Ric Flair turns 60 today. And what an entertaining 60 years it has been for the Nature Boy and all of us who've watched him. I grew up watching him on TV, back when I was a wrestling fan. I lost interest around the age of 13, but wrestlers like Flair, Hulk Hogan, and Randy Savage produced many memorable Saturday afternoons after the cartoons had gone off.
Ric Flair, whose birth name is Richard Fliehr, is Charlotte's biggest celebrity. Why? Because he's lived here for decades--before it was cool to do so, before we had other professional athletes--and he's always been very accessible. I've seen him out a number of times. You can easily catch him out at a restaurant or bar, and he doesn't seem to miss a grand opening. Everyone has a Ric Flair story. One of the best I've heard involve him doing push ups in the middle of a restaurant while onlookers yelled his famous "Woooooo!"
But Flair's life hasn't always been cause for celebration. He's survived a plane crash, an infamous road rage incident that led to his arrest, he's going through his third divorce, and he had a fight last year with his daughter's boyfriend that left him with a black eye. The latter didn't stop him from making public appearances, which led to photos of the black-eyed tan man hitting the 'net. But that's what makes him so endearing. He has a larger-than-life persona that few possess. He retired from wrestling last year and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. He's focusing on his many business ventures, but is still heavily involved in the sport, making appearances and challenging Chris Jericho to a fight. Here's to another 60, Ric.
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