WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair recently spoke on his podcast, “To Be The Man,” about a variety of professional wrestling topics including going to this year’s WWE Hall Of Fame to induct a good friend (The Great Muta):
“This is so big for me. It’s going to be my eighth trip. I inducted Harley. I inducted Piper. I’ve inducted Steamboat, Sting, Fujinami, and I’ve been inducted myself twice, so it’s a huge honor for me. I mean, how many people, number one, even get to go to the Hall of Fame, much less participate in, at any level? To me, and we’ve talked about this before, I’ve not always thought some of the choices were the best, but it’s the real deal. It’s the only thing we have that’s real. It should mean a lot to anybody because they treat it like it’s a big deal. It is a big deal. The biggest thrill of my life was when Hunter inducted me. The Four Horsemen thing was great, but the single induction by Hunter when, which people are so aware that I talked for so long because I had so many people to thank. That’s the only problem when you’ve been doing it a long time. There’s not enough time to thank everybody, but I sure tried hard that night. It ran for 45 minutes.”
Flair also said that Bob Geigel killed the NWA:
“He ruined the NWA. When Sam Muchnick passed away, they made him the president of the NWA. He ruined it. I mean, what he did to it, he just prostituted the crap out of it. Sam, he had so much respect. Bob was just horrible. He represented the NWA very poorly. Tough guy, tough amateur wrestler at Iowa and all that, but, if it would have gone to someone who really enforced the rules, I mean, God only knows. Everything changes for a reason, but the day Bob became president, it was the worst thing that ever happened.”
Regarding if Ken Patera should be in the WWE Hall of Fame, Flair said:
“I just wrote the foreword for him in his new book. I talk to Ken on a regular basis now. I don’t know. I don’t know whether he left on a bad note. I don’t know the answer to that, but he certainly belongs in it. The unfortunate thing with him and Saito, maybe that has something to do with it. I don’t know. I’ve often wondered how the selection process works with that and who in the company actually has the most input. I mean, after all these years, I don’t know the answer to that, but he certainly deserves to be in it.”
His Mount Rushmore:
“I think I’ve said it before. It’s Undertaker, Steve Austin, Hogan, and Shawn Michaels.
You can check out the complete podcast below:
(h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription)
