Over the years, there have been several famous families that have a major impact in the professional wrestling business. That being said, few have enjoyed as much success as the Flairs. Ric Flair is widely considered one of the greatest wrestlers of all-time. His daughter Charlotte may well go down as the top female performer to ever set foot inside the squared circle. Both Flair boys, David and Reid, were also involved in the business.
However, as well as fans think they know this budding wrestling dynasty, as we are about to see, there are still a few things most folks have yet to discover.
10 10. Their Family Name Isn’t Flair
Anyone who even considers themselves a casual wrestling fan has heard the names Ric and Charlotte Flair. However, what folks may not realize is that "Flair" isn’t their real last name at all – though it’s pretty close.
“The Nature Boy’s” legal name is Richard Morgan Fliehr. As for his daughter Charlotte Flair, her given name is Ashley Elizabeth Fliehr. The other famous wrestler in the family, David Flair, is David Richard Fliehr. Basically, instead of the Flair family, they are actually the Fliehr family, but the former is a bit easier to pronounce and is perfect for the pro wrestling business.
9 9. Ric Flair Was Adopted
While Richard Fliehr may be Ric Flair’s legal name, it wasn’t the moniker he was given at birth. That’s because Ric Flair was adopted by a man named Richard Reid Fliehr and his wife, Kathleen Kinsmiller Fliehr. He was raised by his foster parents in Edina, Minnesota.
As for his biological parents, they were a couple by the name of Luther and Olive Phillips. Flair was born in Memphis, Tennesee back in February of 1949 and was given the name Fred Phillips. After he was adopted, his name was changed to Richard Fliehr, which is the name he uses today.
8 8. David Flair Used To Date Stacy Keibler
Most people know that former WWE Superstar Stacey Keibler used to date A-list actor George Clooney. After all, Clooney and Keibler made plenty of headlines when they were an item from 2011 to 2013. However, not many folks realize that before she was romantically linked to the Ocean’s Eleven star, Stacey Keibler dated David Flair.
Longtime wrestling fans may remember an old WCW storyline that involved David Flair and Stacey Keibler walking down the aisle. The angle took place back in 2000, toward the end of WCW’s run. During that time, the two were a couple off-screen as well and dated for several months.
7 7. Charlotte Flair Made Her Television Debut In WCW
When most people think of Charlotte Flair’s wrestling career, they think of her stints in NXT and on WWE’s main roster. However, well over a decade before she arrived in NXT, “The Queen” debuted in WCW’s Monday Nitro. In fact, a young Charlotte Flair made a few appearances in WCW as part of storylines that involved her family.
Her first wrestling television appearance came back in May of 2000 when Monday Nitro aired a vignette that showed Vince Russo and David Flair breaking into the Flair household. That same year she was shown ringside during a couple of Ric Flair’s matches as well.
6 6. Reid Flair Was An Accomplished Amateur Wrestler
Sadly, when Reid Flair’s name is mentioned these days, it’s usually to reference his untimely passing. However, many fans don’t know a great deal about his life. Reid was the youngest of the Flair children and decided to follow in his father’s footsteps by becoming a professional wrestler. He was also a very accomplished amateur wrestler.
Reid Flair was a standout amateur wrestler in high school and even captured the American Athletic Union (AAU) National Wrestling's attention as a youngster in 1998. He would go on to become a solid professional wrestler who was making a name for himself on the independent scene.
5 5. Ric Flair Was The Inaugural WCW World Champ
WWE often mentions that Ric Flair is a 16-time world champ. Of course, when a performer has had that many title reigns, it’s difficult to give each one of them the attention they deserve. That being said, there is one reign that was especially historical, and that was Flair becoming the inaugural WCW heavyweight champ.
Back in 1991, Flair defeated Sting for what was then known as the NWA World Heavyweight Championship – sometimes referred to as the “big gold belt.” However, WCW began to refer to it as their version of the heavyweight title. After several months, Flair left for WWE and ended up vacating the title.
4 4. Ric & Charlotte Wrote A Book Together
Ric and Charlotte Flair are the most high profile members of the Flair family due to their success in professional wrestling. However, while very different, neither one of their journeys to the top of the wrestling world was easy. The two decided to share their behind-the-scenes tales as co-authors in a book called Second Nature: The Legacy of Ric Flair and the Rise of Charlotte. The 385-page hardcover was originally published in September of 2017.
The dual memoir centers around Ric Flair trying to cement his legacy, while Charlotte Flair discusses the process of forging her own path in an often challenging industry.
3 3. Ric Flair Has Another Daughter Besides Charlotte
Since David, Reid, and Charlotte Flair all went on to become pro wrestlers, most fans are familiar with them. That being said, Ric Flair actually has another daughter named Meghan from his first marriage with Leslie Goodman.
Unlike the other children, there isn’t a lot of information out there regarding Ric Flair’s eldest daughter. She seems to enjoy her privacy. We do know that, at one point in time, she pursued a career in acting. Megan gave birth to Ric Flair’s first grandchild back in May of 2004. In January of 2018, Megan Flair announced that she was engaged to wrestling podcast host Conrad Thompson.
2 2. David Flair Had A Brief Stint In TNA
David Flair is best known for his time performing in World Championship Wrestling from 1999 to 2001. During his stint in WCW, Ric Flair’s eldest son captured both WCW World Tag Team Championship and the WCW United States Championship. Following the fall of WCW, WWE picked up his contract but ended up releasing him soon after in 2002.
After his time with WWE, David Flair went on to sign with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (aka TNA). He became a member of Vince Russo’s faction, known as Sports Entertainment Xtreme, and feuded with stars like Brain Lawler and Curt Hennig. He left the TNA in 2003 and spent the remainder of his career on the independent circuit before ultimately retiring in 2008.
1 1. Charlotte Flair Was A Standout Volleyball Player
Anyone who has watched Charlotte Flair performs knows that she is an incredible athlete. While it’s professional wrestling that was made her a megastar, it’s hardly the first sport the former women’s champ has been a part of. In truth, Flair's history with sports dates back to her childhood.
In her youth, Charlotte Flair was a gymnast and was also part of the cheerleading squad in high school. That being said, she enjoyed the most success as a volleyball player. During her time at Providence High, she helped her team win the 4 A-State Championship. Flair also played 2 seasons of college volleyball at Appalachian State University.