WWE HOFer Ric Flair Reflects On How His Character Led To Reckless Spending

Ric Flair's charismatic promos and extravagant entrances set him apart from his peers at the height of his career, and all the news about the crazy antics 'The Nature Boy' got up to outside of the ring only served to further emphasize his larger-than-life persona. Flair claims that the line between his in-ring persona and who he really is is almost non-existent. 

"All of it was really me," Flair admitted during an interview on Roman Sharf's "Dual Time Podcast." He then explained that being into your character and living it makes you a lot more identifiable to the audience because they can see through the artifice.

"If you're talking about driving a Rolls-Royce, you better have one. I've had one. If you're talking about flying in a jet and owning an airplane, I've been flying in private jets my whole life, and I did own an airplane," Flair claimed, adding that his personal plane crashed and almost killed him while the pilot and two others died. The veteran then claimed that he's bought 320 alligator shoes since 1981 from Bruce Teilhaber of Friedman Shoes, which he believes lends credit to how seriously he takes his image.

Flair further expressed that nobody will know how much money you make unless you tell them, so wearing expensive clothes sends a message that you do have money. 

"It was not always cost-effective, but it was me," he added, explaining that it was easy to be 'The Nature Boy' because he always wanted a flashy lifestyle.

Ric Flair's reputation for wild parties is also another aspect that comes along with his character, and even at his current age, he still unfortunately trends when someone catches him drunk in a bar. Flair has also pulled his wrestling peers into pushing their alcohol limits, like Shawn Michaels, who he convinced to get drunk with him after 'HBK' had began turning his life around.

"I'm famous for buying drinks," he recalled. "I was making more money than the guys I was hanging around with, and I felt like – for them to come out with me -the least I could do was pay the tab; does that make sense?" Flair argued that he felt like it would be unfair to have his wrestling friends spend money they didn't have, especially when they'd have to go back and explain it to their wives.

Conversely, Flair never believed that he owed any of his wives an explanation about his antics, and boldly stated that he'd just tell them what he was doing. "If they didn't like it? They're gone," he admitted. "Hence four divorces! One of them actually had the nerve to ask me one time what I had in common with John Cena, because he was 30 years younger than me. I said: 'You know what? Lemme think about that and I'll get back to you tomorrow!'"

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Roman Sharf's "Dual Time Podcast," and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.