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Although he is in his mid-70s, Ric Flair looks to finally be officially retiring in the year 2022. One of the greatest of all time is proving to have unmatched longevity in terms of when his first match took place, and when his match took place. 2022 isn’t the first time he has retired though, as his initial official retirement came all the way back in 2008, fourteen years prior. Whilst this marked Flair’s last match in WWE, he would return several more times outside the company. Looking back, Flair’s retirement storyline was strong, even if it was cheapened by him returning to in-ring action not long after.
It Felt Like Ric Flair Would Never Retire From WWE
After spending nearly forty years inside the ring, Flair’s age looked to be catching up with him by the time 2007 rolled around. He had successfully adapted his style over the years to maintain a strong level of performance, despite him visually looking much older. The fact that he could still go between the ropes only added to his aura of being a once-in-a-lifetime entity in the professional wrestling world, and with him lasting so long, developing legacies in several of the best and biggest promotions, it started to feel like he would never retire.
Whilst Flair had begun to perform less frequently, he was still a regular enough performer to not be considered a part-timer, with him even doing house shows in addition to television matches. In August of 2007, Flair suffered an injury, ruling him out for three months. However, upon his return, there were several rumors surrounding his future, especially since his appearance was billed to include a big announcement regarding his future. Flair cut a promo looking back on his career and how grateful he was for the support, with him stating he can’t go on forever. However, in a turn of events, Flair overcame his tears and proclaimed that he would never retire, stating that he will ‘only retire when I die in this ring’. This was a huge statement, but his moment was cut short by Vince McMahon.
If Ric Flair Lost A Match, He Was Forced To Retire
McMahon announced that the next match that Flair lost was to be his last, with him forced to retire if he didn’t win, before setting up a match with Randy Orton for the main event. With this stipulation, there was doubt and high stakes involved in every one of his matches. However, with the help of Chris Jericho, Flair pulled out the victory. From there, Flair somehow kept finding ways to achieve victories, whether that be due to pure heart or classic Flair cheating.
Flair outlasted huge names such as Triple H, Umaga, William Regal, MVP, Mr. Kennedy, and even Mr. McMahon himself. Flair’s winning streak was brilliant, but with him competing so frequently during this time period, it felt as though a loss could come at any time. This was an ingenious way to add interest and intrigue to whenever he stepped foot in the ring, with it giving his opponents extra motivation too, with the chance of potentially ending a legend’s career. However, just winning wasn’t enough for Flair, he wanted to face the best.
Ric Flair Battled Shawn Michaels In One Of The Best Retirement Matches Ever
Flair would challenge Shawn Michaels to a match at WrestleMania 24, stating that he wanted to prove he could still go against the top names in the company. It took Michaels a lot of convincing, as he didn’t want to end Flair’s career, but jibes, slaps, and passion brought him to accept the challenge. The anticipation going into their match was huge, but nothing could have prepared any fan for what they would witness come WrestleMania when Flair and Michaels clashed.
The match was stellar, with it showcasing everything that made Flair a legend over the years, with Michaels bringing his world-class A-game too. They went back and forth with technical wrestling, high-flying maneuvers, sensational near-falls, and great spots. The finishing sequence of the match has gone down in history as one of the more iconic moments of all time. After a terrific battle, Flair didn’t have any fight left, and he begged Michaels to bring it on. Michaels’ hesitancy had cost him throughout the match, but he finally decided to put down his opponent. He uttered the legendary words of ‘I’m sorry, I love you’, before hitting a Sweet Chin Music for the victory. Even before the three count, Flair was in tears, and his goodbye was hugely emotional after the bell. Overall, the storyline was done brilliantly, but in later years the impact of it has lessened due to him coming out of retirement.