the world and taking championship gold in the singles and tag team division, redefined domination as the top group in WWE and on RAW. Regrettably, the two young prospects Orton and Batista would go on to buck the boss of Evolution, Triple H leading to a turbulent 2004 and 2005 for â€œThe Gameâ€? and Flair.

Flairâ€™s recent return to RAW has seen him matched up with another brash young newcomer, Carlito.

~~debbydo~~ · Joined: 18 Jul 2005 Posts: 20005 Location: Hertfordshire

this bloke must be getting on ..
should he retire by now ..

lovablemum · Joined: 02 Aug 2005 Posts: 4068 Location: Northants

Height: 6'1"

Weight: 243 lbs

Real Name: Richard Fliehr

DOB: 2/25/49

Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina

Other Names: Rick Flair, "The Nature Boy", "Slick Ric"

Wrestler Since: 1972

Finishing Maneuver: Figure-Four Leglock

History:

The Beginning

Richard Morgan Fliehr began his life under a different name, in a different life. He was born in February '49, and was immediately taken away from his real parents and sent to the Tenneessee Children's Home Society, which later became infamous for its stealing away of over 5,000 children by tricking the parents into signing adoption papers. Only a few weeks later, the child was legally adopted by d**k & Kay Fliehr, and had his name legally changed. This was the true beginning of Fliehr's life, as his adopted parents shaped the path of his future.

As a two-time Wisconsin Private School Wrestling Champion in '66 and '67, Ric Fliehr quickly showed what his future held in store for him. However, Fliehr, while a great athlete, had trouble keeping up with the intellectual portion of school, preferring instead to enjoy the finer things in life. This led to Fliehr dropping out of the University of Minnesota his sophomore year. Fliehr worked various jobs after dropping out, from selling insurance door-to-door to being a bouncer for a club in Minneapolis. It was through the club that Fliehr made friends with Olympic hopeful Ken Patera, and through him, began training with legendary wrestler and promoter Verne Gagne.

AWA

On December 10th, 1972, Ric Flair made his wrestling debut, fighting to a Draw with George "Scrap Iron" Gadaski. Flair would face many great stars while wrestling for the American Wrestling Association, including Dusty Rhodes, Andre the Giant, Larry "The Ax" Hennig, and Wahoo McDaniel, just to name a few. After only a few years with the company, though, Flair, through contacts with McDaniel, opted to move on, leaving for the NWA Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling organization in 1974.

NWA Mid-Atlantic

Flair immediately began to make an impact as soon as he came to Charlotte, teaming up with Rip Hawk to form a dangerous tag-team. The duo won the NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag-Team Titles in July '74, beating Bob Bruggers & Paul Jones. They would hold the belts for nearly a year, before dropping them in February '75 to Jones & his new partner, Tiger Conway Jr. Around the same time, though, Flair compensated by winning his first singles gold, taking the Mid-Atlantic Television Title from Jones, continuing their feud. Jones would win back the title later in the year, only to have Flair regain it in June '75. Flair's 2nd reign only lasted a week, though, before Jones took back the belt.

Once again, though, Flair found a way to turn a negative into a positive. In July '75, Flair made his way to the top of the organization, winning the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship. It was a short but memorable reign, as Wahoo McDaniel beat him for the belt by the end of July. Flair was persistant, though, having a long-running feud with McDaniel over the next few months. In September '75, Flair managed to regain the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Title, taking down McDaniel. Their feud, though, was set to continue for some time.

The Plane Wreck

Just as it seemed that Flair's career was about to explode, an event occurred that nearly ended it, as well as Flair's life. On October 4th, 1975, Flair joined Johnny Valentine, Bob Bruggers, Tim Woods, and David Crockett in a Cessna 310, piloted by Mike Farkas. In one of those ironies that goes with disasters, both Bruggers and Crockett were substitutions, as Wahoo McDaniel opted to drive and David's brother, Jimmy, was too sick to fly. When the plane had more than half-way covered its destination, it ran out of fuel, due to a miscalculation by the pilot. The plane crashed at a bad angle, sending wrestlers tumbling everywhere. Farkas died in the crash after a long time in a coma. Bruggers and Valentine never wrestled again. Flair broke his back in three places, and many speculated that he would never wrestle again.

The Return

Despite what others had to say, though, Flair had no intention of giving up his professional career. After months of recuperation, Flair made his return in early '76, still holding onto the NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Title that he had been holding before the accident. The feud with McDaniel began right where it had left off, with Flair still the heel that everyone wanted to see fall. In May '76, it happened, as Flair dropped the belt to McDaniel. Only a few weeks later, though, Flair managed to reclaim the gold for the third time, cheating to win, as always. He kept the Heavyweight Title for another four months, with McDaniel taking the belt away again. Flair answered back in October '76, becoming a four-time Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champ. This reign lasted another month and a half, as McDaniel snatched back the belt before the end of the year. The two men continued to have an incredible feud for some time, while being good friends behind the scenes.

1977

After losing the Heavyweight Title, Flair began teaming up with Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, the son of the man he was on the plane with, Johnny Valentine. The duo quickly managed to win the NWA World Tag Team Titles from the Minnesota Wrecking Crew (Gene & Ole Anderson) in December '76. The two reigned as champs until May '77, when the Crew won the belts back. For a time, Flair was wearing two belts at once, as he had won the Mid-Atlantic Television Title for the 3rd time in April '77 from Rufus Jones. Flair successfully defended the title for the next few months, but was shockingly upset by a debuting Ricky Steamboat in June '77, creating a feud that lasted for many years.

For a few weeks, Flair had to live without gold around his waist. Of course, he wouldn't let this last. In early July '77, Flair & Greg Valentine managed to arrange for them to be awarded the Mid-Atlantic Tag-Team Titles, Flair's second run with the belts. A short time later, Flair also earned a new belt, the NWA United States Heavyweight Title, taking down Bobo Brazil. This gave Flair and Steamboat two titles to feud over, with Flair staying with Valentine as Steamboat began teaming with Paul Jones. In August '77, Flair & Valentine lost the Mid-Atlantic Tag Titles to Steamboat & Jones. Flair and Steamboat continued to meet in furious battles wherever they went, usually selling out the stadiums. In October '77, Steamboat finally managed to beat Flair for the US Title, ending another reign for the Nature Boy, as he was becoming known (in homage to a former NWA star, "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers).

Once again, Flair quickly compensated for the lack of gold around his waist, as he & Valentine were able to beat the Minnesota Wrecking Crew the next week for the 2nd time, regaining the NWA World Tag-Team Titles. Flair & Valentine continued to make a solid tag-team in the Mid-Atlantic federation, as well as other organizations, representing the National Wrestling Alliance for the rest of 1977 as their tag-team champions.

1978

In April '78, Flair & Valentine were stripped of the NWA World Tag-Team Titles, leaving Flair to head back into the singles ranks. This wasn't a problem for Flair, as he soon defeated Mr. Wrestling (Tim Woods) to become the 2-time NWA United States Heavyweight Champion. This led to more encounters with Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, as the two men feuded for much of the rest of the year. Flair also found himself a new partner in Big John Studd, with the two winning the Mid-Atlantic Tag-Team Titles together at the end of October '78 from Steamboat & Jones. The victory was short-lived, as Steamboat & Jones regained the titles the next week. Near the end of the year, Flair lost the US Title again to Steamboat, and for the first time in years, ended a year without wearing a major title.

1979

After months of attempts and failures, Flair finally managed to beat Steamboat in April '79 to get the NWA United States Title back around his waist. Flair continued to match up against Steamboat routinely over the next few months, as well as having other feuds, including several notable encounters with his namesake, "the Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers. At "The Battle of the Nature Boys" in July, Flair was able to beat the legendary star via the Figure Four Leglock, staying the true Nature Boy in the sport. Flair continued to defend the US Title for another month, until he was forced to vacate the belt after he and Blackjack Mulligan won the NWA World Tag-Team Titles from Paul Jones & Varon von Raschke. Unfortunately for Flair, he & Mulligan lost the belts back to Jones & Raschke only a few weeks later, leaving Flair without either a singles or a tag belt to call his own for a time.

1980

After a few months without gold, Flair became a four-time NWA US Heavyweight Champion in April '80, taking down "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka. Flair ran with the belt for the next few months, enjoying his status as the champ. But Flair had a new challenger to his gold, his old friend and tag-team partner, Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, who beat Flair for the gold in July '80. Flair and Valentine continued their feud for the next five months, with Flair regaining the NWA United States Heavyweight Title in November '80, becoming a 5-time US Champ. It was another milestone for Flair, as he continued to gain respect and honor across America, as well as the rest of the wrestling world.

1981-1982

Going into the new year, Flair, now as a fan favorite, began feuding with another up-and-coming star in "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. Near the end of January '81, Piper, as the Mid-Atlantic Television Champion, defeated Flair to take away the United States Title. The cocky Piper later tried to give Flair the Television Title, saying that he didn't need it anymore. Flair refused, though, saying that he didn't wear anything that he didn't win. The TV belt was vacated, as Flair and Piper continued to feud over the United States Title. Despite his great skills in the ring, though, Flair was unable to take the belt back from Piper. It didn't seem to matter, though, as Flair was beginning to set his sights towards something much higher.

One of the most respected titles in all of wrestling at the time was the NWA World Heavyweight Title. It was the strap that connected several large wrestling organizations, with the champion being called on to wrestle in every one. In September '81, Flair realized the dream of many wrestling super-stars, as he managed to win the NWA World Heavyweight title from Dusty Rhodes. It was Flair's first singles World Title reign, a major accomplishment for a wrestler. Flair would defend the belt all over the world, from facing down Jumbo Tsuruta in Japan for AJPW, to wrestling to a double count-out against the WWWF World Heavyweight Champion, Bob Backlund, to defending against stars like Rhodes, Kerry von Erich, and others.

One of the more interesting incidents occurred in the Dominician Republic, when Flair headed there to face off against Jack Veneno. At the time, wrestling was still considered an actual sport, as the wrestlers worked hard to keep the kayfabe alive. The fans in the country were ravenous, as they heavily rooted for Veneno. The match ended in a 60-minute draw, just as Flair seemed about to submit to Veneno's sleeper hold. The place rioted, with everyone believing that Veneno had actually won, and rather than add to the violence, Flair left without the World Title, leaving it with Veneno. Flair returned later on, to try to 'regain' the gold. But due to the violence of the situation, Flair allowed Veneno to pin him, then later was given back the title, without the NWA acknowledging the transfer of the belt.

1983

Flair's main rival back in the States continued to be Dusty Rhodes, whom almost won the NWA Title from Flair in February '83 under a mask as the Midnight Rider (since Rhodes, at the time, wasn't supposed to compete, having lost a "Loser Leaves Town" Match). When NWA President Bob Geigel told Rhodes he would have to unmask to be the champ, Rhodes was forced to give the belt back to Flair, saving the title. Flair next concentrated on a feud with Harley Race, who finally stopped Flair's title reign in June '83. After Flair executed a suplex to try and hold Race down to the mat, Race got his shoulder up, while Flair didn't. Flair compensated the next month for the lost title, defeating Bob Brown, George Welles, Butch Reed, and finally David von Erich in a tournament to win the vacated NWA Missouri Heavyweight Title. He would stay the champion for the next two months.

Flair's thoughts, however, never left the NWA World Title, as it was arranged for Flair to take on Harley Race at the first Starrcade: Flair For The Gold. Flair was the huge fan favorite coming into the match, having had to deal with Race putting a $25,000 bounty on Flair's head. Flair's friend at the time, "Cowboy" Bob Orton, turned on Flair during a match, with Orton, Race, and d**k Slater beating down the challenger. Flair, with a supposedly injured neck after the assault, announced his retirement, but soon came back to take out both Slater and Orton. At Starrcade, with Gene Kiniski as the special referee, Flair won a bloody "Steel Cage" Match over Race to regain the NWA World Heavyweight Title, becoming a 2-time champion.

1984

In March '84, while on an international tour, Flair dropped the World Title to Race. Only a few days later, in another country, Flair regained the gold, setting himself up for another run with the belt. A few months later, Flair faced off against Kerry von Erich at the David von Erich Memorial Parade of Champions. The emotions were running high, especially after Kerry defeated Flair for the NWA World belt. Just a few weeks later, though, Flair climbed back to the top, dethroning von Erich to get the belt for the 4th time. Flair then spent the rest of '84 as the NWA World Champion, being the major face of the organization to counter the rising threat of the WWF. In October '85, Flair wrestled to a draw with the AWA World Champion, Rick Martel. Flair also had a great showing at Starrcade '84, where he was victorious over Dusty Rhodes, due to special referee "Smokin'" Joe Frazier stopping the match due to Rhodes' blood loss.

1985

Two major developments in '85 began to take Flair's wrestling career on a new course. First, Crockett Promotions, Flair's main organization, merged with Georgia Championship Wrestling to create World Championship Wrestling, or WCW. Second, Flair began teaming up with his 'cousins', Arn & Ole Anderson, and Tully Blanchard, with J.J. Dillon as their manager, forming one of the greatest stables of all time, the Four Horsemen. The group helped Flair stay on the top of the NWA, with Flair gaining a victory at the Great American Bash '85 over Nikita Koloff and retaining the belt, but losing, via DQ, to Dusty Rhodes at Starrcade '85. The symbol of raising four fingers in the air became an infamous sign in professional wrestling, thanks to this group.

1986

Flair continued to defend the NWA World Title against all comers in '86, although many of his matches were regulated by WCW. Flair had various feuds with Barry Windham, Ricky Morton (of the Rock 'n' Roll Express), among others. During the Great American Bash '86 series, Flair won a "Steel Cage" Match over Morton. A few weeks later, though, Flair lost a bloody "Steel Cage" Match to Dusty Rhodes, dropping the title. Just a few weeks later, after the Four Horsemen had badly injured Rhodes' leg, Flair forced Rhodes to pass out to the Figure Four, getting the NWA World Title for the fifth time. Flair would spend the rest of the year as the champion, including getting a DQ win over Nikita Koloff at Starrcade '86.

1987

The Four Horsemen ruled the NWA/WCW area in '87, with, at various points, Flair as the World Champion, Blanchard as the Television Champion, and Arn Anderson & Blanchard as the World Tag Champs. Early in the year, though, a replacement was made, as Ole Anderson was taken out of the group and replaced by Lex Luger. At the Great American Bash '87, Flair, Anderson, Blanchard, Luger, & JJ Dillon faced off against Rhodes, Koloff, the Road Warriors, & Paul Ellering, with Flair's team unfortunately coming up on the losing side of the equation. Luger later turned into a fan favorite, refusing to let J.J. Dillon win the Bunkyard Stampede Battle Royal in December. Luger left the Horsemen, leading to a long protracted feud, which included Barry Windham, Luger's tag-team partner, turning on him and taking his place in the IV Horsemen.

In September '87, Flair lost the NWA World Title to Rugged Ronnie Garvin in a "Steel Cage" Match (which kept the IV Horsemen from interfering). Flair immediately began to try to plan to get the belt back, and faced off against Garvin at Starrcade '87. After another brutual "Steel Cage" Match, Flair got the victory by sending Garvin into the steel and getting the quick pin. Flair thus gained the NWA World Title for the sixth time, although the NWA/WCW contingent only recognized 5 of the reigns (leaving out Flair's trade of the title with Harley Race away from the States).

1988

One of Flair's greatest feuds started in '88. At Clash of the Champions I, Flair went up against a young newcomer calling himself Sting. It was the first meeting between the two wrestlers, and Flair came off overconfident early on. But Sting quickly proved his worth, and the two wrestlers went for a 45-minute draw, with Flair trapped in the Stinger Deathlock at the end. This immediately made Sting a star, creating a new rival for Flair to feed off of. Flair also had his old foes, as well, and defeated Lex Luger via blood loss (Luger couldn't continue) at the Great American Bash '88. For the rest of the year, Flair & the IV Horsemen feuded with Luger, with Flair getting another tainted win over him at Starrcade '88.

1989

At the beginning of '89, Flair & Barry Windham agreed to a match with Eddie Gilbert and a "mystery" partner. The partner turned out to be Ricky Steamboat, who had come out of retirement. Due to Flair & Windham losing to Steamboat & Gilbert that night, Flair fired J.J. Dillon for not adequately preparing them, and hired Hiro Matsuda instead. It was during this period that the "Horsemen" name was put on the shelf, since most of the members had departed for the WWF (Arn & Tully became the Brain Busters, and Windham became the "Widowmaker").

Flair and Steamboat had a series of great matches, leading up to the Chi-Town Rumble in February '89. Flair lost the NWA Title to Steamboat when Steamboat caught him with an inside cradle, pinning him to the mat. Flair immediately began pursuing the gold again, challenging Steamboat at every opportunity for the belt. He became obsessed, telling Hiro Matsuda to let him go after the title alone, breaking off from the Yamazaki Corporation. At Clash of the Champions VI, Flair and Steamboat had a "Three Falls" Match for the NWA World Title. Flair pinned Steamboat in the first fall, but was forced to submit to a standing double-chicken-wing for the second. Steamboat then pinned Flair to retain the title.

Flair didn't give up trying, however, and faced off against Steamboat again at WrestleWar '89 (also called Music City Showdown). With three ringside judges (Lou Thesz, Terry Funk, & Pat O'Connor) looking on, Flair pinned Steamboat to become the 7-time NWA Heavyweight Champion. After the match, Flair and Steamboat showed their respect to each other, getting the cheers of the crowd. Flair then began an interview, talking about the win. It was interrupted, though, by one of the judges, Terry Funk, who said he wanted to challenge for the title. When Flair told him it wouldn't happen, since Funk wasn't on the contenders' list, Funk snapped, attacking Flair and taking him outside, piledriving him through a table! Flair was out of action for more than a month afterwards, mulling over retirement due to a neck injury.

But Flair came back from the piledriver to get his revenge on Funk. The two men met at the Great American Bash '89, with Flair getting the victory. This didn't stop the feud, though, as Flair and Funk met up several times over the next few months, with Flair, now as a fan favorite again, joining up with Sting on occassion, as well as a semi-retired Ole Anderson. At Halloween Havoc '89, Flair & Sting faced off against Funk & the Great Muta (Sting's rival) in a "Thunderdome" Match, with Bruno Sammartino as the guest referee. Once again, Flair's team got the win, but things still weren't settled.

This led to Flair and Funk finally deciding to settle things with an "I Quit" Match at Clash of the Champions IX. An added stipulation was that the loser would have to shake the hand of the winner and tell him that he's the better man. The two men had a brutal brawl, showing the hatred that each had for the other. In the end, Flair latched on the Figure Four Leglock, holding it unmercifully until Funk finally said that he quit. After the match, Funk followed through with the stipulation, shaking Flair's hand.

In December '89, Flair was continuing a feud with the Great Muta, and was in danger of being double-teamed. Surprisingly, Arn & Ole Anderson ran down to the ring to make the save. The three men, along with Sting, reformed the IV Horsemen (Tully Blanchard was going to return as well, but tested positive for cocaine and was not given a contract). It seemed like a great match, but things soon started falling apart between Flair and Sting. At Starrcade '89, in the Iron Man tournament, Flair met Sting in the finals (having beating the Great Muta and fought to a Draw with Luger). Sting upset the champion, winning the tournament and getting a World Title shot.

1990

As the IV Horsemen moved into the new year, there was definite tension, as Flair seemed worried about Sting's desire to challenge him for the NWA World Title. In February '90, Flair & the rest of the Horsemen told Sting to give up the title shot at Clash of the Champions X, but Sting refused, leading to the Horsemen beating him down. Later in the night, during the Horsemen's "Steel Cage" Match with Buzz Sawyer, the Great Muta, & the Dragon Master, Sting ran down to attack, only to injure his leg on the cage, putting him out of action for a time, much to Flair's relief.

In March '90, the IV Horsemen regrouped, with Barry Windham returning from the WWF to rejoin the group. Sid Vicious also became a member, as Ole Anderson stepped aside to become the manager of the faction. With Sting out for a time, Flair feuded with Lex Luger, each match usually having a 'unique' ending. At WrestleWar '90, Flair won via countout, and at Capital Combat, a DQ loss saved Flair's title (with the Horsemen attempting to save Flair). Finally, Sting made his return, and was given the title shot that he had earned at the Great American Bash '90. When Flair went for the Figure Four, Sting rolled him up and got the 3 count, winning away the World Title.

Flair and the rest of the Horsemen pursued Sting's World Title in the coming months, including sending Vicious to challenge Sting at Halloween Havoc '90. In the match, a strangely-off Sting seemed to be having no luck against Vicious, and was pinned, apparently losing the title. As "Sting" headed towards the back, he had a big grin on his face, and a loose flap of 'skin' coming off his head. The real Sting then came out, having escaped from where the Horsemen were holding him in the back, and attacked, revealing the imposter as Windham. Sting eventually went on to beat Vicious and retain the title. Flair wasn't done, though, and underwent a 'transformation' of a sort, playing mind games with Sting as the masked Black Scorpion. Sting was eventually able to beat the Black Scorpion, though, at Starrcade '90,, despite the presence of several masked men at ringside. Sting managed to unmask the head Scorpion, revealing Flair's attempted trickery.

1991

Flair and Sting's battles didn't stop with the unmasking. In January '91, Flair finally managed to regain the World Title, beating his long-time nemesis. It was announced that the title would now be known as the WCW World Heavyweight Title. Flair, as the champion, feuded with El Gigante, a 7'6" giant, as well as Sting and the Steiner Brothers. In March '91, WCW headed to Japan for a show with New Japan Pro Wrestling, entitled Starrcade in Egg Dome. It was here that Flair defended the NWA/WCW Title against Tatsumi Fujinami. In a strange finish, Fujinami pinned Flair, but only after Fujinami had thrown Flair over the top rope earlier on, an illegal maneuver in WCW. It was ruled that Fujinami had won the NWA Title, but Flair was still the WCW Heavyweight Champion, splitting apart the belts. A few months later, at SuperBrawl I, Flair beat Fujinami by grabbing the tights, re-unifying the two titles.

Flair next feuded with Bobby Eaton, beating him in a "Three Falls" Match at Clash of the Champions XV. But by this time, Flair's chief feud was with the financial office, and with the man in charge of WCW at the time, Jim Herd. While Flair was still the WCW Champion, a contract agreement could not be reached, as the people in charge were looking for a cut in salary, something that Flair didn't agree with. Since there was no contract renewal, it was first thought that Flair would lose the title to Lex Luger at the Great American Bash '91. This then changed to having Flair lose to Barry Windham a few days before, and have Windham defend against Luger. Finally, though, it was decided to simply give Flair his release, which turned out to be a terrible decision for WCW, as Flair took his World Title with him when he headed to the competition.

WWF

In August '91, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, a long-time manager, began touting that the "Real World's Champion" was coming to the World Wrestling Federation. Soon, Flair made his first appearance, wearing the NWA/WCW World Title as his own. Flair & Heenan were soon joined by Mr. Perfect, who became part of Flair's staff. Flair's first pay-per-view for the WWF was The Survivor Series '91, where Flair teamed up with "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase, the Warlord, & the Mountie against "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith, Bret "Hitman" Hart, and Virgil. Flair had the first effect, eliminating Smith. Piper's team struck back, though, by taking out their biggest weapon, the Warlord. Soon afterwards, both teams broke down, brawling outside the ring. Only Flair was smart enough to get back in the ring in time, avoiding the countout and winning the match.

1992

Going into the new year, the main topic around the WWF was the vacated WWF World Heavyweight Title. Problems between Hulk Hogan and the Undertaker had led to the belt being held up by President Jack Tunney, and the ruling was that the winner of the 1992 Royal Rumble would become the new champion. Flair decided that this was his chance to bring both his belts together, and was considered one of the favorites going in. His hopes appeared to be dashed, however, when Flair entered at #3, a terrible draw. Bobby Heenan, who was one of the announcers for the event, added his own angst and struggling to the match, making Flair the center of attention. Time and time again, Flair seemed about to go out, yet would somehow hang on. Inbetween these times, Flair eliminated the British Bulldog, Kerry von Erich, and the Big Boss Man. In the end, Flair was in the Final Four. Sid Justice (known as Sid Vicious in WCW) got rid of "Macho Man" Randy Savage, then shockingly tossed Hulk Hogan while Hogan was busy with Flair. Hogan, upset, grabbed Justice's arm from the outside, overbalancing him enough so that the exhausted Flair could toss him out, winning the Rumble and becoming the undisputed WWF World Champion.

Flair would feud with the top faces in the company for the next few months, eventually focusing on Randy Savage. Flair used his mind games along with Heenan & Perfect, announcing that Flair had been seeing Miss Elizabeth, Savage's valet (& wife), in intimate situations. Flair even produced doctored photographs that seemed to show he and Elizabeth hanging out together, although Savage & Elizabeth were able to show the original photos, which featured Savage, not Flair. At Wrestlemania VIII, Flair and Savage met up for the WWF Heavyweight Title. Mr. Perfect, from ringside, interfered constantly, giving Flair a foreign object to use at one point. Despite everything, though, Savage was able to roll Flair up for the victory, taking away the title. After the match, a bloody Flair forcibly kissed Elizabeth, elicting a slap from Elizabeth, followed by another brawl with Savage.

Flair continued to feud with Savage over the summer of '92, with Flair bringing in Razor Ramon (Scott Hall) as another ally. In September '92, at a television taping, Flair, with help from Mr. Perfect & Ramon, made Savage pass out from the Figure Four, becoming a 2-time WWF World Champion. Flair seemed set for a nice reign as the champion, with many opponents to go against. However, a fluke injury occurred in October, when, after an Ultimate Warrior suplex was botched, Flair had a bone chip in his inner ear break loose and cause dizziness, upsetting his equilibrium. Flair, unable to perform, quickly dropped the World Title to Bret Hart, then eventually recovered from the problem. It was around this time that Flair had a major falling out with Mr. Perfect, with the two beginning to feud. At the '92 Survivor Series, Flair & Razor Ramon tagged against "the Perfect Team", Mr. Perfect & Savage. Flair & Ramon lost via DQ.

1993

Going into the new year, Flair once again set his sights on winning The '93 Royal Rumble. It seemed likely that Flair, who had proved he could last a long time, would get a better draw. Yet somehow Flair beat the odds, entering this time as the #1 entrant and facing off against Bob Backlund at the beginning. Flair managed to toss out Papa Shango (later known as the Godfather), but couldn't last as long as last year. He was eventually tossed out by his rival, Mr. Perfect. Not long after the pay-per-view, Flair and Mr. Perfect agreed to have a "Loser Leaves Town" Match on Raw. Despite Flair's best efforts, Mr. Perfect got the victory with the Perfect Plex, ending Flair's short-but-successful stint with the World Wrestling Federation.

WCW

Flair made his triumphant return to World Championship Wrestling in February '93, immediately rejoining with his good friend, Arn Anderson. For a while, Flair ran a "talk show" of sorts on WCW television (since he had to wait out his no-compete clause from the WWF). During one of these shows, Flair brought out "Pretty" Paul Roma, who would join with Flair, Arn, & Ole Anderson as the newest reincarnation of the IV Horsemen. The group worked as fan favorites, feuding with the Hollywood Blondes (Brian Pillman & Steve Austin), among others. In June '93, at Clash of the Champions XXIII, Flair & Arn Anderson took on the Hollywood Blondes in a "Three Falls" Match for the Blondes' WCW Tag-Team Titles. Flair & Arn won the match, but since one of the falls was a disqualification victory, the Hollywood Blondes kept the belts.

Flair did find other gold to go after, however. In July '93, Flair defeated former Horsemen Barry Windham at Beach Blash '93 to regain an old friend, the NWA Heavyweight Title (which was a separate title from the WCW World Heavyweight Title). This was Flair's 10th reign as NWA Champion, although it was possibly the least prestigious, as the title no longer held as much meaning as it once had. At Fall Brawl '93, Flair lost the NWA Title (now called the WCW International Heavyweight Title) to "Ravishing" Rick Rude. Flair tried to regain the belt from Rude at Halloween Havoc '93, but lost via DQ.

So Flair aimed towards the WCW World Heavyweight Title, which was currently being held by the monster named Vader. At successive PPVs, Flair met up against the monster, and couldn't manage to snatch away the title. Finally, at the biggest stage of the year, Starrcade '93, Flair and Vader met up with the belt on the line. Flair had spoken before the match that, if he couldn't win the title this time, he would retire. The two men had a brutal match, pulling no punches against the other. Vader had his manager, Flair's old foe Harley Race, aiding him, but Flair had the fans behind him, and managed to roll up Vader for the pin, becoming a 2-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion (14-time World Champion over-all).

1994

Flair continued as a face for the next few months, as he continued to meet up with Vader at several pay-per-views, always managing to come out with the title. At Superbrawl '94, Flair and Vader settled things in a "Thundercage" Match, with the Boss (the Big Boss Man) as the special guest referee. Flair again came out victorious, staying the champion. Flair then entered into a feud with his long-time adversary, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat. By now, Flair was beginning to become a heel again, with Arn Anderson by his side. In April '94, Flair and Steamboat wrestled a competitive match, that ended with both men's shoulders on the mat for the 3 count. This led to the WCW World Title being held up. A week later, the two wrestlers met again, and this time Flair won out, reclaiming his World Title. Flair would add another prize soon enough, as he defeated Sting at Clash of the Champions XXVII to unify the WCW World Title with the WCW International World Title, ending the run of that belt.

In the summer months, Flair had to deal with "the Immortal" Hulk Hogan, who had come over from the WWF (in part due to Flair's backstage negotiations). At Bash At The Beach '94, Flair and Hogan went at it for the WCW World Title. Flair had "Sensational" Sherri in his corner, while Hogan brought a posse of Jimmy Hart, Shaquille O'Neal, and Mr. T. Sensational Sherri did her best to interfere, taking out the referee at one point, and giving Flair brass knuckles to hit Hogan with at another. Yet Flair couldn't keep the Hulkster down, and finally, after Hulking Up, Hogan got the Big Legdrop and won the match, taking away the World Championship.

At Clash of the Champion XXVIII, Flair got a rematch against Hogan. He also got some help from a masked man, who tried to take out Hogan's knee (I believe this was later revealed to be the Butcher, aka Ed Leslie, but I'm not certain). Hogan was eventually counted out due to the pain in his leg, giving Flair the win, but not the title. The final match of the competition was set up for Halloween Havoc '94, with Flair putting his career on the line. The bout was a "Steel Cage" Match, with Hogan having the odds stacked in his favor by having Mr. T as the special referee. Flair fought hard, knowing the stakes, but he couldn't complete it, as Hogan won out, apparently ending Flair's career in WCW.

1995

At WCW Uncensored '95, "Macho Man" Randy Savage was wrestling against Avalanche (John Tenta). During the match, a woman could be seen at ringside. A strangely proportioned woman. The 'woman', aka Flair in drag, attacked Savage, causing the DQ. Flair was quickly revealed, as he brought Savage into the ring to help Avalanche squash him. Later on, Flair & Arn Anderson tried to help out Vader in his "Strap" Match against Hogan for the World Title. In a strange twist, though, Hogan managed to get the strap on Flair, then dragged him to all four corners, which apparently counted as the win. For a while afterwards, Flair tried to get reinstated to active status as a wrestler, with Hogan & Savage (for less pleasing reasons) asking for the same thing. The WCW Board of Directors relented, bringing Flair back to the ring.

Flair teamed up with his former enemy, Vader, to take on Hogan & Savage at Slamboree '95. Savage had his father, former wrestler Angelo Poffo, at ringside, as the bout took place. Hogan & Savage won out, but Flair got some revenge, taking out Poffo before he left. Flair and Savage fought again at The Great American Bash '95. Poffo was once again at ringside, but this proved to be more of a detriment for Savage, as Flair was able to steal Poffo's cane and hit Savage, knocking him out and allowing Flair to get the pinfall. Savage got revenge the next month, though, winning a "Lifeguard Lumberjack" Match over Flair at Bash At The Beach '95.

Flair & Anderson next had to deal with a falling out with Vader. The three men signed to have a "Handicap" Match at Clash of the Champions XXXV. Although Flair & Arn had the advantage, problems between them allowed Vader to capitalize and win out. After the match, Flair and Anderson continued to have issues, which eventually led to the two long-time friends opting to sign a match to face off at Fall Brawl '95. It was an epic match, that had many WCW wrestlers come out to watch, since the two men had never faced off before. After a lot of back-and-forth action, the ending was marred when "Flyin'" Brian Pillman opted to interfere, nailing Ric with a huge kick from the outside to allow Anderson to get the pin and the victory.

Flair continued to feud with Anderson & Pillman for a time, with his foes claiming to be the "real" Horsemen. Flair started asking Sting to be his tag-team partner, but Sting didn't trust the Nature Boy. Flair helped prove his point somewhat, though, taking on Anderson & Pillman in a "Handicap" Match, which Sting eventually coming out to help. After much pleading by Flair, he got Sting to join up with him as his partner against Anderson & Pillman at Halloween Havoc '95. Before the match, though, Flair was apparently taken out, leaving Sting this time to fight in a "Handicap" Match. After holding his own for a while, Sting was finally joined by Flair, who desperately wanted to make the tag. But when it happened, Flair turned on Sting, joining with Anderson & Pillman to beat the man down.

Flair and Sting had it out a month later at World War III '95, in a brutal match that saw Sting take the victory. Later on, Flair competed in the Battle Royal as well, but again couldn't last, especially with how spent he was. Flair did get a boost, though, with the addition of Chris Benoit to make the IV Horsemen again a complete set. At Starrcade '95, Flair was entered into a "#1 Contenders Triangle" Match against Lex Luger and Sting. Flair, with the Horsemen nearby, got the victory, to earn a World Title shot against Savage that night. Thanks to a lot of interference from all three Horsemen, especially with Anderson using some brass knuckles on Savage, Flair got the victory, again becoming the WCW World Heavyweight Champion.

1996

Only a few weeks into '96, Flair dropped the title back to Savage, after a miscue from Anderson ko'ed the wrong wrestler. Things weren't settled between the two, though, so a "Steel Cage" Match was signed between Flair and Savage at Superbrawl '96. Flair had his former manager, Woman, in his corner, while Savage had Miss Elizabeth. During the match, Woman tried to interfere on Flair's behalf, with limited results. Miss Elizabeth, though, proved to be the deciding factor, as she turned on Savage and handed Flair a shoe to knock him out with, allowing Flair to regain the WCW World Heavyweight Title, his 5th official reign (and 17th World Title reign over-all).

After a few months at the top, Flair had to face the challenge of the largest athlete in the world, the Giant. Despite the help of the IV Horsemen (which was actually only Anderson & Benoit, since Pillman was no longer with the company), Flair couldn't stop the Giant, losing the World Title to him. Still, Flair continued to work with Anderson & Benoit as a strong group, looking for one more recruit. At the Great American Bash '96, Flair & Anderson signed to fight two former football stars in Kevin Greene and Steve "Mongo" McMichael. In a startling twist, though, McMichael turned his back on Greene and instead joined the IV Horsemen, getting the group up to the numbers. A month later, at Bash At The Beach '96, Flair gained the United States Heavyweight Title for the 6th time, beating Konnan. Flair would hold the belt for the next few months, while joining in feuds against the growing threat of the new World order, but tore his rotator cuff during a match in September '96 with Kensuke Sasaki in the Japan/United States All-Star Tournament, leaving him badly injured. He eventually vacated the title.

1997

After his return from the shoulder injury, Flair teamed some with "Rowdy" Roddy Piper against the nWo, challenging the Outsiders for the Tag-Team Titles at the Great American Bash '97. The Outsiders won out, though, and Flair & Piper had a falling out, eventually facing off against each other at Bash At The Beach '97, where Piper won out by putting Flair to sleep. Flair & the rest of the Horsemen became a major power front for WCW, even as the nWo tried to take over the organization. Unfortunately, one member of the Horsemen was not going to be able to help out. Arn Anderson, who had had Jeff Jarrett 'unofficially' replace him in the Horsemen for a time, announced his retirement at the end of August '97, with Curt Hennig (formerly Mr. Perfect in the WWF) picked to take over his spot. This seemed like a good choice, but it couldn't have backfired worse, as Hennig turned on the Horsemen at Fall Brawl '97, joining with the nWo force to help destroy the Horsemen in the War Games match.

Flair sought his revenge against Hennig over the next few months, first facing him at Halloween Havoc '97, with the United States Title around Hennig's waist on the line. Just when Flair seemed to have Hennig's number, though, the nWo interfered, causing the DQ. The two hated foes met again at World War III '97, again with the gold on the line. Near the end, Flair had Hennig in the Figure Four Leglock, and seemed to be about to get the victory, when Hennig got hold of his US Title and clocked Flair with it, knocking him out. Hennig then got the pin for the victory, keeping Flair from his revenge. Flair then faded into the background for a few months, recovering from the decimation of the Horsemen.

1998

Flair started out '98 feuding with Bret "Hitman" Hart, who had come to WCW after the Montreal Screwjob in the WWF. Flair and Hart had arguments about who the best technical wrestler was, and ended up facing off at Souled Out '98. Although Flair put on a strong showing, the younger Hart won out, making Flair submit to the Sharpshooter. Flair's contract with WCW expired in February '98, but Flair continued to work with the company, while working on another deal. However, in April '98, Flair's son, Reid, qualified for the AAU National Wrestling Tournament (he went on to win). Flair, a proud father, asked for time off to see the tournament. Instead, the current manager, Eric Bischoff, refused. Flair took the time off, anyway, and was promptly 'fired' by Bischoff and sued for Breach of Contract (even though Flair wasn't currently UNDER contract!). Flair answered back with a counter-suit, leading to a 4-month legal battle.

In September '98, Flair came out on a Monday Nitro to a huge explosion by the audience. He joined Arn Anderson, Chris Benoit, Steve "Mongo" McMichaels and Dean Malenko (who had been pushing hard for Anderson to bring the group back) in the ring, and effectively restored the Four Horsemen. Flair then proceeded to lead the Horsemen into a war against Eric Bischoff and the nWo Black 'n' White. Flair and Bischoff had many altercations, including his son, Reid, out-wrestling Bischoff, and a controversial staged heart attack by Ric. The "heart attack" was later changed to Flair having been poisoned, apparently by Bischoff. Flair and Bischoff met at Starrcade '98, where, due to nWo interference (specifically Curt Hennig), Flair lost. However, the two met again a few days later during a Monday Nitro. Flair, with the Horsemen keeping the nWo occupied, defeated Bischoff to become the WCW President for 90 days (if Flair had lost, he would have retired).

1999

With Flair as the President, things started heating up between himself and the champion, "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan. As President, Flair, with his son, David, made a match for Souled Out '99 against Barry Windham & Curt Hennig, which the two Flairs won with the help of Arn Anderson's tire iron. But Hogan and the rest of the nWo came out and attacked the Flairs, beating on David while holding Ric back. Next, during a Monday Nitro, David Flair defeated Bischoff (with help from Randy Anderson giving him a roll of quarters), allowing Ric to stay the President for life. This also got Bischoff's head shaved, which made Hogan angry. Subsequently, Hogan and Flair were signed to face each other for the World Title at the next PPV, Superbrawl IX. But at the PPV, Ric was betrayed by his own son, who zapped him with a cattle prod, enabling Hogan to get the pin. David had apparently been seduced by Torrie Wilson into betraying his father. This started Flair down a dark road...

The next month had the IV Horsemen and the nWo Wolfpac attacking each other, including a beating on Flair by most of the nWo. At Uncensored '99, Flair made a First Blood Cage Match with Hogan for the World Title. At the PPV, Hogan seemed to have the win, making Flair bleed after scraping his face with barbed wire. The referee, Charles Robinson, ignored the wound. After Arn Anderson took out David Flair, who was at ringside, Ric Flair put on the Figure Four leglock, getting the surprising win and regaining the WCW World Heavyweight Title, as well as still being the President of WCW.

Once becoming the champion, Flair became more and more of a "Bischoff" lookalike, making matches and always having his crooked friend, Charles Robinson, as the referee. Flair started to insult the fans again, and helped to turn the IV Horsemen, once again, into one of the biggest heel groups in professional wrestling. Flair also became involved in multiple feuds, which came to a head at Spring Stampede '99, when Flair had to face Sting, Diamond Dallas Page, and Hollywood Hogan in a Four-Way match for the World Title. Flair was pinned by Diamond Dallas Page, losing the title.

In late April '99, Flair began pulling bigger and bigger stunts as the President, signing papers without reading them and calling himself the President of the USA sometimes. This caused "Rowdy" Roddy Piper to get a few items signed, including committing Flair to a mental hospital, taking him out of action. After a brief time spent in a mental ward (where he ran into Scott Hall), Flair returned to face Piper for the Presidency of the company at Slamboree '99. Although Piper dominated the match, since "L'il Natch" Charles Robinson was the ref, Flair was given the pinfall victory after a foreign object shot. However, Eric Bischoff reappeared and came to the ring, telling Flair that Piper had won the match, apparently making Piper the President. But Flair disputed this call, claiming that Bischoff didn't have the power.

For the next month, the feud between Flair and Piper continued, and they agreed to a rematch at the Great American Bash '99, with the Presidency on the line once again. During the match, Flair got the Figure Four on Piper. Buff Bagwell then came out to help, attacking Flair and giving him the DQ win. Bagwell had been promised "the ball" by Piper if the Rowdy One won. However, after the match, Piper surprisingly sided with Flair against Bagwell, beating him. Flair then made Piper the Vice President of WCW. Flair soon became the leader of the more 'established' wrestlers, facing the tide of the youth movement, led by Buff Bagwell. Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko, two of Flair's former Horsemen, sided with Bagwell against Flair & Arn Anderson. Flair in turn brought in Diamond Dallas Page, Bam-Bam Bigelow, and later Kanyon to his group. The two groups battled for a few weeks, but nothing came out of it.

Soon, Flair and Page had a 'disagreement' that led to them breaking apart as a group. Page joined with Sting and "The Total Package" Lex Luger, both of whom had turned heel. Flair came out to protest what Sting and Luger were doing, and was viciously beat as a result. So Flair joined up with Hulk Hogan and Bret Hart against the force, going to war with Diamond Dallas Page at Halloween Havoc '99 in a Strap match that turned very ugly. During the match, Page's allies attacked both Flair and his son, David (who had reconciled, in an insane sort of way, with his father), getting Page the victory. Flair was out of wrestling for a while afterwards, as David fought his battles for him, facing Kimberly Page, and then DDP, in successive PPVs, while Ric Flair recuperated, among other activites. One of the most (in)famous moments of October was when Ric Flair, taking his son's place in a hotel room, surprised Kimberly, who had given David the key in hopes of drugging him. Whatever went on in the room did not go to air.

2000

In the year 2000, Ric Flair again returned to his heel ways, joining with Luger to form "Team Package". While having short battles with guys like Sting and Hogan, Flair also renewed an old war, going at it with "the Commissioner" Terry Funk. In a Texas Death Match which was very brutal, Flair, with some help from his allies, defeated Funk at Superbrawl X. Soon after, Flair began a serious war of words and fists against Hulk Hogan, his long-time nemesis. When Hogan challenged Flair to a Yapapa Indian Strap match at Uncensored '00, Flair accepted. The two met in another brutal match, this time with Hogan coming out successful, despite Team Package's best efforts. Hogan and Flair then killed their feud quickly, as a major change was on the horizon for WCW.

In April '00, Vince Russo and Eric Bischoff returned to the fold, taking over the reins of WCW. They formed a group of the younger wrestlers, calling them the New Blood. Flair, along with Hogan, became a focal point for the New Blood, as Russo immediately began calling Flair out. Flair became one of the 'leaders' of the Millionaires' Club, along with Hogan, Luger, Diamond Dallas Page, Sid Vicious, and other established stars. Team Package, still united through the change, were put in the tag-team tournament for the vacated belts, against all the New Blood had to offer. Despite defeating the Mamalukes and the Harris Boys, Flair and Luger were unable to get past Buff Bagwell & Shane Douglas in the finals, at Spring Stampede '00, mostly due to New Blood trickery.

In anger over what had occured, Flair began a long-awaited feud with Shane Douglas, who had been calling Flair out for years (back in the days of Extreme Championship Wrestling). The two went to war at Slamboree '00, with Russo continuing to aid Douglas. But the true difference came when David Flair returned to the scene, betraying his father (once again) and causing him to lose the match. This began another dark time in Flair's family life. Ric came to the next Nitro, pleading for David to come with him, to straighten things out. But Russo continued to fill David's head, saying that, since Ric neglected David throughout most of his life, Russo was now his father. The battles between Ric and the New Blood continued, with many mind games being played by Russo & David Flair.

This did not stop Flair from adding onto his record. After winning a Battle Royale that made him #1 Contender to the World Title, Flair faced off against Jeff Jarrett. In a shocker, Flair rolled up Double J to win the WCW World Title for yet another reign. However, at the next Thunder, after a tag match, Flair collapsed. It was diagnosed as an inner ear problem, but it also had many concerned for Flair's health. During Nitro the next week, Russo 'stripped' Flair of the belt for health reasons, and gave it back to Jarrett. This lasted but a few days, as Kevin Nash defeated Jarrett for the belt, then gave it back to Ric Flair free and clear. Unfortunately, Flair's run with the belt this time lasted less than a day, as, at the same show, Flair was triple-teamed by Russo's regime, losing the belt back to Jarrett despite his best efforts.

Flair continued to fight against Russo and his son, including an epic battle inside a Hell in a Cell. Russo and Flair fought all over, with David Flair appearing inside the cage to help. Russo even climbed onto the roof through an escape hatch in the ceiling, only to be shoved back through the hole by Ric. The match ended with a splash of New Blood Paint, leaving Ric pinned while in David Flair's figure-four. Ric and David signed to face each other at the Great American Bash '00, father vs. son, with the stipulation that, if Ric lost, he would be forced to retire from the sport of wrestling. During the battle, Russo managed to get a pair of handcuffs on Ric, giving David many openings. But Ric's other son, Russ, and his daughter, Ashley, played a key role, and Ric came back, putting the handcuffs on Russo, then making his own son submit to the Figure Four, winning the match. However, the next night on Nitro, Ric wrestled Russo with the same stipulations in place. Russo used trickery and the power of the New Blood to take out Flair, thus "retiring" him.

Flair came back a few months later, not as a wrestler, but as the new Chief Executive Officer of WCW. He continued to make his presence felt for the next few months, usually countering "Commissioner" Mike Sanders during the Natural Born Thrillers' battles with the InSiders, Kevin Nash & Diamond Dallas Page. Flair seemed to have it in for the heels of the company, including "Big Poppa Pump" Scott Steiner.

2001

At the beginning of 2001, Flair began having a "mystery man" launch assaults on Steiner, Jeff Jarrett, and other heels. This led up to WCW Sin, where the mystery wrestler was put into the main event with World Champion Steiner, Sid Vicious, and Jarrett. It all turned out to be a swerve, though, when the "mystery man" was revealed to be Road Warrior Animal, Flair's new bodyguard, who helped Steiner win and retain the title (this was the match where Vicious horribly broke his leg while attempting to come off the turnbuckle, prematurely ending the match).

Flair's group soon became known as the Magnificent Seven, consisting of Scott & Rick Steiner, Jarrett, Lex Luger, Buff Bagwell, Animal, & Flair. With Flair in charge of WCW as the CEO, his group became the most destructive since the nWo, doing whatever they wanted. Flair had a minor feud with the "Commissioner" at the time, Ernest "The Cat" Miller. But Miller voluntarily gave up his Commissionership to go after Kanyon, giving Flair all the power. However, Flair wasn't without enemies. At one Nitro, Flair brought Dustin Rhodes out and tried to give him a contract, to get him to sign with Flair's group. Rhodes instead cursed Flair out and attacked him, until Animal came out to double-team him. Enter Dusty Rhodes, Flair's long-time nemesis, who helped his son clear the ring. This led to a protracted feud between Flair and his partner, Jeff Jarrett, against the Rhodes. After a long build-up, the two forces were scheduled to wrestle at WCW Greed, Flair's return to the ring. During the night, Dusty was shown with 240 burritos, and said that he was going to make Jarrett & Flair kiss his ass. During the match, both Flair & Jarrett got Figure-Fours on the Rhodes, but both broke free. Dustin rolled up Jarrett to get the victory. Flair then ran from the ring, avoiding the stinkface, which allowed Jarrett to get it from Dusty instead.

The next night, on Nitro, Dusty said that Flair had only postponed the inevitable, and said that Flair had to kiss his ass. He again showed the burritos to be eaten as well. Later that night, Flair & Jarrett came out, with Flair saying that he wasn't going to kiss any ass. The Rhodes then came out, bringing with them a donkey named "Silver Dollar", aka, an ass. Dusty told Flair that he had to kiss it. Flair wanted to make Jarrett do it, but Jarrett refused. The two men then brawled with Dusty & Dustin, but were ultimately both forced to pucker up to the mule.

Soon afterwards, it was announced that Vince McMahon had bought WCW, and that the Season Finale, on March 26th, 2001, would be the last show under Ted Turner's ownership. Flair came out at the beginning of the Season Finale and talked about all the great superstars that had passed through WCW's doors. Flair then said that he wanted to go out with a bang, and called out Sting, one of his greatest foes. Sting reappeared later in the show, saying that he wouldn't miss it for the world. Flair and Sting went at it in the main event, showing the fans one last time what WCW had been all about. In a classic match that went back and forth, showing off every signature move of the two superstars, we saw wrestling personified. In the end, Sting got on the Scorpion Deathlock, and Flair tapped. After the match, both men embraced, letting loose the emotion of the moment.

WWF

At the '01 Survivor Series, Vince McMahon's WWF team managed to defeat Shane & Stephanie McMahon's WCW/ECW Alliance team in an "Elimination" Match, with Kurt Angle betraying the Alliance to help the Rock pin "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. On the next Raw, which was held in Charlotte, North Carolina, Vince McMahon was all smiles, punishing many former Alliance members in several ways (including having William Regal kiss his backside). At the end of the night, McMahon came out to the ring with Angle and the WWF World Title. McMahon talked about how Austin, the champion, had not shown up to do it personally, but that he was still going to strip him of the title and give it to Angle, whom he thought deserved it. However, McMahon was interrupted by Ric Flair's music! The Nature Boy walked out to a huge explosion from the hometown crowd. When McMahon demanded to know why Flair was there, Flair replied that he had bet on a winner, having bought Stephanie & Shane's WWF stocks beforehand. Therefore, since McMahon's team had won, Flair was now his partner as a co-owner of the WWF! Austin then came out and attacked Angle, reclaiming his WWF Title and drinking beers with Flair.

Although Flair and McMahon were equal partners, they frequently went at odds with each other over the next few months, as Flair played the "face" co-owner, while McMahon was the "heel". Flair sided with many of the top stars, including Steve Austin, the Rock, and Rob Van Dam, while McMahon had guys like Kurt Angle, William Regal, & the Undertaker on his side. On a December '01 Raw, when McMahon & Angle were set to face Trish Stratus & the Rock in a match (with the Rock having to kiss McMahon's backside if he lost), Flair added the reverse stipulation that McMahon would have to kiss the Rock's backside if their team lost. Thanks to Austin's interference, McMahon's team fell, leaving McMahon to have to pucker up to the Rock on the next Smackdown in order to save Angle's title shot at the pay-per-view (McMahon actually ended up kissing Rikishi's behind instead, which was far worse).

At Vengeance '01, Chris Jericho, with help from Vince McMahon, won the first Undisputed Heavyweight Championship (a unification of the WWF and WCW World Titles). During Jericho's final match with Steve Austin, Flair and McMahon got into it, with McMahon getting the better end of the brawl. On the next Raw, Flair, true to his word, handed Jericho the two titles, giving him his moment in the spotlight. Right afterwards, though, Flair announced that Jericho would have to defend the Undisputed Championship that night in a "Steel Cage" Match against Austin (Jericho retained due to Booker T's interference). For the rest of the year, Flair continued to place Jericho in title situations, while also feuding with McMahon.

On the last Smackdown of the year, Mr. McMahon came out and started telling all of his New Year's resolutions, including becoming more powerful than ever before. He was interrupted by Flair, who went on a long tirade about McMahon's recent actions. Flair also brought out a contract that he had discovered, showing the name as "Vince McMahon - Owner/Wrestler". This meant that Flair had the power to put McMahon in a match, so he scheduled McMahon vs. Flair at the next pay-per-view!

2002

Animosity was high between the two owners going into the new year. On one Raw, McMahon embarrassed Flair, first by wearing a Flair wig and robe, then by knocking out Flair with a lead pipe when Flair came down to the ring. McMahon talked about how he loved to abuse his power and destroy lives. Flair came back by abusing his own power, making the match at the PPV a "Street Fight", with no disqualifications, no countouts, and no rules. At the '02 Royal Rumble, Flair and McMahon met up in their brutal match. The fight quickly went to the outside, where Flair was bloodied. McMahon added insult to injury by grabbing the camera from Megan Flair (Flair's daughter) and taking a picture of her father being beaten up. McMahon then tried to win with the Figure Four, but Flair reversed it, causing McMahon to go for a lead pipe. This backfired on him, though, as Flair got a low blow in to take the momentum away. Flair then took McMahon to the outside, smashing him into a monitor and cutting him open. Flair then demanded to see a replay of the hit on the very monitor he was watching! Flair also headed back to his daughter, having her take a very different picture, before taking McMahon back into the ring. Flair nailed McMahon in the head with the lead pipe, then put on the Figure Four, forcing McMahon to tap out and getting Flair a huge victory.

Flair came out to celebrate with the crowd on the next Raw, talking about how good it felt to win. He was interrupted by McMahon, who got into the ring as if to fight, but then opted to leave instead. McMahon then talked about how he wasn't the only one that had lost, that everyone in the WWF had lost. On the next Smackdown, in several dark segments, McMahon revealed how much the loss to Flair had caused him. He said that Flair had brought a "terminal cancer" to the WWF, but only he would be allowed to destroy his creation. So he would inject a lethal dose of poision into the WWF. He would bring in the new World order.

Flair confronted McMahon about the decision a week later on Raw, asking him not to destroy his own company. McMahon replied that the only way he wouldn't bring in the nWo would be if Flair gave up his half of the WWF stocks. After a few days' thought, Flair seemed to agree to the terms, coming out and saying goodbye to the crowd on Smackdown, that he had to think of the fans in this instance. McMahon arranged for the transfer to occur in the ring later that night, insulting Flair and calling him a loser, among other things. When Flair came out, he seemed to be having second thoughts, as the fans chanted for him not to sign. After hesitating, Flair began to sign his name, but was interrupted by "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, who came out and asked the fans to give a "Hell Yeah" if they wanted Flair to rip up the contract. The fans, of course, agreed, even as McMahon tried to get a cheap shot on Flair. Flair blocked it, then struck him back, allowing Austin to get the Stone Cold Stunner on McMahon. Flair then ripped up the contract, staying the 50% owner of the WWF.

Although Flair seemed to second-guess his actions later (especially after Arn Anderson was quoted as saying he made the wrong decision), he stood by what the fans wanted, even as McMahon announced that the nWo would be returning at the next pay-per-view. Flair also started to have problems with the Undertaker. After the Dead Man savagely beat down the Rock, injuring him, Flair confronted the Undertaker about it, with the two having words. Flair set the Undertaker to face the Rock at the next PPV, and also placed the Undertaker into a match with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin that night (the match ended in a DQ when Chris Jericho attacked Austin). At No Way Out '02, during the Undertaker/Rock match-up, the Dead Man took out the referee, then went for a lead pipe on his motorcycle. Flair then came out to stop him, with McMahon appearing later to try to go after the Rock. In the end, Flair nailed the Undertaker with the lead pipe, allowing the Rock to get the Rock Bottom for the pinfall victory.

The Undertaker came into Flair's office on the next Raw with a challenge to the Nature Boy, saying that he wanted to face Flair at Wrestlemania. Flair, though, surprisingly declined the challenge, saying that he wanted to focus on being an owner, not a wrestler. The Undertaker didn't take this news well, saying that he would change Flair's mind. Over the next few weeks, that's what the Undertaker did. On one show, the Undertaker took out Arn Anderson, brutally bloodying him in the ring. Later, the Dead Man went down to Ohio Valley Wrestling and destroyed Flair