people love you I could still do it
physically and here I’d lost it so if
that doesn’t happen we don’t know a
Nature Boy today under will champion is
the 1983 doesn’t travel I can’t see you
in your element it’s like it’s like
Michael on the basketball court like you
mark in your element you are where you
belong I could fly to Tokyo for one
match fly over to London for another and
be in st. Louis all in one fucking
weekend so if you’re my age in your late
30s maybe in your early 40s you remember
the time when there was a wrestler this
man was larger than life I don’t know if
you’ve heard of this guy’s name is
Nature Boy Ric Flair we’re sitting
within a 16-time champion maybe 21 they
need to do a little research about the
other five but sixteen time champion the
only I think two-time Hall of Famer they
rien ducted you one time right when he
got back into it and you know I went to
the single and once it’s one of the
forwards went well that’s right because
you guys had your crew going yeah a lot
of times you know I was in the army and
my friends we party very hard and we
thought we parted very hard and we were
so proud of it in the army to say you
know we can last three days straight
we’d go to Florida Panama City and we
can go Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday I
don’t need any sleep I’m so this and
then you know you hear all these stories
and then I watch your documentary and
then I feel embarrassed to share any of
my stories I sit down I said wait a
minute I can never talk about that what
we did in the army because you took it
to life at Panama City down so you know
lost a Rolex one night there what was it
Spinnaker’s and clubs been available
yeah so they’re still there they are
still me I just don’t know if they’re as
big as they used to be Bob because that
one problem remember MTV was 90 or you
know the hole they were the big clubs
seven clubs within one club and you’d go
it’s a retirement community here and
it’s not so funny but for you know that
season it was great so break before we
go into some of it all the different
extensions we’ve shared some mutual
establishments yes we have I mean you
know based on some of the conversations
we were having earlier both of us were
very good boys
with great GPAs and you know apparently
you had a phenomenal GPA 1.7 I had a 1.8
we got to send you the shirt with the
1.8 GPA but maybe crosses the eight off
and put a 7 on every has no real numbers
so if I’m in high school with you okay
and I’m having a good day I’m trying to
I’m trying to get to know the story I’m
in hyzer with your hair in generally
really like so this has been the case
for a long time yeah who was Ric Flair
in high school were you already cuz
there’s a quote you said you said I
didn’t I didn’t just want to be a man I
wanted to beat the man right is that the
guys that were beginning yes so that’s
been from the beginning that mindset
yeah what wasn’t in terms of wrestling I
just I wanted to be the best and
whatever I was doing so you were
partying hardcore in high school as well
lifting weights oh well that’s the
weights me up I didn’t start drinking
though I was like 15 or 16 so you waited
till 15 years old to start drinking
that’s well the way you say give me the
contributing factors I’d gotten in
trouble for buying you know on liquor
underage friends okay so um and got
arrested but my parents put me in
private school in Wisconsin the drinking
age was 18 so I was 15 or just 16 so you
know within 24 hours I had a fake ID I
would just with the law within the law
in terms of what I had for ID I was in
Madison on State Street now were you
were you a big 15 year old like were you
a 15 oh that looked like he was 22 I
weighed out 180 and when I was 15 and
you were playing sports at that time yes
you small wrestling and track where you
gonna be there you run downstairs
because old st. Nick isn’t gonna let you
down so you’re in high school you’re
having a good time you come out of high
school and then you play for Minnesota I
think you were GPA you said 1.7 so that
kind of didn’t work out for you with
grace how did that I went to Minnesota’s
what’s called a non predictor in other
words I had to predict higher than a 1.7
you had
to build my scholarship got it and when
I went fresh full room weren’t eligible
to playing the varsity anyway got it so
that makes me old but it makes even more
interesting what it makes you so how did
how’d it wrestling come about when did
that happen I know I know you were
talking about how you know when you were
a kid you couldn’t wait to watch
wrestling Channel eleven I think you
said and you would ask your dad to come
and he didn’t want to watch and it was
just – you didn’t really fully get it
for you you were fast until I saw my dad
he’s gonna watch yeah but my dad took me
on my birthday so you know that’s that’s
all that matters that’s called he
supported it so wrestling wasn’t
something I came after high school you
you actually love the rest of waiting I
loved it I never dreamed I’d be part of
it really so wasn’t like I’m gonna want
to grow up to be a champion wrestler and
I’m on listen no no no no I was bouncing
at a bar called George’s in the park
mm-hmm I was through with college and
got a job as a bouncer waiter were two
parts to it the real glamorous nightclub
part of it and then it was a saloon
called the Red Dog saloon and I had but
a stool next to cigarette machine and
then watch this guy and I go I know this
guy puts funny
pulls out a pack of Marlboros to go sit
down towards a drink it was Ken Patera
the world’s strongest man at that time
the first guy to press 500 pounds
overhead in he came to Minneapolis his
brother was the defensive coordinator
for the Vikings for Bud Grant his
brother was we ask the real people is
Conwell or alum page all those chaotic
and Jack and his that was his brothers
name had called Vernon ganya the guy
that brought me in and Vern had agreed
to sponsor can to prepare for the 72
olympics a morning that burned it
so Vern sponsored Ken I got to know ken
we rented a house together and I’m
probably responsible for him not as a
gold-medal you ask him I know he and I
in Mike Goldberg Bill Goldberg brother
you know bill go for amazing had yes sir
close yeah that we don’t further the
soda
Wow I’m play football yeah the three of
us and my cat that time with some water
bitch so we had like ten water are you
kidding and then I was working at avid
Northwestern Hospital orderlies so
nurses X should be a party what a
challenge otherwise there are terrible
times so you’re going through this
process you’re living together nurses
are coming in and out you have ten water
beds so you know this is what we were
preparing for the 70 Olympics the
assembly two of them got right okay in
the meantime I got married and moved
into in 1971 and moved into a double
bungalow so I settled down double
bungalow yeah uh as they called houses
but there’s a bungalow right oh boy yeah
yeah don’t hear him anymore now you know
none of these when I think my bungalow
him on my high school and he said your
classes in the bunkhouse right is where
I got married that year right after um
right before Ken went Olympics and then
when Ken came back I started training
for wrestling for wrestling so so the
the things I hear about Vernon the
things I hear about him as a trainer
apparently you know he was a high
expectation how brutal was like are
these stories like actual true stories
what he puts you guys through oh it’s
harder than what was depicted on the
34:30 give us give us so give us a you
know an average I don’t like 500 free
squats to under push-ups for ever did
anything before he did anything and I
weighed 300 can weighed 330
I was thinking be a wrestler I just be
like the crusher of the bruiser I had no
idea
running a mile and then two miles I
couldn’t run a mile had run one since
college and Ken Patera oh god you know
ken wasn’t ready for that
what kind of smoked and drank all during
the Olympic training all the Russian
athletes
smoke and drink I mean you know they
don’t think you know without was all the
performant and hansman stuff that was
going on
in liquor and smoking ineffective
weightlifter all they do is go up and
pick it up and you know thought around
interesting note that didn’t work that
didn’t diminish what they were doing and
sure but it wasn’t like they were
running up a hill or like Lance
Armstrong you know so you know riding a
bike up a hill so why did you guys
listen to her like what how did he
command what were number one equal
earned over sciency double a champion at
Minnesota okay
he played for the Packers phenomenal
athlete and he was like a guide in
Minnesota so what did he have what would
he lead you based on his personality or
pure expectation here’s what I need you
to do that’s it was it was encouraging
was he motivating was the bowl you can
do his career motor vania and would not
let me quit me not making it was not an
equation so was that Hollywood the part
where he slapped you in the face and he
said look you know you better get your
butt in there come to training who was
it that actually happen actually
happened not outside of my duplex so you
like slug the word is looking for so you
wanted you were getting ready to quit I
did quit I went home he drove up the
driveway and got me he came to you in
God yup and so you quit your job pretty
awkward he threw me out the door into
that front yard he came in and got me
they made it look like I walked off
voluntary what was your reaction when
that happened I said I’ll be there the
next day so that doesn’t happen we don’t
know a Nature Boy today oh your god
you’re probably not Wow Wow so one
person in that moment that believed in
you so much that came and said you
reinforce the idea that I had flunked
out of college disappointed that it
disappointed you know I don’t be used my
parents it’s an analogy but I can’t
remember what else I had failed that who
knows so he triggered a lot of pain
points he cannot gain points at that age
but pointed out that I wasn’t gonna be I
wasn’t gonna fail on his turf turf Wow
and you responded to it yep painful as
it was so then afterwards so when so
what happens next so now you’re going to
wrestling and what’s going on after that
well I started I had my first match in
72 so first day your first wrestling
match you have
how you going into it what do you win
what’s going on there do you remember
that I do remember George get ask him
Minneapolis but nobody told me anything
he just said go in there and you’re
gonna wrestle and you know for 10
minutes when you say nobody told me no
storyline you’re gonna do they don’t
gonna know there’s no winner no loser
nothing Wow
yeah that’s how Keith that’s not how the
business was back then god I said what
what do you mean he could just go in
there and practice what you learn him
you could
it had to be thank God it’s not on tape
but unless bender words match ever now
did you have your persona back then or
no and all of it just you know Ric Flair
and I got it and when did the persona
come about after their plane crash 75 so
what is it like being in an airplane
crash
it’s nothing you want to do we were
flying towards the coast
it a headwind beautiful day
and we lost power both engines six
thousand feet six out of 1000 but six
thousand feet there’s nothing that can
do about it you’re going down the guys
telling me we’re crashing well we were
so heavy we couldn’t glide we landed a
mile from the runway I’m smile from the
Dugway with the nose of the plane stuck
in there your star than 30 for 30 yeah I
did I stuck in a rear over there banquet
so that happens and then again that’s
another injury so what’s the recovery on
that one well first I said I’ve never
Russell then III I didn’t act off
surgery thank God Oh dr. Johnson’s
Miller clinic um Dave Johnson he said um
you know you might miss things coming
together pretty good for you might be
able to do it and then six months later
he said yeah you’re good to go and I
went I am I was kind of like I wasn’t
ready for that news because that meant I
you know that in those days I meant go
so I lost I went from 255 to 180 70
pounds yeah so by the time I got back
and was healed I was back up to like 218
which I thought was real tight like a
like a scarecrow compared to what I used
to be how can you possibly expect whoo
you’ll be the world champion with a body
like that
they’re teeny weeny arms and look at
that so it’s amazing how you know these
weights so well like my remember because
like this thing losing 43 pounds what’s
like myself in those pictures like with
Berkeley who came to see me yeah he’s a
good guy with a neck like a stack of
diamonds I mean I couldn’t believe so
that happened six months out then you’re
getting back into it you’re 218 what
happens next is this now where you were
sitting there saying I got to create my
persona because Noah George got pointing
about for me he brought it to me and
actually put it to me and all I had to
do was figure out how to do it moment
they needed to introduce me to Olivia
Walker who was making all the Ryan stone
cowboy stuff Dolly Parton Glen Campbell
Porter Wagoner I mean all these people
sharo
the dance of entertainment she was
expensive but I started out with that
first Ruhlman and then from there I just
I felt it and so then I got $75,000 from
the airplane crash third of that at 33
and the third had to get a lawyer and
with the rest of it what you think I did
what do you think I want to say you
probably contributed to some companies
probably Miller Lite Budweiser know I
went and bought my first new Cadillac
you went about your first Cadillac new
one okay I’d already bought here’s one
with my first thousand dollar check the
first week I made a thousand dollars I
wouldn’t bought a used Cadillac so then
you get your 50 go buy brand new one so
then you are going to enter but probably
so at that moment you know so you’re
going in see I don’t deposit any 917
real blue on blue Wow
yeah you always had style I’ve always
had taste
hey that exceeded my god that makes
sense
she’s going like this yeah so did you
ever sell on your life did you ever sell
like did you have a regular job with you
that sales or alright so life insurance
no you did yeah yeah for a year do you
really still life it yeah I never had my
license and never pass again so life in
Schad for oh yeah with for um for
guardians you so life insurance yeah I
love what I did made my ID number when I
sold me a bunch of my friends a ten
thousand dollar policy actually I just
took with the senior agent he sold it
and then I sold my dad’s medical firm
retirement pension plans
mama channel right 78 like 40 grand my
first year doing nothing I had no idea
so like a Gallagher and by the way
Guardian probably has no idea so life
insurer there probably to look at this
insane Northwest women strike then yeah
Northwest Airlines and all the flight
attendants were working on the virus
it’s a glorious time where you met a lot
of your clients at the bars not a strip
club guy you’re not a strip club guy
know what I have I have not as an
individual but I have it in a group paid
for hookers hookers to make a party
better yeah I’ve never hired a hooker
like you know I don’t do that one more
thing you know oh darling I like that
look they’re too easy in the tweens so
you’re like you like to spread this is
that offense this is not against women
hey community I got a gold carried it
what do you want so you like that you
like the the sale you like I like yeah
like yeah like the sale yeah so you but
I like them that come to me that was a
game I played so what shift did you make
to go from the point of them I just
walked in match to my hair was long pull
up everything to make sure all the
jewelry was aware done yeah can I buy
you a drink
unbelievable so ladies has never been
you’re saying oh it’s been so just a
matter of fact urban for that ruins my
life two wives and two agents so so Rick
so you now you have the story you have
this persona so what’s the first time
you become a champion what year was it
when he became a champion first time
first time 1976 what are some stories
that we did not hear on the documentary
that maybe you experienced some crazy
stories that you had because some of the
stories I heard I’m sitting I’m
listening to your stories I’m like okay
this guy they they just told the story
of he came into town he said I’m gonna
go to the bar you go to the bar you meet
a bunch of girls you bring them back to
the hotel then you’re done then then you
go back to the bar then you meet some
work and you come back these stories are
being told it’s almost like a fictional
comic story of a hardcore the line runs
hold on thirty four thirty they were
told another place so that you can read
about yeah so so you you you see all
these things but what were some life
like constantly recruiting you were so
you’re gonna recruit a for a while what
was your recruiting line was it was at
this I I didn’t have a once I was on TV
I didn’t that recruit were you cocky
were you arrogant or were you confident
which one would you say you were or a
little bit of it all three so you had a
little bit of all three so you believe
you are the man like you would say
things like I am the greatest athlete in
the world you’re saying is with 100%
conviction hmm and you believed it the
greatest athlete who relied oh I thought
it was the greatest professional
wrestler I used to say athlete yes but I
can’t really in all fairness right back
then I probably thought I was but I
wasn’t competing with Michael at that
time and then Michael just come along
you say Michael Michael Jordan at that
sound like 84 yeah I’m saying I’m when I
started seeing it like an 81 you know I
mean got it like I think the greatest
athlete alive today is LeBron James what
a day yeah so you’re a Bron James fan Oh
huge do you put him ahead of MJ because
you yes yes I do because Rick you run
ahead of mg because of height and weight
and he’s ahead of Michael and every
statistic 33 years old his age except
for Championships
we never do I’m surprised you as
somebody they came from that era you
would put LeBron ahead oh my god this is
nothing against Michael you know but
it’s like um I love Johnny Unitas but
Johnny and ice is not Tom Brady so you
just got it so you’re purely go what I’m
saying I’m I’m with you Yeah right now
we probably at the same time Luke
Kuechly or whoever that saying is not
Lawrence Taylor so there are guys from
decades ago that are co-best the best of
all the guy I mean you can talk about
football players and you’re gonna say
the greatest football player of all time
to me you’re talking about a guy that
made an entire league redefine what they
had to do to change their game plan
their offensive line change Tom what
Lawrence dealer no bleep well you can
watch the special on him he’s just there
to be said only right goes to him as the
guy that died prematurely Derrick Thomas
from the Kansas City Chiefs but he
Derrick Thomas wasn’t mean as LT what
made Taylor mean as he just wanted to
tell you what a very good friend of mine
and he’s a koteas yeah he’s still in
great shape he’s feeling great and he
can still drink a bottle of Jack Kate
about Johnnie Walker Black Label I’m
talking about you brother giving you a
plug so Johnnie Walker Black Label
straight up and smoked two cigars boy
sign and I think could he have hung
could he ever hang with you and partying
or no you’re still home yeah but anyway
he was running for me towards the end we
used to party together later too much
for you were a little too much no no no
I just um a couple times I think you
know I thought it was I think he
respected Wendy too much because they
knew I was bringing Wendy oh so Wendy
was in a picture at this oh yeah yeah
we’re dumb we’re in Atlantic City go I’m
thinking you’re talking like no you
would text me like it 11 o’clock at
night okay come on out well you knew
that I wasn’t gonna drag wind at 11
o’clock Road but when he worked for TNT
we went to Minneapolis yeah and when he
was playing for the Giants and he had
lt’s uh-huh the club in the arc oh Jesus
different story he was he was the man he
was God for Decca taste something with
that your earrings yeah you’re walking
down you can
I’m the huge fan and I’ve met him
personally of Joe Namath so Rick let me
ask you a part you know this apart where
we grew up as kids and we would say I
want to believe wrestling is you know
real and I want to believe this or how
much of wrestling I mean obviously I see
it as a person from the outside but how
much of it was sitting down and saying
here’s how we’re gonna do and here’s the
story part and here’s the storyline and
this is what not bad number whichever
was that shall never evolved until the
90s what that did about feeling that I
didn’t involve would you say McMahon
brought that to the game yes okay so he
brought it well no I mean everybody
brought the game but Vince is
responsible for bringing wrestling as we
know it now to where it is in the
eighties some scene video no but I mean
like the 1780s yeah I mean that we knew
who was gonna win or lose but it wasn’t
choreographed does that make sense yes
we it was talked about in the ring you
go in Rick you’re gonna win this one so
go figure something I am with the guy
God not with a not with an agent and not
not to be picked apart and you know by
writers that have never been in the ring
I mean it’s kind of like a I feel about
sports announcers okay if they have time
invested like I love Steven Naismith
right mm-hmm he’s never played a
professional sport but he has a time
invested twenty plus years in a studying
that getting to understand it
knowing the players not afraid to say
what he thinks that kind of journalist I
like a guy who’s never done shit you
know what I mean just reaching out there
you know and I don’t not gonna using
names because I know all these guys it
drives me absolutely crazy because it’s
like me I can’t I can’t have an opinion
do I have favorites but how in hell can
I have an opinion really about a sport
that I never excelled at so you believe
that you come from the school of thought
of you can’t have an opinion if you’ve
never played in the game and you’re not
experienced well if you don’t know the
best
time you don’t have the vest that
invested time to understand if you’ve
been doing this for two years and you’re
trying to call balls and strikes
yeah or understand that as an example
for any sport yeah how can anybody that
hasn’t done it begin to understand
Michael Phelps now think about that Don
Shula lander would get it
Spitz would get it who can swim like
that so let me ask you where are you
going with this what are you’re saying
if you have never done it you shouldn’t
have an opinion about it is this the
people that were making comments about
wrestling but they were not involved in
a life – no that’s why I was they always
get it circling around the wrestling I
want to hear your thoughts about that
because you know there’s a lot of
criticism you’d be on shows and people
would say this is fake how could you say
it’s not fake you guys don’t do this
anything you’re like this blood is I
remember that one scene you’re like this
is real blood there’s a scene that
you’re doing that this is real blood I’m
not faking this talk about the athlete
the sports aspect of wrestling that you
guys did that maybe the fans are like oh
it’s just to show that’s all it is
I can name 10 football players that have
tried to make it and didn’t make it a
week 10 football players NFL players
that couldn’t make you for a week mmm
because the level of difficulty
give me three examples Walter Johnson
the Mars man who I helped train the kid
from the Oakland Raiders the Mars man
what was his name oldest sister on and
then the guy who played deep Ernie
Holmes from the Pittsburgh Steelers mhm
we thought it was a real badass so they
come in they try to know what was the
very guy just a really good while all
three of them are all pros but what-what
made them want to say I can do this this
isn’t for me because I couldn’t handle
it they can handle what part of the
physical aspect of it and being afraid
Mad Dog Vachon look at all it’s it’s
it’s drunk and said I’m gonna chew you
up truly being afraid yeah I mean these
guys played NFL other people are getting
in their face and I’m gonna kill you
today under in the field and they’re
still being afraid in that in that world
if I didn’t say all of you said give me
some sure so so how about the physical
side of it I mean you you’re dropping
yourself from the top on the table all
this y’all don’t get cash what happens
to your back I mean the pain what you
know I never I’ve never had any of that
I’ve never incurred that you know it’s a
grace of God and when I
come on it I take a really serious
because all my friends every one of hips
knees back issues I have been able to
escape that for some for some reason I
don’t know how I’m never gonna be the
guy that because of my past they go out
and say I can’t push God in on you
mm-hmm but I am sure beyond a shadow of
a doubt that God has played a big role
in my life because of my past I can’t go
I could never write a book I could never
lecture to you a lot more Who am I you
know I’ve had a lifetime scared but the
plane didn’t scare me I’ve always you
know I mean I’m went to church and my
parents I’ve been what’s the word um
combination yeah I’ve been confirmed I’m
have all right and I’ve always believed
in God but I always I didn’t think about
him when I should have in my life until
this time what what age was that when
you said this time when you say now I’m
thinking about like I’ll give you an
example did I say to myself every day I
would say god I’ll never do this again
the same day I said it to myself and to
him I did a routine I might say my
prayers at night now the high stick – oh
you have heard this a thousand guys gee
but I’m through school Oh fruit and it
seemed bad when’s the last time you had
a drink the day or in a school really
that’s the last night yeah not even
close so how long ago is that that’s
seven months
Wow sand seven months for you you
haven’t done seven months since you were
14 I have I have never done seven months
oh yeah no I did for a year people don’t
realize what for a year because I was
dying diagnosed with um my my atop of
the heart whatever it was I’m talking
about my behavior misconduct short and
not as much as
I’ve been drinking I just was wild with
women
is it number accurate I mean you hear
Wilt Chamberlain says you know 20 warm
Betty’s 15 you know jeans well I don’t
now or that I just you partied that
heart to go through 10,000 a woman is
what you know like you know that’s I
mean well I don’t know which $10 got it
what if I told you 500 you’d say
bullshit 500 and you know yours 365 days
if you’re poor in all that time you know
you just got to do the math don’t do 44
years on the road I got married in
Canada and a girl falls and divorce the
negev all in one weekend just to make it
a happy when Ric Flair’s in town
Showtime well but I want to know like
you know you talk about that like cuz
you said something said I never drank by
myself never you you so this was a funny
yeah I never sit home and drink there
was more you liked the language the
ocean what yeah got it but at the same
time if the bartender like sports right
I can become friends with everybody in
five minutes at Wendy the reason that
happens it’s because I walk into a bar
and I ask someone to put on sport as
opposed to Network News which would
depress the world of it who watch it I
mean why do people watch it they’ve
never liked it but never really so you
know you like a lot of dylan riley but
after you through his report on the
benoit situation i knew that he was full
of shit wouldn’t been walked chris
benoit past yes and they would gave in
all these people that failed in
wrestling and then ran to his show and
ran to Nancy Grace Nancy Grace without
reading right now see Grace’s our local
she lives a I guess she’s Atlanta yeah
well I was embarrassed for them taking
the word of people that had a
very difficult experience with wrestling
and so they just jumped on the bandwagon
to try and hurt us who were in the sport
to try and hurt people like the McMahons
from the Crockett sir
Ted Turner it was just bullshit
so you still defend your communities
it’s a your you’re a very big defender
e-community doesn’t matter matter
whether it’s NWA WWE WWF all wrestling
you’re a big ambassador for your
community I am
what would you say McMahon did to your
world you only you’ll just start from
the beginning
yeah okay in 1992 I owed the IRS 230
grand I was in Tokyo I couldn’t sleep I
was drinking myself for death I called
him my second I have 230 grand he said
yeah I paid RS 1992 right with over the
my divorce and there’s that business as
a matter of things but it means you
never left my side I mean he and I we
and it really came to surface how close
we are when I was sick then stick man
face time to me and talked to me and
called Wendy every day this is a guy it
like you did so holy does that make
sense
well I didn’t bring him anything except
a lot of talent and I was easy to get
along with but I didn’t come to nautilus
40 years old
what have I gone I was 30 right but that
would change the course of history when
I was getting divorced in 2005 he lent
me $800,000 in increments over a
three-year period to pay the lawyer
named Lance wife to live he said I have
wife said I wouldn’t lend my own son
this damn money mm-hmm and then he
called me and said if you want to go
upside down I won’t hold it against you
but I paid him back every time are you
kidding me stop Pat myself on the back
for that but it was rough his phantom
income you still gotta pay taxes on it
it makes sense of course so 800 like one
point they had this guy Luke split yeah
this guy call Wendy every day and check
on me and the first time I saw him he
what’s up with that I wish you Merry
Christmas ezel you’re not even supposed
to be in service just I’ve asked him
over the years as you know I have
self-confidence problems and that’s why
I thought yeah I ran our best friends
every time you used to for me aside and
say you can do this when here I am
wrestling in my 50s again to cancer 24
years old and I couldn’t get I could
still do it physically but here I had
lost my self-confidence
you physically can do this mentally
you’re gonna fucking do it
excuse me really can’t use that worse
all right
and that’s why I mean I heard red best
friend you could tell when he talks
about you like he you could see it in
the eyes yeah I love the guy that he has
got so much on his plate you know he’s
being taught to be the next guy he runs
NXT he’s an ambassador he and Stephanie
travel around the world I’ve seen their
schedules representing the company I
mean they don’t just sit in a chair and
push button then delegate authority
there they are him Vince he’d it of the
hardest thing I would have to say I’ve
seen over the years is him delegating
Authority he in but that’s who he is and
that’s it’s worked out for him did that
make sense
hmm very few people does he trust but
when he does he’ll ride it out with you
not gonna make it’s emotional when I
think about I go what why why wouldn’t
you a shit about me he says it says a
lot about him and says a lot about you
but we’ve had some terrible argument you
know whoa nothing did nothing that was a
deal-breaker but he’s you know he’s with
my ass up I should say we’ve had some
terrible arguments he is fucking with
money he has left my ass a fight sorry I
didn’t mean to imply that I architect
I listened but he’s always been there
and so if you look at my foundation of
my two daughters and I and Wendy it’s
like my triangle you know when to being
the point and my two daughters being
just and then to be able to fall back on
the company that I’ve been with you know
I was never their biggest star I mean I
was never lost in or a Hulk or the rock
or a hunter or Shaun you know could I
just came in and yell me know I was in
my 50s the last time I came back right
but they made me a part of it and gave
me an opportunity and you know hunter
invents and Stephanie – I mean I mean
Stephanie is very close I’m I’m sure
they also know that you have a very
loyal devout following people love you
when you when we see you in your element
it’s like it’s like Michael on a
basketball court like you are in your
element you are where you belong
oh no they recognize that I mean it’s
like last year when hungry when they
mortalized me and gave me that huge
statue talent that come along
billion in one not only inspire people
in their chosen field but they inspire
generations and there’s certain ways
that you immortalize people they will
erect statues in your honor so with all
the respect that he deserves
I mean everything hunter said I’m
senator loose eNOS and this is when you
don’t think if they realize what you’ve
done that this guy who doesn’t he’s not
really a sports fanatic like I am
Hunter’s not under not I mean dude do
they watch the Superbowl and so like
that but but he was like doing a resume
and stuff I’ve done with sporting teams
and with the rap industry and and I said
God he doesn’t know what I do
he doesn’t just text him every day man
where you go like well offsetting that
he is there that’s amazing let’s get
back on the lighter side here so I was
in Florida fall week money west palm –
Adi Tampa this is recent or no it’s an
eighties okay
yeah took that people know the story so
drinking and when I was in Florida
Territory I was the happiest I mean
every night drink party Tampa Miami so
Miami’s a very healthy City for party
and uh mine is a healthy City – the
show’s danfa just me yeah shitty I was
Monday I was in West Palm yeah what I
would do I would go territory to
territory so I would end up on Sunday
and fly to the next territory and start
the week out end up on Sunday fly next
circle so Florida Territory was Monday
West Palm side slide at West Palm ride
back a Tampa Tampa was Tuesday night big
party afterwards
Wednesday was my it was TV in Tampa and
then fly down to Miami for Miami stay
overnight in Miami
fly back your next day then you could be
in jacksonville sarasota somewhere like
that Friday would be a local Lake
Lakeland like that right
Saturday would be st. Pete the bayfront
Center biggest show right huge and then
suddenly was always a random so after we
could drinking and partying always long
I’d wrestled butch Reed in the cage
match and I would you know and I’ve been
thinking about it all week it was
wearing on me that I had to
Japan and I knew when I got there had to
wrestle three one-hour matches in a row
against wood guys I didn’t get along
with I mean it didn’t have chemistry
with I got along on them but if
wrestling in 80s was chemistry different
no no it was in Japan those guys are
trying to always impress us and one of
the guys was an Olympic in and study we
just dragged on me wasn’t looking for
tomorrow would like racing so I called
my dad from a payphone and I said dad
won’t come on the bike in the middle of
that I said I are defeated go fast he
said what was left and you’re at the bed
and get some sleep
you’ll be all right so I flew from Tampa
to Chicago and I got a number four and I
drank all the way to Tokyo all the way
that’s one flight attendant for funds
that was the party I got that I was old
cracked back then you had to pay per
ticket lights yeah said to the guy how
do you get back you in the head stage
today well there’s a flight going to
Seattle leaves in 45 minutes
connects in Seattle to Chicago to
Charlotte it’s like I’m on it meanwhile
I can hear the four motors wife Motoko
Ric Flair son report to bake to claim
whatever write it I just stayed there
and drank in the bar got on the plane
sat down next to a guy and no
forgiveness and they go can I talk to
you he said yeah what that’s when people
didn’t have computers and you know Paul
and some people were people drinking
having fun right so this is kind I got
in hammered in Seattle and I had a
nervous breakdown
I’m sure of it hey hey what’s up buddy
he’s going yeah so long story short they
went back to Chicago food Chicago flew
home I got off the plane and my wife and
Jimmy Crockett were there the promoter
and I we got back and playing that and
going all the way back you told you and
we drank all the way to five hours out
of Tokyo
drank again was the crockett right
I fell asleep got up made the arena and
wrestled an hour felt great
once I broke us let us it’s only the
sins you good to the maps but ginger
gives a just a crime part of uh used to
be of a Tokyo got the royal treatment
the baths and all the stress close it
with it so how its back on my but that
guy said Christmas gotta move like you
said your Christmas car for five years
[Laughter]
I’ll never forget this journey you said
I see you get any more famous how many
how many millions of miles did you
flight did you do you actually know the
number I have three million with Delta
right now okay I probably had two
million with you its error or no over to
blame God Easter night a million over
one point five when they went down and I
don’t know how many I had with Northwest
that’s six and a half million already
there’s those three out so you think you
cracked ten million miles I don’t know
if Finley but I’ve certainly cracked
five or six you know I mean yeah you see
that’s that’s a lot of mouths so rake
two items I’d like to go through with
you here is so you know so the damn
watched a documentary the 3430
I’m watching the documentary you say
something at the end with your about
your son so I’m at Nordstrom’s I’m
talking to this lady my son is with me
my four-year-old son is in my lap and
he’s doing all this stuff and he’s just
jumping all over the place and this lady
probably in our late fifties early
sixties she looks at as she smiles a
sound so you know what’s his name Dylan
you’re the typical conversation I said
give me some advice on parenting she
says your kids need a parent not a best
friend mmm
and I said interesting okay I heard that
maybe once before so you can’t need a
parent not a best friend and then I
watch your documentary and then you say
you know I wish I was a parent not a
best friend when you say that what do
you mean by that when you’re saying that
I’m curious myself I’m going to
I think that I was great for my two
older kids are the ones that suffered I
never saw them as a result of that in
combination but I think my son and I
don’t even talk partial because the
wrestling business partially because I
think you felt like I wasn’t there form
that didn’t affect my relationship my
oldest daughter who is fabulous and
doing great and my youngest daughter of
course what happened with them is that
when the trials into relations of WCW
were they were trying to get rid of me
fired me for a year that I had ten goals
Jim’s at that time so I had a
supplementary income so I got to spend a
ton of time there were my hobbies their
mind I took read the Tokyo I took read
the Europe I took the kids there why I
took Ashley to Australia to England to
Ireland and all over the you know when
she committed to a college because I was
up their ass up there but they were both
great athletes Ashley you know to me
right now to this day is the best
athlete in the WWE not just a woman and
if you were gonna do that somebody said
one day well how do you measure that I
mean you can run you can play like five
sports tell me how you want to measure
you know who can jump the highest I mean
but I give myself I saw that and Ashley
and you know at the time she used to
hate me but I hadn’t both a personal
trainer her it probably about ten
because I saw the gift ten years old
probably ten she started personal
training as she got in high school and I
was spending like for both of them about
four to five thousand a month because
they trained separately different sports
different abilities right no and then of
course I traveled with them both I took
at a she was the volleyball right so you
know someone said they look the best
volleyball in California really
it’s the brakiri no back then that was
Pepperdine and all those it was so rich
they were good of a girl at camp at
California I don’t want to go oh yeah
off you go out taking a Rodeo Drive or
all so just she hated the campus because
everybody out there at that camp was as
good as her and if not better she’d
never seen that so the only way to test
a child you know I’m Jews in sports in
example but I’m sure for your pianist if
your son’s a musician if your son is a
excels at anything you want to test them
against if if you’re a competitive
parent test them against the best I mean
they they if they want to grow and
become better you got to find the
competition no matter what it is
music sports whatever I ought to find a
competition for them yeah
don’t it’s the only way they can measure
you ever could get an accurate
measurement of where they’re gonna go so
I have gumbo travel then I had his
wrestling coach knew how to look on a
computer and see where my son was ranked
there’s a kid in Dayton Ohio we go to
Dayton we go to Columbus we go to or go
to Reno we go to Texas we go to Iowa the
Tulsa Nationals toughest wrestling
tournament he got killed the first time
I came when he said this shit don’t work
so the kid was running around like it
but there the kids were drinking rip
fuel which I used to sell at my gym it
would be bigger than ice but a 12 year
old kid is craziness
I couldn’t watching his kid Joma
automaticall what key Ironman in three
years you want it and you want it twice
I wouldn’t take no for an answer
and he you know I added in his mind you
can beat these kids then of course the
second thing he had to deal with was
black athletes mature faster hair under
their arms he was already down to zero
evil black kid he had to head to here in
his arms he he was down two points
already until he figured out that he
could match the kid first rings I mean
and that that’s that’s what control them
so anyway getting back to commitment I
spend so much time with them being their
friend because I wanted to talk to them
and a voice of making him understand
that if you have an opportunity to be
great at something don’t throw it away
I wasn’t giving the advice about
religion I wasn’t giving him advice
while smoking and drinking that’s what
threw me off with Reid that was
automatic you know but that that
anything I said about – about smoking or
drinking that was counterproductive heat
that didn’t file with him with her of
course it did anyway I just was so close
to read I just couldn’t get I mean I
would get so upset you mean no marriage
I think I will say this too anyway it’s
got a child with those kind of issues
that goes on for a number of years no
marriage can survive it even the best my
weren’t divorced when we couldn’t find
him for five days it drives you crazy I
mean it does and you can’t find your kid
for five days and it wants a couple
times it was five days you’d be up in
some house with three or four friends
then I have to hire a private eye the
police go find him oh yeah
the one ain’t old is he at the time when
he’s gone for five days fifteen Wow
sixteen then I put him in private school
which I had found out was like for me
I’d sure thought well look at it turned
you into a wild man
because you think you’re supervised but
you’re not you’re paying all this
tuition and he was at the most
prestigious wrestling school in the
country but there were some outlaws
there right and you know the first I got
a phone I’m pulling up to Russell to
Meadowlands I get a phone call from the
Dean of Students and read it Tessa
positive for cocaine I said what are you
talking about he said I said where he
went to a Guns N Roses concert with one
of his roommates which I gave him
permission to do into school so they
sent him home for two weeks but they
because it wasn’t on campus if I don’t
come back well you know I said to myself
boy this says what I went to oh god I
really started drinking when I went away
to school I had that phony ID and so of
course drugs weren’t in my in my
lifetime or weren’t in my mind you know
it chemicals I’ve never had you know I’m
a wee
thank God so that we started dealing
with it and it got worse and worse and
worse beyond he was on life support for
different times now I’ve been on a once
right I know I’m older and everything
else but I feel like if I was younger it
would even impacted me more because I
would say God I have all this ahead of
me everyone’s got to beat it i watch TV
shows where i see these guys shoot
themselves with heroin I never saw him
like that but if that’s what it did to
him I just should have I brought him
back from Japan he was doing great and
[Music]
Wendy and I and a friend of mine it was
35 Pizza it’s um successful bidder we’re
watching the NC double-a tournament
basketball and he went back I went to
lay down and when they went back it she
was tired and I was watching it went for
a Mack Patterson I went back in the room
and there it was it was sitting there on
the floor and I’ve seen all my kids a
thousand times and I said to myself well
do I call the cops or just you know or
is he just I didn’t see any needles or
anything so and I’ve seen him like this
you know how many times so I laid him
down and he was talking to me it was
fine so I figured I I just was so mad
he’d been home a day or two days and so
what I’m saying about being a parent is
that you know man’s on I I
I don’t know of dealing with him more
harshly would have made a difference
because every time I put him in a place
he figured it out if a counselor would
tell me he’s not gonna be able to use a
phone for a month I would get a call
that day from him and I would say like
where’d you get a phone was the
constants a big fan of your dad not the
guy that I talked to but the counselor
so you don’t get to meet the whole staff
you check in mm-hmm
he was in Sierra Tucson when the most
famous clinics in the world and when he
was leaving to fly to Jay Walker because
he lost use of his leg not totally but
partial use of his leg
after to sunny was going to a place
called jaywalker by Aspen mm-hmm before
he cleaned him out and all that right he
didn’t show up at the airport he went
and met a girl that he would have been
sleeping with the whole time he was in
rehab I couldn’t find him for two days
he called me said dad I needed a break
so I go check in again it’s wait he
talked to me I said work Ben right yeah
I needed a break I couldn’t just tackle
it again it was rough then I come to
find out that my wife knew that he was
dating a girl or seeing the girl cuz
they had lunch together when she went to
visit him as a parent I obviously failed
in regards to that I don’t know I think
it’s um I think it’s a miracle and I’m
so happy for the guys that have made it
but when you’re gone from home 300 days
a year and you don’t have children and
let’s say you’re single the girls can go
off with their friends the guys can go
out it’s not like it used to be the guys
now are on a much more level playing
field they understand the restrictions
in the importance of social media and
not hanging out but you’re still gone I
can see that even with me I couldn’t
wait to be gone because I loved going to
work to wrap it up I mean look honestly
I can ask you questions and I’m really
enjoying the conversation we can well
you got so many stories that’s Ashley
I’m not going anywhere
what did this hip hop stuff come about
you get a couple hip hop videos you know
you know one of them just got 7.8
million views on the last I think four
days you know Ricki I learned another
160 million views hundred 80 million
views that I saw on YouTube so how did
that come about well they like to bling
you know like told me I was bringing for
bling was playing right I never thought
of it back in snoop said he got his
showmanship from you yeah well I have
that thank you Snoop I love him
you know we’ve been you know not like
where we talk every day but we text we
know like once every couple weeks and
like I mean he’s like
he’s iconic until we inducted him in the
Hall of Fame I knew that he was Big Damn
but I didn’t realize the impact he’s had
on other musicians and in music in
general until they read his resume you
talk about do Thomas snoop yeah oh my
god he’s impacted a lot of people’s
lives he’s a legit rapper yes yeah yeah
yeah if did rapper ya know he and I Tex
and you know Rick Ross has done music
with my name and Flo Rida I mean all
these guys and then they offset people
reached out to my friend cam Fordham
we’ve just stuff with Waka Flocka and
some other guys and they called me and I
said yen what yeah he is phenomenal and
he lives a life way pulled up in that
driveway to all those rights in a
Lamborghini yeah that’s not even his
crib that’s just a rental joint is that
a local hero yeah chatter in the land
yeah you wanna grit and he gives me this
for a gift have you seen his now this is
three times the size of this really yeah
did that car TV bottom yeah 75 grand
he had this made for me is it the same
guy that made it from la whatever la fée
do from here Atlanta so you and you got
some more exciting projects that coming
up I know we can’t talk about the movie
they’re about to launch at you the press
release is gonna come out which is gonna
be given a feature with you I can’t wait
for that one think of life I think your
story is going to fly 100% well if
anybody’s gonna tell stories factual
stories about partying that has
experience it’s gonna be you have moral
authority in that area I mean you know
you watch angle from you’re like yeah
that was a weekend once I had like that
and see the thing that I exonerates me
from all from that light is drugs I can
tell you that I had more fun in Vegas in
those guys in one night and they had no
weekend a couple times but without drugs
see that that’s a big difference
a little defining barrier in waking up
one day and them and not remember
everything I might not remember
everything we liked but I never never
touched drugs no I just and I and I
would be
really upset one guy drugged me one time
and I got in some trouble but I know I
can’t bring it up because of his I I did
you got upset at him no I got in legal
trouble oh okay because of conduct it
wasn’t me and I know what it got it I
just don’t do that some other digits or
one of my daughter’s oh I don’t even
know where did you – I can’t imagine
someone abusing my daughter under the
influence
I just can’t you can see you’ve got a
daughter oh no down I mean it’s just but
I mean I was I’m just gonna tell you
look figured I’d I gotta make this I
feel like we got two down me and Roddy
Piper right this is what the impact our
business had in the eighties so we’re
coming back in Tokyo number three
Northwest how many times you go to Tokyo
so i’ve been 72 72 times Wow yeah my
career so we’re coming back and I have
to wrestle in st. Louis at night so
champion said first class I was a Roddy
Piper in Dix later so we’re flying back
and they door as the role was the
greatest of all time
Nick can we see the role of a man you
know the man with my land was well I
gotta wear it feel really appreciate it
mmm if I don’t world would close all
okay we landed in Chicago all three of
the flight attendants the first guys
camera married
they all went with us sitting all one
left Florida one left and watch one live
in Chicago called say they were gonna go
on another flight and went with us you
guys want to visit it a local bookstore
yeah yeah yeah
the East st. Louis and get the party
going then the next night I wrestle no
wonder I lost how do you remember all of
these stories a new idea so let me ask
you doesn’t the about when I was a
lifeguard
a WSI instructor teaching little kids
out of swimming their mothers are
what is the movie coming out Rick what
is a movie a Rick Flicka and one of the
mothers had a nervous breakdown and went
to her doctor to tell her about me and
guess who her dad guess who her doctor
was oh my dad’s partner I’m bringing you
had to go down and apologize to her
husband oh my god 16 years old she was
33 at to my first book you must have
been a hell of a life
yeah it’s the best I love working with
kids teaching a lot of swim saying and
now and now you got a suit line coming
out yes sir right you got a suit line
coming out tell us about the suit line
and you got some things you’re working
on well it’s the company that is been
very successful without me as we talked
about off camera mm-hmm approached me
about outline we’re gonna call the
staffing profiling which was afraid for
it to be appropriate from my bug phrase
I use in my youth the response has been
huge once again not gonna wooden
thinking people forgive me the
opportunity but it came funny at my age
the opportunities that were just coming
more and more it’s great to see you
brother truly thank you an incredible
story lots of respect to you for you
being willing to open up and share your
different life experiences some of the
madness some of the craziness that
you’ve had and if you’re watching this
and you want to find out a little bit
more about Rick’s suits the website link
we’re gonna leave that below and you got
some clothing stuff as well out there
that people wore your line I noticed
every lottery for common lake bavaria
flair shop calm yes
ric flair shop calm will put it below
here as well
brother thank you so much for you really
enjoyed it thank you please pleasure you
physically and here I’d lost it so if
that doesn’t happen we don’t know a
Nature Boy today under will champion is
the 1983 doesn’t travel I can’t see you
in your element it’s like it’s like
Michael on the basketball court like you
mark in your element you are where you
belong I could fly to Tokyo for one
match fly over to London for another and
be in st. Louis all in one fucking
weekend so if you’re my age in your late
30s maybe in your early 40s you remember
the time when there was a wrestler this
man was larger than life I don’t know if
you’ve heard of this guy’s name is
Nature Boy Ric Flair we’re sitting
within a 16-time champion maybe 21 they
need to do a little research about the
other five but sixteen time champion the
only I think two-time Hall of Famer they
rien ducted you one time right when he
got back into it and you know I went to
the single and once it’s one of the
forwards went well that’s right because
you guys had your crew going yeah a lot
of times you know I was in the army and
my friends we party very hard and we
thought we parted very hard and we were
so proud of it in the army to say you
know we can last three days straight
we’d go to Florida Panama City and we
can go Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday I
don’t need any sleep I’m so this and
then you know you hear all these stories
and then I watch your documentary and
then I feel embarrassed to share any of
my stories I sit down I said wait a
minute I can never talk about that what
we did in the army because you took it
to life at Panama City down so you know
lost a Rolex one night there what was it
Spinnaker’s and clubs been available
yeah so they’re still there they are
still me I just don’t know if they’re as
big as they used to be Bob because that
one problem remember MTV was 90 or you
know the hole they were the big clubs
seven clubs within one club and you’d go
it’s a retirement community here and
it’s not so funny but for you know that
season it was great so break before we
go into some of it all the different
extensions we’ve shared some mutual
establishments yes we have I mean you
know based on some of the conversations
we were having earlier both of us were
very good boys
with great GPAs and you know apparently
you had a phenomenal GPA 1.7 I had a 1.8
we got to send you the shirt with the
1.8 GPA but maybe crosses the eight off
and put a 7 on every has no real numbers
so if I’m in high school with you okay
and I’m having a good day I’m trying to
I’m trying to get to know the story I’m
in hyzer with your hair in generally
really like so this has been the case
for a long time yeah who was Ric Flair
in high school were you already cuz
there’s a quote you said you said I
didn’t I didn’t just want to be a man I
wanted to beat the man right is that the
guys that were beginning yes so that’s
been from the beginning that mindset
yeah what wasn’t in terms of wrestling I
just I wanted to be the best and
whatever I was doing so you were
partying hardcore in high school as well
lifting weights oh well that’s the
weights me up I didn’t start drinking
though I was like 15 or 16 so you waited
till 15 years old to start drinking
that’s well the way you say give me the
contributing factors I’d gotten in
trouble for buying you know on liquor
underage friends okay so um and got
arrested but my parents put me in
private school in Wisconsin the drinking
age was 18 so I was 15 or just 16 so you
know within 24 hours I had a fake ID I
would just with the law within the law
in terms of what I had for ID I was in
Madison on State Street now were you
were you a big 15 year old like were you
a 15 oh that looked like he was 22 I
weighed out 180 and when I was 15 and
you were playing sports at that time yes
you small wrestling and track where you
gonna be there you run downstairs
because old st. Nick isn’t gonna let you
down so you’re in high school you’re
having a good time you come out of high
school and then you play for Minnesota I
think you were GPA you said 1.7 so that
kind of didn’t work out for you with
grace how did that I went to Minnesota’s
what’s called a non predictor in other
words I had to predict higher than a 1.7
you had
to build my scholarship got it and when
I went fresh full room weren’t eligible
to playing the varsity anyway got it so
that makes me old but it makes even more
interesting what it makes you so how did
how’d it wrestling come about when did
that happen I know I know you were
talking about how you know when you were
a kid you couldn’t wait to watch
wrestling Channel eleven I think you
said and you would ask your dad to come
and he didn’t want to watch and it was
just – you didn’t really fully get it
for you you were fast until I saw my dad
he’s gonna watch yeah but my dad took me
on my birthday so you know that’s that’s
all that matters that’s called he
supported it so wrestling wasn’t
something I came after high school you
you actually love the rest of waiting I
loved it I never dreamed I’d be part of
it really so wasn’t like I’m gonna want
to grow up to be a champion wrestler and
I’m on listen no no no no I was bouncing
at a bar called George’s in the park
mm-hmm I was through with college and
got a job as a bouncer waiter were two
parts to it the real glamorous nightclub
part of it and then it was a saloon
called the Red Dog saloon and I had but
a stool next to cigarette machine and
then watch this guy and I go I know this
guy puts funny
pulls out a pack of Marlboros to go sit
down towards a drink it was Ken Patera
the world’s strongest man at that time
the first guy to press 500 pounds
overhead in he came to Minneapolis his
brother was the defensive coordinator
for the Vikings for Bud Grant his
brother was we ask the real people is
Conwell or alum page all those chaotic
and Jack and his that was his brothers
name had called Vernon ganya the guy
that brought me in and Vern had agreed
to sponsor can to prepare for the 72
olympics a morning that burned it
so Vern sponsored Ken I got to know ken
we rented a house together and I’m
probably responsible for him not as a
gold-medal you ask him I know he and I
in Mike Goldberg Bill Goldberg brother
you know bill go for amazing had yes sir
close yeah that we don’t further the
soda
Wow I’m play football yeah the three of
us and my cat that time with some water
bitch so we had like ten water are you
kidding and then I was working at avid
Northwestern Hospital orderlies so
nurses X should be a party what a
challenge otherwise there are terrible
times so you’re going through this
process you’re living together nurses
are coming in and out you have ten water
beds so you know this is what we were
preparing for the 70 Olympics the
assembly two of them got right okay in
the meantime I got married and moved
into in 1971 and moved into a double
bungalow so I settled down double
bungalow yeah uh as they called houses
but there’s a bungalow right oh boy yeah
yeah don’t hear him anymore now you know
none of these when I think my bungalow
him on my high school and he said your
classes in the bunkhouse right is where
I got married that year right after um
right before Ken went Olympics and then
when Ken came back I started training
for wrestling for wrestling so so the
the things I hear about Vernon the
things I hear about him as a trainer
apparently you know he was a high
expectation how brutal was like are
these stories like actual true stories
what he puts you guys through oh it’s
harder than what was depicted on the
34:30 give us give us so give us a you
know an average I don’t like 500 free
squats to under push-ups for ever did
anything before he did anything and I
weighed 300 can weighed 330
I was thinking be a wrestler I just be
like the crusher of the bruiser I had no
idea
running a mile and then two miles I
couldn’t run a mile had run one since
college and Ken Patera oh god you know
ken wasn’t ready for that
what kind of smoked and drank all during
the Olympic training all the Russian
athletes
smoke and drink I mean you know they
don’t think you know without was all the
performant and hansman stuff that was
going on
in liquor and smoking ineffective
weightlifter all they do is go up and
pick it up and you know thought around
interesting note that didn’t work that
didn’t diminish what they were doing and
sure but it wasn’t like they were
running up a hill or like Lance
Armstrong you know so you know riding a
bike up a hill so why did you guys
listen to her like what how did he
command what were number one equal
earned over sciency double a champion at
Minnesota okay
he played for the Packers phenomenal
athlete and he was like a guide in
Minnesota so what did he have what would
he lead you based on his personality or
pure expectation here’s what I need you
to do that’s it was it was encouraging
was he motivating was the bowl you can
do his career motor vania and would not
let me quit me not making it was not an
equation so was that Hollywood the part
where he slapped you in the face and he
said look you know you better get your
butt in there come to training who was
it that actually happen actually
happened not outside of my duplex so you
like slug the word is looking for so you
wanted you were getting ready to quit I
did quit I went home he drove up the
driveway and got me he came to you in
God yup and so you quit your job pretty
awkward he threw me out the door into
that front yard he came in and got me
they made it look like I walked off
voluntary what was your reaction when
that happened I said I’ll be there the
next day so that doesn’t happen we don’t
know a Nature Boy today oh your god
you’re probably not Wow Wow so one
person in that moment that believed in
you so much that came and said you
reinforce the idea that I had flunked
out of college disappointed that it
disappointed you know I don’t be used my
parents it’s an analogy but I can’t
remember what else I had failed that who
knows so he triggered a lot of pain
points he cannot gain points at that age
but pointed out that I wasn’t gonna be I
wasn’t gonna fail on his turf turf Wow
and you responded to it yep painful as
it was so then afterwards so when so
what happens next so now you’re going to
wrestling and what’s going on after that
well I started I had my first match in
72 so first day your first wrestling
match you have
how you going into it what do you win
what’s going on there do you remember
that I do remember George get ask him
Minneapolis but nobody told me anything
he just said go in there and you’re
gonna wrestle and you know for 10
minutes when you say nobody told me no
storyline you’re gonna do they don’t
gonna know there’s no winner no loser
nothing Wow
yeah that’s how Keith that’s not how the
business was back then god I said what
what do you mean he could just go in
there and practice what you learn him
you could
it had to be thank God it’s not on tape
but unless bender words match ever now
did you have your persona back then or
no and all of it just you know Ric Flair
and I got it and when did the persona
come about after their plane crash 75 so
what is it like being in an airplane
crash
it’s nothing you want to do we were
flying towards the coast
it a headwind beautiful day
and we lost power both engines six
thousand feet six out of 1000 but six
thousand feet there’s nothing that can
do about it you’re going down the guys
telling me we’re crashing well we were
so heavy we couldn’t glide we landed a
mile from the runway I’m smile from the
Dugway with the nose of the plane stuck
in there your star than 30 for 30 yeah I
did I stuck in a rear over there banquet
so that happens and then again that’s
another injury so what’s the recovery on
that one well first I said I’ve never
Russell then III I didn’t act off
surgery thank God Oh dr. Johnson’s
Miller clinic um Dave Johnson he said um
you know you might miss things coming
together pretty good for you might be
able to do it and then six months later
he said yeah you’re good to go and I
went I am I was kind of like I wasn’t
ready for that news because that meant I
you know that in those days I meant go
so I lost I went from 255 to 180 70
pounds yeah so by the time I got back
and was healed I was back up to like 218
which I thought was real tight like a
like a scarecrow compared to what I used
to be how can you possibly expect whoo
you’ll be the world champion with a body
like that
they’re teeny weeny arms and look at
that so it’s amazing how you know these
weights so well like my remember because
like this thing losing 43 pounds what’s
like myself in those pictures like with
Berkeley who came to see me yeah he’s a
good guy with a neck like a stack of
diamonds I mean I couldn’t believe so
that happened six months out then you’re
getting back into it you’re 218 what
happens next is this now where you were
sitting there saying I got to create my
persona because Noah George got pointing
about for me he brought it to me and
actually put it to me and all I had to
do was figure out how to do it moment
they needed to introduce me to Olivia
Walker who was making all the Ryan stone
cowboy stuff Dolly Parton Glen Campbell
Porter Wagoner I mean all these people
sharo
the dance of entertainment she was
expensive but I started out with that
first Ruhlman and then from there I just
I felt it and so then I got $75,000 from
the airplane crash third of that at 33
and the third had to get a lawyer and
with the rest of it what you think I did
what do you think I want to say you
probably contributed to some companies
probably Miller Lite Budweiser know I
went and bought my first new Cadillac
you went about your first Cadillac new
one okay I’d already bought here’s one
with my first thousand dollar check the
first week I made a thousand dollars I
wouldn’t bought a used Cadillac so then
you get your 50 go buy brand new one so
then you are going to enter but probably
so at that moment you know so you’re
going in see I don’t deposit any 917
real blue on blue Wow
yeah you always had style I’ve always
had taste
hey that exceeded my god that makes
sense
she’s going like this yeah so did you
ever sell on your life did you ever sell
like did you have a regular job with you
that sales or alright so life insurance
no you did yeah yeah for a year do you
really still life it yeah I never had my
license and never pass again so life in
Schad for oh yeah with for um for
guardians you so life insurance yeah I
love what I did made my ID number when I
sold me a bunch of my friends a ten
thousand dollar policy actually I just
took with the senior agent he sold it
and then I sold my dad’s medical firm
retirement pension plans
mama channel right 78 like 40 grand my
first year doing nothing I had no idea
so like a Gallagher and by the way
Guardian probably has no idea so life
insurer there probably to look at this
insane Northwest women strike then yeah
Northwest Airlines and all the flight
attendants were working on the virus
it’s a glorious time where you met a lot
of your clients at the bars not a strip
club guy you’re not a strip club guy
know what I have I have not as an
individual but I have it in a group paid
for hookers hookers to make a party
better yeah I’ve never hired a hooker
like you know I don’t do that one more
thing you know oh darling I like that
look they’re too easy in the tweens so
you’re like you like to spread this is
that offense this is not against women
hey community I got a gold carried it
what do you want so you like that you
like the the sale you like I like yeah
like yeah like the sale yeah so you but
I like them that come to me that was a
game I played so what shift did you make
to go from the point of them I just
walked in match to my hair was long pull
up everything to make sure all the
jewelry was aware done yeah can I buy
you a drink
unbelievable so ladies has never been
you’re saying oh it’s been so just a
matter of fact urban for that ruins my
life two wives and two agents so so Rick
so you now you have the story you have
this persona so what’s the first time
you become a champion what year was it
when he became a champion first time
first time 1976 what are some stories
that we did not hear on the documentary
that maybe you experienced some crazy
stories that you had because some of the
stories I heard I’m sitting I’m
listening to your stories I’m like okay
this guy they they just told the story
of he came into town he said I’m gonna
go to the bar you go to the bar you meet
a bunch of girls you bring them back to
the hotel then you’re done then then you
go back to the bar then you meet some
work and you come back these stories are
being told it’s almost like a fictional
comic story of a hardcore the line runs
hold on thirty four thirty they were
told another place so that you can read
about yeah so so you you you see all
these things but what were some life
like constantly recruiting you were so
you’re gonna recruit a for a while what
was your recruiting line was it was at
this I I didn’t have a once I was on TV
I didn’t that recruit were you cocky
were you arrogant or were you confident
which one would you say you were or a
little bit of it all three so you had a
little bit of all three so you believe
you are the man like you would say
things like I am the greatest athlete in
the world you’re saying is with 100%
conviction hmm and you believed it the
greatest athlete who relied oh I thought
it was the greatest professional
wrestler I used to say athlete yes but I
can’t really in all fairness right back
then I probably thought I was but I
wasn’t competing with Michael at that
time and then Michael just come along
you say Michael Michael Jordan at that
sound like 84 yeah I’m saying I’m when I
started seeing it like an 81 you know I
mean got it like I think the greatest
athlete alive today is LeBron James what
a day yeah so you’re a Bron James fan Oh
huge do you put him ahead of MJ because
you yes yes I do because Rick you run
ahead of mg because of height and weight
and he’s ahead of Michael and every
statistic 33 years old his age except
for Championships
we never do I’m surprised you as
somebody they came from that era you
would put LeBron ahead oh my god this is
nothing against Michael you know but
it’s like um I love Johnny Unitas but
Johnny and ice is not Tom Brady so you
just got it so you’re purely go what I’m
saying I’m I’m with you Yeah right now
we probably at the same time Luke
Kuechly or whoever that saying is not
Lawrence Taylor so there are guys from
decades ago that are co-best the best of
all the guy I mean you can talk about
football players and you’re gonna say
the greatest football player of all time
to me you’re talking about a guy that
made an entire league redefine what they
had to do to change their game plan
their offensive line change Tom what
Lawrence dealer no bleep well you can
watch the special on him he’s just there
to be said only right goes to him as the
guy that died prematurely Derrick Thomas
from the Kansas City Chiefs but he
Derrick Thomas wasn’t mean as LT what
made Taylor mean as he just wanted to
tell you what a very good friend of mine
and he’s a koteas yeah he’s still in
great shape he’s feeling great and he
can still drink a bottle of Jack Kate
about Johnnie Walker Black Label I’m
talking about you brother giving you a
plug so Johnnie Walker Black Label
straight up and smoked two cigars boy
sign and I think could he have hung
could he ever hang with you and partying
or no you’re still home yeah but anyway
he was running for me towards the end we
used to party together later too much
for you were a little too much no no no
I just um a couple times I think you
know I thought it was I think he
respected Wendy too much because they
knew I was bringing Wendy oh so Wendy
was in a picture at this oh yeah yeah
we’re dumb we’re in Atlantic City go I’m
thinking you’re talking like no you
would text me like it 11 o’clock at
night okay come on out well you knew
that I wasn’t gonna drag wind at 11
o’clock Road but when he worked for TNT
we went to Minneapolis yeah and when he
was playing for the Giants and he had
lt’s uh-huh the club in the arc oh Jesus
different story he was he was the man he
was God for Decca taste something with
that your earrings yeah you’re walking
down you can
I’m the huge fan and I’ve met him
personally of Joe Namath so Rick let me
ask you a part you know this apart where
we grew up as kids and we would say I
want to believe wrestling is you know
real and I want to believe this or how
much of wrestling I mean obviously I see
it as a person from the outside but how
much of it was sitting down and saying
here’s how we’re gonna do and here’s the
story part and here’s the storyline and
this is what not bad number whichever
was that shall never evolved until the
90s what that did about feeling that I
didn’t involve would you say McMahon
brought that to the game yes okay so he
brought it well no I mean everybody
brought the game but Vince is
responsible for bringing wrestling as we
know it now to where it is in the
eighties some scene video no but I mean
like the 1780s yeah I mean that we knew
who was gonna win or lose but it wasn’t
choreographed does that make sense yes
we it was talked about in the ring you
go in Rick you’re gonna win this one so
go figure something I am with the guy
God not with a not with an agent and not
not to be picked apart and you know by
writers that have never been in the ring
I mean it’s kind of like a I feel about
sports announcers okay if they have time
invested like I love Steven Naismith
right mm-hmm he’s never played a
professional sport but he has a time
invested twenty plus years in a studying
that getting to understand it
knowing the players not afraid to say
what he thinks that kind of journalist I
like a guy who’s never done shit you
know what I mean just reaching out there
you know and I don’t not gonna using
names because I know all these guys it
drives me absolutely crazy because it’s
like me I can’t I can’t have an opinion
do I have favorites but how in hell can
I have an opinion really about a sport
that I never excelled at so you believe
that you come from the school of thought
of you can’t have an opinion if you’ve
never played in the game and you’re not
experienced well if you don’t know the
best
time you don’t have the vest that
invested time to understand if you’ve
been doing this for two years and you’re
trying to call balls and strikes
yeah or understand that as an example
for any sport yeah how can anybody that
hasn’t done it begin to understand
Michael Phelps now think about that Don
Shula lander would get it
Spitz would get it who can swim like
that so let me ask you where are you
going with this what are you’re saying
if you have never done it you shouldn’t
have an opinion about it is this the
people that were making comments about
wrestling but they were not involved in
a life – no that’s why I was they always
get it circling around the wrestling I
want to hear your thoughts about that
because you know there’s a lot of
criticism you’d be on shows and people
would say this is fake how could you say
it’s not fake you guys don’t do this
anything you’re like this blood is I
remember that one scene you’re like this
is real blood there’s a scene that
you’re doing that this is real blood I’m
not faking this talk about the athlete
the sports aspect of wrestling that you
guys did that maybe the fans are like oh
it’s just to show that’s all it is
I can name 10 football players that have
tried to make it and didn’t make it a
week 10 football players NFL players
that couldn’t make you for a week mmm
because the level of difficulty
give me three examples Walter Johnson
the Mars man who I helped train the kid
from the Oakland Raiders the Mars man
what was his name oldest sister on and
then the guy who played deep Ernie
Holmes from the Pittsburgh Steelers mhm
we thought it was a real badass so they
come in they try to know what was the
very guy just a really good while all
three of them are all pros but what-what
made them want to say I can do this this
isn’t for me because I couldn’t handle
it they can handle what part of the
physical aspect of it and being afraid
Mad Dog Vachon look at all it’s it’s
it’s drunk and said I’m gonna chew you
up truly being afraid yeah I mean these
guys played NFL other people are getting
in their face and I’m gonna kill you
today under in the field and they’re
still being afraid in that in that world
if I didn’t say all of you said give me
some sure so so how about the physical
side of it I mean you you’re dropping
yourself from the top on the table all
this y’all don’t get cash what happens
to your back I mean the pain what you
know I never I’ve never had any of that
I’ve never incurred that you know it’s a
grace of God and when I
come on it I take a really serious
because all my friends every one of hips
knees back issues I have been able to
escape that for some for some reason I
don’t know how I’m never gonna be the
guy that because of my past they go out
and say I can’t push God in on you
mm-hmm but I am sure beyond a shadow of
a doubt that God has played a big role
in my life because of my past I can’t go
I could never write a book I could never
lecture to you a lot more Who am I you
know I’ve had a lifetime scared but the
plane didn’t scare me I’ve always you
know I mean I’m went to church and my
parents I’ve been what’s the word um
combination yeah I’ve been confirmed I’m
have all right and I’ve always believed
in God but I always I didn’t think about
him when I should have in my life until
this time what what age was that when
you said this time when you say now I’m
thinking about like I’ll give you an
example did I say to myself every day I
would say god I’ll never do this again
the same day I said it to myself and to
him I did a routine I might say my
prayers at night now the high stick – oh
you have heard this a thousand guys gee
but I’m through school Oh fruit and it
seemed bad when’s the last time you had
a drink the day or in a school really
that’s the last night yeah not even
close so how long ago is that that’s
seven months
Wow sand seven months for you you
haven’t done seven months since you were
14 I have I have never done seven months
oh yeah no I did for a year people don’t
realize what for a year because I was
dying diagnosed with um my my atop of
the heart whatever it was I’m talking
about my behavior misconduct short and
not as much as
I’ve been drinking I just was wild with
women
is it number accurate I mean you hear
Wilt Chamberlain says you know 20 warm
Betty’s 15 you know jeans well I don’t
now or that I just you partied that
heart to go through 10,000 a woman is
what you know like you know that’s I
mean well I don’t know which $10 got it
what if I told you 500 you’d say
bullshit 500 and you know yours 365 days
if you’re poor in all that time you know
you just got to do the math don’t do 44
years on the road I got married in
Canada and a girl falls and divorce the
negev all in one weekend just to make it
a happy when Ric Flair’s in town
Showtime well but I want to know like
you know you talk about that like cuz
you said something said I never drank by
myself never you you so this was a funny
yeah I never sit home and drink there
was more you liked the language the
ocean what yeah got it but at the same
time if the bartender like sports right
I can become friends with everybody in
five minutes at Wendy the reason that
happens it’s because I walk into a bar
and I ask someone to put on sport as
opposed to Network News which would
depress the world of it who watch it I
mean why do people watch it they’ve
never liked it but never really so you
know you like a lot of dylan riley but
after you through his report on the
benoit situation i knew that he was full
of shit wouldn’t been walked chris
benoit past yes and they would gave in
all these people that failed in
wrestling and then ran to his show and
ran to Nancy Grace Nancy Grace without
reading right now see Grace’s our local
she lives a I guess she’s Atlanta yeah
well I was embarrassed for them taking
the word of people that had a
very difficult experience with wrestling
and so they just jumped on the bandwagon
to try and hurt us who were in the sport
to try and hurt people like the McMahons
from the Crockett sir
Ted Turner it was just bullshit
so you still defend your communities
it’s a your you’re a very big defender
e-community doesn’t matter matter
whether it’s NWA WWE WWF all wrestling
you’re a big ambassador for your
community I am
what would you say McMahon did to your
world you only you’ll just start from
the beginning
yeah okay in 1992 I owed the IRS 230
grand I was in Tokyo I couldn’t sleep I
was drinking myself for death I called
him my second I have 230 grand he said
yeah I paid RS 1992 right with over the
my divorce and there’s that business as
a matter of things but it means you
never left my side I mean he and I we
and it really came to surface how close
we are when I was sick then stick man
face time to me and talked to me and
called Wendy every day this is a guy it
like you did so holy does that make
sense
well I didn’t bring him anything except
a lot of talent and I was easy to get
along with but I didn’t come to nautilus
40 years old
what have I gone I was 30 right but that
would change the course of history when
I was getting divorced in 2005 he lent
me $800,000 in increments over a
three-year period to pay the lawyer
named Lance wife to live he said I have
wife said I wouldn’t lend my own son
this damn money mm-hmm and then he
called me and said if you want to go
upside down I won’t hold it against you
but I paid him back every time are you
kidding me stop Pat myself on the back
for that but it was rough his phantom
income you still gotta pay taxes on it
it makes sense of course so 800 like one
point they had this guy Luke split yeah
this guy call Wendy every day and check
on me and the first time I saw him he
what’s up with that I wish you Merry
Christmas ezel you’re not even supposed
to be in service just I’ve asked him
over the years as you know I have
self-confidence problems and that’s why
I thought yeah I ran our best friends
every time you used to for me aside and
say you can do this when here I am
wrestling in my 50s again to cancer 24
years old and I couldn’t get I could
still do it physically but here I had
lost my self-confidence
you physically can do this mentally
you’re gonna fucking do it
excuse me really can’t use that worse
all right
and that’s why I mean I heard red best
friend you could tell when he talks
about you like he you could see it in
the eyes yeah I love the guy that he has
got so much on his plate you know he’s
being taught to be the next guy he runs
NXT he’s an ambassador he and Stephanie
travel around the world I’ve seen their
schedules representing the company I
mean they don’t just sit in a chair and
push button then delegate authority
there they are him Vince he’d it of the
hardest thing I would have to say I’ve
seen over the years is him delegating
Authority he in but that’s who he is and
that’s it’s worked out for him did that
make sense
hmm very few people does he trust but
when he does he’ll ride it out with you
not gonna make it’s emotional when I
think about I go what why why wouldn’t
you a shit about me he says it says a
lot about him and says a lot about you
but we’ve had some terrible argument you
know whoa nothing did nothing that was a
deal-breaker but he’s you know he’s with
my ass up I should say we’ve had some
terrible arguments he is fucking with
money he has left my ass a fight sorry I
didn’t mean to imply that I architect
I listened but he’s always been there
and so if you look at my foundation of
my two daughters and I and Wendy it’s
like my triangle you know when to being
the point and my two daughters being
just and then to be able to fall back on
the company that I’ve been with you know
I was never their biggest star I mean I
was never lost in or a Hulk or the rock
or a hunter or Shaun you know could I
just came in and yell me know I was in
my 50s the last time I came back right
but they made me a part of it and gave
me an opportunity and you know hunter
invents and Stephanie – I mean I mean
Stephanie is very close I’m I’m sure
they also know that you have a very
loyal devout following people love you
when you when we see you in your element
it’s like it’s like Michael on a
basketball court like you are in your
element you are where you belong
oh no they recognize that I mean it’s
like last year when hungry when they
mortalized me and gave me that huge
statue talent that come along
billion in one not only inspire people
in their chosen field but they inspire
generations and there’s certain ways
that you immortalize people they will
erect statues in your honor so with all
the respect that he deserves
I mean everything hunter said I’m
senator loose eNOS and this is when you
don’t think if they realize what you’ve
done that this guy who doesn’t he’s not
really a sports fanatic like I am
Hunter’s not under not I mean dude do
they watch the Superbowl and so like
that but but he was like doing a resume
and stuff I’ve done with sporting teams
and with the rap industry and and I said
God he doesn’t know what I do
he doesn’t just text him every day man
where you go like well offsetting that
he is there that’s amazing let’s get
back on the lighter side here so I was
in Florida fall week money west palm –
Adi Tampa this is recent or no it’s an
eighties okay
yeah took that people know the story so
drinking and when I was in Florida
Territory I was the happiest I mean
every night drink party Tampa Miami so
Miami’s a very healthy City for party
and uh mine is a healthy City – the
show’s danfa just me yeah shitty I was
Monday I was in West Palm yeah what I
would do I would go territory to
territory so I would end up on Sunday
and fly to the next territory and start
the week out end up on Sunday fly next
circle so Florida Territory was Monday
West Palm side slide at West Palm ride
back a Tampa Tampa was Tuesday night big
party afterwards
Wednesday was my it was TV in Tampa and
then fly down to Miami for Miami stay
overnight in Miami
fly back your next day then you could be
in jacksonville sarasota somewhere like
that Friday would be a local Lake
Lakeland like that right
Saturday would be st. Pete the bayfront
Center biggest show right huge and then
suddenly was always a random so after we
could drinking and partying always long
I’d wrestled butch Reed in the cage
match and I would you know and I’ve been
thinking about it all week it was
wearing on me that I had to
Japan and I knew when I got there had to
wrestle three one-hour matches in a row
against wood guys I didn’t get along
with I mean it didn’t have chemistry
with I got along on them but if
wrestling in 80s was chemistry different
no no it was in Japan those guys are
trying to always impress us and one of
the guys was an Olympic in and study we
just dragged on me wasn’t looking for
tomorrow would like racing so I called
my dad from a payphone and I said dad
won’t come on the bike in the middle of
that I said I are defeated go fast he
said what was left and you’re at the bed
and get some sleep
you’ll be all right so I flew from Tampa
to Chicago and I got a number four and I
drank all the way to Tokyo all the way
that’s one flight attendant for funds
that was the party I got that I was old
cracked back then you had to pay per
ticket lights yeah said to the guy how
do you get back you in the head stage
today well there’s a flight going to
Seattle leaves in 45 minutes
connects in Seattle to Chicago to
Charlotte it’s like I’m on it meanwhile
I can hear the four motors wife Motoko
Ric Flair son report to bake to claim
whatever write it I just stayed there
and drank in the bar got on the plane
sat down next to a guy and no
forgiveness and they go can I talk to
you he said yeah what that’s when people
didn’t have computers and you know Paul
and some people were people drinking
having fun right so this is kind I got
in hammered in Seattle and I had a
nervous breakdown
I’m sure of it hey hey what’s up buddy
he’s going yeah so long story short they
went back to Chicago food Chicago flew
home I got off the plane and my wife and
Jimmy Crockett were there the promoter
and I we got back and playing that and
going all the way back you told you and
we drank all the way to five hours out
of Tokyo
drank again was the crockett right
I fell asleep got up made the arena and
wrestled an hour felt great
once I broke us let us it’s only the
sins you good to the maps but ginger
gives a just a crime part of uh used to
be of a Tokyo got the royal treatment
the baths and all the stress close it
with it so how its back on my but that
guy said Christmas gotta move like you
said your Christmas car for five years
[Laughter]
I’ll never forget this journey you said
I see you get any more famous how many
how many millions of miles did you
flight did you do you actually know the
number I have three million with Delta
right now okay I probably had two
million with you its error or no over to
blame God Easter night a million over
one point five when they went down and I
don’t know how many I had with Northwest
that’s six and a half million already
there’s those three out so you think you
cracked ten million miles I don’t know
if Finley but I’ve certainly cracked
five or six you know I mean yeah you see
that’s that’s a lot of mouths so rake
two items I’d like to go through with
you here is so you know so the damn
watched a documentary the 3430
I’m watching the documentary you say
something at the end with your about
your son so I’m at Nordstrom’s I’m
talking to this lady my son is with me
my four-year-old son is in my lap and
he’s doing all this stuff and he’s just
jumping all over the place and this lady
probably in our late fifties early
sixties she looks at as she smiles a
sound so you know what’s his name Dylan
you’re the typical conversation I said
give me some advice on parenting she
says your kids need a parent not a best
friend mmm
and I said interesting okay I heard that
maybe once before so you can’t need a
parent not a best friend and then I
watch your documentary and then you say
you know I wish I was a parent not a
best friend when you say that what do
you mean by that when you’re saying that
I’m curious myself I’m going to
I think that I was great for my two
older kids are the ones that suffered I
never saw them as a result of that in
combination but I think my son and I
don’t even talk partial because the
wrestling business partially because I
think you felt like I wasn’t there form
that didn’t affect my relationship my
oldest daughter who is fabulous and
doing great and my youngest daughter of
course what happened with them is that
when the trials into relations of WCW
were they were trying to get rid of me
fired me for a year that I had ten goals
Jim’s at that time so I had a
supplementary income so I got to spend a
ton of time there were my hobbies their
mind I took read the Tokyo I took read
the Europe I took the kids there why I
took Ashley to Australia to England to
Ireland and all over the you know when
she committed to a college because I was
up their ass up there but they were both
great athletes Ashley you know to me
right now to this day is the best
athlete in the WWE not just a woman and
if you were gonna do that somebody said
one day well how do you measure that I
mean you can run you can play like five
sports tell me how you want to measure
you know who can jump the highest I mean
but I give myself I saw that and Ashley
and you know at the time she used to
hate me but I hadn’t both a personal
trainer her it probably about ten
because I saw the gift ten years old
probably ten she started personal
training as she got in high school and I
was spending like for both of them about
four to five thousand a month because
they trained separately different sports
different abilities right no and then of
course I traveled with them both I took
at a she was the volleyball right so you
know someone said they look the best
volleyball in California really
it’s the brakiri no back then that was
Pepperdine and all those it was so rich
they were good of a girl at camp at
California I don’t want to go oh yeah
off you go out taking a Rodeo Drive or
all so just she hated the campus because
everybody out there at that camp was as
good as her and if not better she’d
never seen that so the only way to test
a child you know I’m Jews in sports in
example but I’m sure for your pianist if
your son’s a musician if your son is a
excels at anything you want to test them
against if if you’re a competitive
parent test them against the best I mean
they they if they want to grow and
become better you got to find the
competition no matter what it is
music sports whatever I ought to find a
competition for them yeah
don’t it’s the only way they can measure
you ever could get an accurate
measurement of where they’re gonna go so
I have gumbo travel then I had his
wrestling coach knew how to look on a
computer and see where my son was ranked
there’s a kid in Dayton Ohio we go to
Dayton we go to Columbus we go to or go
to Reno we go to Texas we go to Iowa the
Tulsa Nationals toughest wrestling
tournament he got killed the first time
I came when he said this shit don’t work
so the kid was running around like it
but there the kids were drinking rip
fuel which I used to sell at my gym it
would be bigger than ice but a 12 year
old kid is craziness
I couldn’t watching his kid Joma
automaticall what key Ironman in three
years you want it and you want it twice
I wouldn’t take no for an answer
and he you know I added in his mind you
can beat these kids then of course the
second thing he had to deal with was
black athletes mature faster hair under
their arms he was already down to zero
evil black kid he had to head to here in
his arms he he was down two points
already until he figured out that he
could match the kid first rings I mean
and that that’s that’s what control them
so anyway getting back to commitment I
spend so much time with them being their
friend because I wanted to talk to them
and a voice of making him understand
that if you have an opportunity to be
great at something don’t throw it away
I wasn’t giving the advice about
religion I wasn’t giving him advice
while smoking and drinking that’s what
threw me off with Reid that was
automatic you know but that that
anything I said about – about smoking or
drinking that was counterproductive heat
that didn’t file with him with her of
course it did anyway I just was so close
to read I just couldn’t get I mean I
would get so upset you mean no marriage
I think I will say this too anyway it’s
got a child with those kind of issues
that goes on for a number of years no
marriage can survive it even the best my
weren’t divorced when we couldn’t find
him for five days it drives you crazy I
mean it does and you can’t find your kid
for five days and it wants a couple
times it was five days you’d be up in
some house with three or four friends
then I have to hire a private eye the
police go find him oh yeah
the one ain’t old is he at the time when
he’s gone for five days fifteen Wow
sixteen then I put him in private school
which I had found out was like for me
I’d sure thought well look at it turned
you into a wild man
because you think you’re supervised but
you’re not you’re paying all this
tuition and he was at the most
prestigious wrestling school in the
country but there were some outlaws
there right and you know the first I got
a phone I’m pulling up to Russell to
Meadowlands I get a phone call from the
Dean of Students and read it Tessa
positive for cocaine I said what are you
talking about he said I said where he
went to a Guns N Roses concert with one
of his roommates which I gave him
permission to do into school so they
sent him home for two weeks but they
because it wasn’t on campus if I don’t
come back well you know I said to myself
boy this says what I went to oh god I
really started drinking when I went away
to school I had that phony ID and so of
course drugs weren’t in my in my
lifetime or weren’t in my mind you know
it chemicals I’ve never had you know I’m
a wee
thank God so that we started dealing
with it and it got worse and worse and
worse beyond he was on life support for
different times now I’ve been on a once
right I know I’m older and everything
else but I feel like if I was younger it
would even impacted me more because I
would say God I have all this ahead of
me everyone’s got to beat it i watch TV
shows where i see these guys shoot
themselves with heroin I never saw him
like that but if that’s what it did to
him I just should have I brought him
back from Japan he was doing great and
[Music]
Wendy and I and a friend of mine it was
35 Pizza it’s um successful bidder we’re
watching the NC double-a tournament
basketball and he went back I went to
lay down and when they went back it she
was tired and I was watching it went for
a Mack Patterson I went back in the room
and there it was it was sitting there on
the floor and I’ve seen all my kids a
thousand times and I said to myself well
do I call the cops or just you know or
is he just I didn’t see any needles or
anything so and I’ve seen him like this
you know how many times so I laid him
down and he was talking to me it was
fine so I figured I I just was so mad
he’d been home a day or two days and so
what I’m saying about being a parent is
that you know man’s on I I
I don’t know of dealing with him more
harshly would have made a difference
because every time I put him in a place
he figured it out if a counselor would
tell me he’s not gonna be able to use a
phone for a month I would get a call
that day from him and I would say like
where’d you get a phone was the
constants a big fan of your dad not the
guy that I talked to but the counselor
so you don’t get to meet the whole staff
you check in mm-hmm
he was in Sierra Tucson when the most
famous clinics in the world and when he
was leaving to fly to Jay Walker because
he lost use of his leg not totally but
partial use of his leg
after to sunny was going to a place
called jaywalker by Aspen mm-hmm before
he cleaned him out and all that right he
didn’t show up at the airport he went
and met a girl that he would have been
sleeping with the whole time he was in
rehab I couldn’t find him for two days
he called me said dad I needed a break
so I go check in again it’s wait he
talked to me I said work Ben right yeah
I needed a break I couldn’t just tackle
it again it was rough then I come to
find out that my wife knew that he was
dating a girl or seeing the girl cuz
they had lunch together when she went to
visit him as a parent I obviously failed
in regards to that I don’t know I think
it’s um I think it’s a miracle and I’m
so happy for the guys that have made it
but when you’re gone from home 300 days
a year and you don’t have children and
let’s say you’re single the girls can go
off with their friends the guys can go
out it’s not like it used to be the guys
now are on a much more level playing
field they understand the restrictions
in the importance of social media and
not hanging out but you’re still gone I
can see that even with me I couldn’t
wait to be gone because I loved going to
work to wrap it up I mean look honestly
I can ask you questions and I’m really
enjoying the conversation we can well
you got so many stories that’s Ashley
I’m not going anywhere
what did this hip hop stuff come about
you get a couple hip hop videos you know
you know one of them just got 7.8
million views on the last I think four
days you know Ricki I learned another
160 million views hundred 80 million
views that I saw on YouTube so how did
that come about well they like to bling
you know like told me I was bringing for
bling was playing right I never thought
of it back in snoop said he got his
showmanship from you yeah well I have
that thank you Snoop I love him
you know we’ve been you know not like
where we talk every day but we text we
know like once every couple weeks and
like I mean he’s like
he’s iconic until we inducted him in the
Hall of Fame I knew that he was Big Damn
but I didn’t realize the impact he’s had
on other musicians and in music in
general until they read his resume you
talk about do Thomas snoop yeah oh my
god he’s impacted a lot of people’s
lives he’s a legit rapper yes yeah yeah
yeah if did rapper ya know he and I Tex
and you know Rick Ross has done music
with my name and Flo Rida I mean all
these guys and then they offset people
reached out to my friend cam Fordham
we’ve just stuff with Waka Flocka and
some other guys and they called me and I
said yen what yeah he is phenomenal and
he lives a life way pulled up in that
driveway to all those rights in a
Lamborghini yeah that’s not even his
crib that’s just a rental joint is that
a local hero yeah chatter in the land
yeah you wanna grit and he gives me this
for a gift have you seen his now this is
three times the size of this really yeah
did that car TV bottom yeah 75 grand
he had this made for me is it the same
guy that made it from la whatever la fée
do from here Atlanta so you and you got
some more exciting projects that coming
up I know we can’t talk about the movie
they’re about to launch at you the press
release is gonna come out which is gonna
be given a feature with you I can’t wait
for that one think of life I think your
story is going to fly 100% well if
anybody’s gonna tell stories factual
stories about partying that has
experience it’s gonna be you have moral
authority in that area I mean you know
you watch angle from you’re like yeah
that was a weekend once I had like that
and see the thing that I exonerates me
from all from that light is drugs I can
tell you that I had more fun in Vegas in
those guys in one night and they had no
weekend a couple times but without drugs
see that that’s a big difference
a little defining barrier in waking up
one day and them and not remember
everything I might not remember
everything we liked but I never never
touched drugs no I just and I and I
would be
really upset one guy drugged me one time
and I got in some trouble but I know I
can’t bring it up because of his I I did
you got upset at him no I got in legal
trouble oh okay because of conduct it
wasn’t me and I know what it got it I
just don’t do that some other digits or
one of my daughter’s oh I don’t even
know where did you – I can’t imagine
someone abusing my daughter under the
influence
I just can’t you can see you’ve got a
daughter oh no down I mean it’s just but
I mean I was I’m just gonna tell you
look figured I’d I gotta make this I
feel like we got two down me and Roddy
Piper right this is what the impact our
business had in the eighties so we’re
coming back in Tokyo number three
Northwest how many times you go to Tokyo
so i’ve been 72 72 times Wow yeah my
career so we’re coming back and I have
to wrestle in st. Louis at night so
champion said first class I was a Roddy
Piper in Dix later so we’re flying back
and they door as the role was the
greatest of all time
Nick can we see the role of a man you
know the man with my land was well I
gotta wear it feel really appreciate it
mmm if I don’t world would close all
okay we landed in Chicago all three of
the flight attendants the first guys
camera married
they all went with us sitting all one
left Florida one left and watch one live
in Chicago called say they were gonna go
on another flight and went with us you
guys want to visit it a local bookstore
yeah yeah yeah
the East st. Louis and get the party
going then the next night I wrestle no
wonder I lost how do you remember all of
these stories a new idea so let me ask
you doesn’t the about when I was a
lifeguard
a WSI instructor teaching little kids
out of swimming their mothers are
what is the movie coming out Rick what
is a movie a Rick Flicka and one of the
mothers had a nervous breakdown and went
to her doctor to tell her about me and
guess who her dad guess who her doctor
was oh my dad’s partner I’m bringing you
had to go down and apologize to her
husband oh my god 16 years old she was
33 at to my first book you must have
been a hell of a life
yeah it’s the best I love working with
kids teaching a lot of swim saying and
now and now you got a suit line coming
out yes sir right you got a suit line
coming out tell us about the suit line
and you got some things you’re working
on well it’s the company that is been
very successful without me as we talked
about off camera mm-hmm approached me
about outline we’re gonna call the
staffing profiling which was afraid for
it to be appropriate from my bug phrase
I use in my youth the response has been
huge once again not gonna wooden
thinking people forgive me the
opportunity but it came funny at my age
the opportunities that were just coming
more and more it’s great to see you
brother truly thank you an incredible
story lots of respect to you for you
being willing to open up and share your
different life experiences some of the
madness some of the craziness that
you’ve had and if you’re watching this
and you want to find out a little bit
more about Rick’s suits the website link
we’re gonna leave that below and you got
some clothing stuff as well out there
that people wore your line I noticed
every lottery for common lake bavaria
flair shop calm yes
ric flair shop calm will put it below
here as well
brother thank you so much for you really
enjoyed it thank you please pleasure you
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