Club Shay Shay - Ric Flair Part 1

Episode Date: November 22, 2023

WOO! Wrestling legend Ric Flair enters the ring! In this episode of Club Shay Shay,  Flair lists his Mt. Rushmore of Trash Talkers, providing a history lesson on the verbal theatrics tin sports. He u...nveils his greatest catchphrase of all time, offering a glimpse into the mind of a master showman. The conversation takes a poignant turn as Flair gets emotional discussing his parents, being kidnapped then adopted, providing listeners with an honest insight into what truly lies behind the flamboyant persona. Additionally, he passionately defends LeBron James, adding a layer of contemporary sports discussion to the mix. Part 1 of this episode is a rollercoaster of emotion, charisma, and sports insight, making it a must-listen for fans of wrestling, sports, and captivating storytelling. #VolumeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Starting point is 00:03:06 Woo, son of a gun that's having a hard time holding skaters down. Woo! Got the roll of dice, that's why, all my life, I've been grinding all my life, look, all my life Been grinding all my life, sacrifice, hustle paid the price, wanna slice Got the roll of dice, that's why, all my life, I've been grinding all my life Hello, welcome to another edition of Club Shea Shea, I'm your host Shannon Sharp, I'm also the proprietor of Club Shea Shea The guy that's stopping by for conversation and a drink today is world-renowned.
Starting point is 00:03:47 He's arguably the greatest professional wrestler of all time. He's been wrestling for over 50 years. The most decorated, celebrated world champion in sports entertainment history. A 16-time world champion. The only man to be a two-time WWE Hall of Fame inductee. An international icon. A limousine ride, jet flying, kid stealing, wheeling, son of a gun.
Starting point is 00:04:09 Woo! And I thank y'all by a red flag. That's good, man. How you doing? Great. Man, we got a toast. This is my cognac. I don't know if you drink cognac, but I got a toast.
Starting point is 00:04:20 I don't, but I'll have some with you. As we were telling y'all, cameraman, my grandfather used to drag us around in little small country towns before everybody knew who Ric Flair was. And that's when we fell in love with wrestling. Thank you. So it is an honor and indeed honor and a huge pleasure
Starting point is 00:04:37 of mine to have you in this establishment. I'm honored. Thank you for coming in. Huge fan. How have you been? I've been great. You were telling me earlier you've had I'm honored to be here. Thank you for coming in. Thank you. Huge fan of mine. How have you been? I've been great. You were telling me earlier you've had some medical issues the last several years. 2017 was rough. 2017 was a pretty rough year.
Starting point is 00:04:53 Tell us what happened. Well, it actually goes back to 2015. I had a bad stomach ache, but it came back and forth, right? And finally one day I woke up and it really hurt me bad. So Wendy took me to the emergency room, my wife, and they were operating on me in 10 minutes, ruptured appendix. Oh, man. So, you know, the deal with the hospital, right?
Starting point is 00:05:22 If you get out of there by 5 o'clock, they're going to check in, right? I know that real well. I like the outpatient stuff, right? So at 5 o'clock, they were going to keep me in. I said, guys, I'm getting up. So I just got up, took the IV, took 10 steps, and I got a hernia. Right, so then, bingo, fix that. But while they were doing that, they nicked my bowel, which caused bowel obstruction. So that was a nightmare, right?
Starting point is 00:05:54 That's one of the most, I've learned through just experience, that's one of the most horrifying things you're going to do. So it's one in a million literally one in a million did it will ever happen again but I was drinking with a guy from Dallas in Tampa at a bar and the next thing I know I woke up 31 days later I see you for I mean I see you for 31 days Wow life support for 13 days. Wow. Life support for 13 days. My intestine completely ruptured. I was septic. Total kidney failure. Pneumonia
Starting point is 00:06:34 and respiratory heart failure. Wow. Yeah. You don't remember any of that? None. I had no memory. When I finally woke up, I had no memory. My memory went forward, but i had no memory when i finally woke up i had no memory my memory went forward but i had no memory of my past for six months wow yeah strange right and now i'm healthy as a horse yeah i feel great i mean it's amazing we hear these great stories about
Starting point is 00:07:02 your wrestling days and your partying in Buckhead. How were you able because that's how were you able because wrestling is such a taxing sport? How were you able to party all night and still do what you're doing in the ring? I don't know. I call a guy to gift and i never missed a workout either you know we wrestled twice on saturday twice on sunday um i don't know i just i i like it it's like um i don't smoke cocaine i never have i've eaten a few xanax over the years international flights but i don't do any drugs, no painkillers. I haven't had any surgery, which is a miracle in itself.
Starting point is 00:07:48 No knee surgery, no hip? No knees, no hip, no hip. A couple of back surgeries? None. None? None. I broke my back in an airplane crash. You know that, right?
Starting point is 00:07:56 Yeah. Yeah. And the guy told me I wouldn't be able to walk at 45. I don't even have any pain at all. I'm ready. Wow. Yeah. And a crack c5 in my neck And that's back before the technology was such a use because my lat got smaller in my left arm, but that's all did
Starting point is 00:08:17 The what were some of your favorite spots in buckhead? Oh god, I can't remember. They're probably not even open anymore gosh I'm trying to throw it you're what 55 55 yeah I did a Google do they just so damn entertaining you because because back then you and I was talking on camera yeah wrestling was very regional you had Georgia Championship Wrestling you had Florida Championship Wrestling the mid had Florida Championship Wrestling. The Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling. Florida with a rough run.
Starting point is 00:08:50 No sleep. Because, see, I remember you and the Dusty Rhodes and all those guys. Mr. Wrestling, number two. Pac Song. All those guys coming through. Like I said, my grandfather, we'd go into Baxley. We'd go into Vidalia. The Savannah Civic Center. The Andersons.
Starting point is 00:09:04 Yeah, yeah, yes, yes. Yeah, Savannah Civic Center was a great, that was our double shot. Yes, yes. We'd work like Charlotte, like at a three o'clock show and then drive, I think it's 200 miles to Savannah for Charlotte, something like that, right? Yep. It's 100 to Columbia and 100 more to Savannah. Correct. And Savannah's great and
Starting point is 00:09:25 of course i have that great um um saint patrick's day yeah yeah yeah there it is it's a big thing right over here yeah i'm sure you've been there yeah yeah that's amazing right you wouldn't think but i think um yeah so i just love savannah right but um yeah we wrestled there and was a great love Savannah right but yeah we wrestled there and was a great venue for us always almost always sold on yep how did you become so popular with the rappers because you look at offset Ric Flair drip killer might put you on a track push your T it's like how did you become so popular with the rap culture I don't know I mean I come literally was I'll probably see Snoop while I'm out here. If he's in town, I think because I wore jewelry and all that. And like that, the drip thing came from the jewelry. Right.
Starting point is 00:10:13 I was wearing jewelry like Snoop said, I was bling for bling. Right. Yeah. So when I'm looking at you and your style, you came in with the robes, with the feathers, and you were talking. I mean, you were really the first one that had the flair. You had that, you had, as they say, the drip. You had the swag. That's what they call it, swag. You had that. Did you know that, like, this is what I'm going to be?
Starting point is 00:10:39 I did, but I didn't know how to get there. Right. Does that make sense? And it's a learning process. It's like going through school. You just, you feel it, and it doesn't happen every day. Right. If you don't really feel the character, you can't pull it off.
Starting point is 00:10:57 Right. And I grew up, all I could think about was Joan Amos, 300 girls, a senior year college. I mean, that's what my role model was, right? And I got to meet Will Chamberlain. I mean, I just, I just, I was just, you know, by the way, what an athlete he is. I text Stephen A one day, we're talking about the world's greatest athletes, and Stephen A said to me, I'm not putting them over. Russell beat them every time they played.
Starting point is 00:11:22 But let me ask you, because if I'm not mistaken, I think Buddy Rogers was the first nature boy. Yes, absolutely. And then you came along. So how did that go? Did you ask him, hey, Buddy, do you mind if I use the name? No, no, it's great. No, George Scott gave me the idea.
Starting point is 00:11:39 And apparently he asked Buddy. But I did meet Buddy. So he really was, he did dress was he did dressed in tan a great physique much better than mine he came walking in the locker room in greensboro he looked at me walk over and said buddy rogers kid remember one thing there's only one diamond in this business and you just met him hence diamonds are forever right yeah when i yeah he was he was slick man right the way that you lived in the 70s obviously the money in wrestling is not wasn't then what it is now gosh but you couldn't tell rick flair that because you live yeah
Starting point is 00:12:21 200 pairs of alligator shoes of Bruce Friedman's. Wow. You've been to Friedman's. I have. Right down Mitchell Street. Everybody has. How much money has Bruce got, my God? Well, I mean, if you were in the entertainment business, a basketball player, neat.
Starting point is 00:12:37 Everybody came through there, yeah. They did. They did. Yeah. So what made you decide to take on that persona? How did you perfect that persona? I felt it. Ever since I was a kid, I just wanted to be, I wanted to stand out.
Starting point is 00:12:52 And clothing was a way of standing out. Being a good athlete is a way of standing out. Being real smart in school is a way. Obviously I wasn't real smart in school. I was 13 years in high school. I'm 13 years in high school So That was rough too. The good news is you're gonna stay another year So when did you realize that wrestling because I read you were pretty good in sports But did you think wrestling was gonna be your ticket to stardom and fandom? No, never
Starting point is 00:13:22 Washington I woke it up. I went to Minnesota on a football scholarship. Right. And I didn't predict. We all know the word predict means, right? Right. And actually all you had to do was go to class there, you know, back then, right? Check in and walk out the door, right? Right. But I got in a fraternity and that two mile walk and 30 blows you were there. The minute I got into that fraternity house, it was over for me.
Starting point is 00:13:48 I lived there for a year after I was out of school, and my parents thought I was still in school. Right. Because you're from Minnesota. Yes. Born and raised, raised on a farm. So obviously, if you're on a farm, you've got to work. No, no, no, I wasn't raised on a farm. You weren't raised on a farm? My dad obviously if you're on a farm you got to work you can't oh no no I wouldn't raise that a farm you were right that was a doctor
Starting point is 00:14:07 doctor in time my dad my dad made me work on the farm okay every summer to just be learned I had to learn how to work every tool everything and he had a friend right who had a farm in southern Minnesota and I spent a month there the bailing hey and I did just wanted me to learn how to do everything right but the first week I made $1,000 I don't I have an unit but tempted to start a lawnmower I won't I won't sweep before so what if it's a if it's viable and it doesn't involve I'm not changing the light bulb right not doing all that somebody else can do it you're gonna let them do it so't involve, I'm not changing the light bulb. Right. I'm not doing all that anymore. If somebody else can do it, you're going to let them do it. Yes, absolutely.
Starting point is 00:14:47 So this wrestling thing, I mean, you get the bug early on. Did you think wrestling was going to be, because like I said, it's so regional, did you think it was going to morph into what it became? No, I had no idea. I don't think anybody did. But it's so awesome that it has and it's it's now it's I mean I think a lot of sports and you you know you you grew up when I think a lot of people sports take a lot of what we've done and as far as entertainment yeah like the
Starting point is 00:15:17 NBA all-star game or the anything oh they all start a Super Bowl the because the rest of me if you look at and the production values of shows like that, all the stuff, the glamour, the glitz, I think everybody's picked that up from the WWE. WWF, WWE. How long did it take you to perfect the Ric Flair, to be able to talk on cue, to be able to have the catchphrase, the sayings, and to be able to be what you became you know
Starting point is 00:15:45 actually i got that driving where we used to drive three thousand miles a week right listening to songs at night drinking beer driving on the road just different stuff caught on with me i was a huge fan of chuck berry and right yeah um just um i don't know it's right yeah um just um i don't know it's i i i just i caught a gift right almost very few people get it right but i you know and i had a lot a lot of energy to this day i still do i just i feel great did the promoters 74 i feel phenomenal 74 and you had your last wrestling mat what to you a year ago last year joy you done done You done I'm done physically, but right here mentally you feel you could still do it But the body just won't let you do it anymore. Well the body will but they won't
Starting point is 00:16:37 Number one you don't want to see the body right? I'm gonna work shirt. Okay, the cosmetic issues were completed They were rough to begin with but after the surgery Shannon, right the the cosmetic issues were completed they were rough to begin with but after the surgery shannon right the cosmetic issues i wouldn't take my shirt off in front of my wife right now a part of your gift was trash talking you once told someone my shoes are worth more than your house yeah i've spent more money on one one road and guys been in five years I spent more money on spilled liquor bars on one side of the world Then you've ever made know what's the road then you made last year then you may let yeah How did you come up with that? I mean you just sitting around like okay. What can I say where they got it? Just rolled out. I just rolled out
Starting point is 00:17:22 I've just been around so long and around so many cool people. You know, you hang around cool people, you learn things. Right. A little bit from everybody. Even today, I'll meet a guy and I'll think, God, this is really cool. And I mean, it's pretty hard to impress me right now. Right. I mean, you've seen the statement that Stephen A impersonated me in that. I mean, what greater honor is there right didn't have a guy
Starting point is 00:17:46 Those legendary is him right? Impersonate you like when he came to Tampa for the Dallas game, right? Why he's having these struggling with Dallas this year's me. Yeah They're doing pretty good. Yeah, they look great What so when you started this did the proof because it seems to me like the really good wrestlers like they really have an outstanding personality and they outshine you look at yourself you look at yourself you look at the rock you look at the john cenas you look at the guys that not only were great wrestlers they branched off yes went to the movie aspect was that something
Starting point is 00:18:21 that was was was promoted did they want you to be or no? I had a chance to do movie with Orion pictures The guy approached me out here when I was wrestling to form in the 80s Okay, and they wanted me to do a James Bond character But the money I was gonna make number one and have to take three months off and back then You know, we didn't have a guaranteed contract right you you with the work or you didn't get paid. Yeah, so We didn't have a guaranteed contract. You had to work or you didn't get paid. I'd have to lose the world championship,
Starting point is 00:18:49 make $230,000 on a movie in the hope that it did well. Does that make sense? I think I made the right choice. I just stayed with wrestling. I've never looked back. You don't look back and you see the money that The Rock is making you See what you can you look at John Cena?
Starting point is 00:19:08 Well, I like it but I don't think I I don't think I'm I was made for that right I mean those guys, you know, they all look you know, the glitz and glamour that's there But like the rock gets up at four o'clock in the morning. Yes every day. Yes and John's the same way They don't miss a workout right and then it's all day long take retake take even when i make commercials now after an hour sometimes i look at a guy directing the thing because it's always now they have these two or three directors right i'll go guys one of you make the decision because i'm only like five o'clock i'm leaving i'm going to get a drink so i i don't know how those guys do it, but they they're successful.
Starting point is 00:19:46 And geez, Dwayne is just in another place. Yeah. So when when you started this and you and you started the your persona and then all of a sudden the cameras really came into effect and they started putting you guys on television. effect and they started putting you guys on television and that's kind of kind of like when the Ric Flair really really took off yes when people could actually see you not just in the ring but they can hear you also TVS yeah yeah that took off so how do you like okay I'm on did you know you on it did you know you were on to something yeah oh yeah yeah I felt it I just you know and then I someone said you ever been actually i'm good friends with pete rose right so pete said you're buying the shoes over at
Starting point is 00:20:31 friedman's right so i went over there with him and ozzy smith one day and they they spent they spent forty thousand dollars on shoes wow ozzy dave parker whatever i can remember and and uh pete and i spent like three grand But you know, let me just hear those alligator shoes So you got a pair they got like ten pair. Yeah Right so when you talk about trash talkers because you're one of the greats So who would you put on your Mount Rushmore trash talkers Ali Mayweather? Dion Sanders the rock Michael Jordan who would be on your Mount Rushmore of trash talkers Ali Mayweather uh Deion Sanders The Rock Michael Jordan who would be on your Mount Rushmore of trash talkers well I am such a fan of Deion Sanders but Deion calmed it down yeah he has
Starting point is 00:21:14 vintage Deion yeah I mean the player Deion in Atlanta yeah yeah I mean I understand why I need to I I he he was able to turn down. Right. Wake up with football every morning and listen to my new podcast, NFL daily with Greg Rosenthal, five days a week. You'll get all the latest news, previews, recaps,
Starting point is 00:21:34 and analysis delivered straight to your podcast feed. By the time you get your coffee, no dumb hot takes here. Just smart. Hot takes. We'll talk every single game, every single week, but I can't do it alone, so I'm bringing in the big guns from NFL media.
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Starting point is 00:23:11 Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. New from Embedded. Who gets to compete as a woman? This question came up in ugly form at the Paris Olympics. But it's not new. If she runs like a man and talks like a man, is she a man?
Starting point is 00:23:31 Hear about the long history of sex-testing women athletes on Tested, a new series from CBC and NPR's Embedded podcast. Listen to all episodes on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. Obviously, Muhammad Ali, you know, trash talkers. I'm trying to think myself. You know, it's hard
Starting point is 00:23:58 to talk trash because number one, people have got to be thick-skinned. Because it's not real. Right. But you're trying to make people mad. Yeah, you're trying to make people mad. You're trying to sell an event.
Starting point is 00:24:12 You're trying to sell tickets. Right. No. So back then, I didn't go over and say, I'm going to say this about you. So they had no idea that you were going to say what you were saying. No, never. No.
Starting point is 00:24:24 And with me and Dusty, it was whoever went first went last. And I made him a deal one day. I said, OK, you go. So we're not going to argue about this. Because he could really talk. Yes. Yes. The American dream.
Starting point is 00:24:36 The American dream, brother. He may be the most gifted. Roddy Piper would fail. Yes. So Roddy Piper, Ali, Dusty Rhodes, Dion, I mean, all those guys I looked up to. Right. A couple of them, Roddy, my age would be, would have been my age. Right.
Starting point is 00:24:58 Dusty a couple years older, but I mean, those guys were great. And Dion, my God. guys were great and Dion my god remember he was on that show when he talked about LT sending the girls that remember that oh you talk about he was on the NFL Network yeah no no he said um he said the boomer Esiason is all your CBS yeah I said don't tell me me that LT didn't send you one, too. You've heard those stories, right? Yes, yes. And I know LT really well.
Starting point is 00:25:30 I'm sure you do. Are you surprised by how many famous people know Ric Flair, rock with Ric Flair? Because it seems like everybody, they get the same, like when I saw you, because this is my first time meeting you but I grew up watching you and a lot of famous people and celebrities athletes entertainers rappers get the same impression that I got when I met you it's just a regular guy where we're going to that but because it seems like like you said you've been in this business for over 50 years. Yes. And anybody that's my age that watched you direct most recognizable.
Starting point is 00:26:12 Now, probably you and Andre are the most because Andre was such a massive of a man. I saw him one time in my life. And when you're six, seven years old and you see somebody that's you like, that's the biggest man I've ever seen. Seven years old and you see somebody that's you like that's the biggest man. I've ever seen. Yeah, but you're so Recognizable you can't think of professional wrestling without mentioning you. I'm glad I'm Just say that Are you I've just been lucky enough to live to live longer I mean, I think the fact that didn't do a lot of drugs. I'll write a drank a lot that's documented over over again but um you know drinking is not illegal and i keep telling people all the time they tell me that i have like a drinking problem right i'll say if at 74 let's say i'm a regular guy i'm retired right and i go play
Starting point is 00:26:58 golf all day and drink all day on the golf course then Then I go to the clubhouse afterwards, which is the way the day works. Gamble, play cards, drink some more, go home. You're just a regular guy. You go to the bar at 5 o'clock, stay till 9 o'clock, you're an alcoholic. Right. That's how they perceive it? That's the way
Starting point is 00:27:19 our culture perceives it. You mentioned something. You said, I've never done drugs. You're 74 years old. I've done Xanax, yeah. But a lot of guys that were younger than you have gone on.
Starting point is 00:27:35 Why? Because they... I think it applies to all sports, but to our sport particularly because of the fact that we never had a day off, they don't understand the word moderation. So hypothetically, steroids, right? Well, if I take one cc of test, one cc of Deca, right, and I look like this, well, I should take two. Right.
Starting point is 00:28:07 Everything's a moderation. It's like now I'm in the cannabis business, right? I can take two or three hits, right? But I can't smoke with Mike Tyson. I don't know who can. I don't know who can. Or Snoop. Or Snoop, my God.
Starting point is 00:28:21 I mean, it's unbelievable. And it's like now we're selling the edibles. The edibles got me off the Xanax. Right. But if I have a bad day, I still jump on a Xanax. I'm not sitting here and telling you I don't. But the edibles, I mean, there's so much to benefit from that because how many people are eating Xanax?
Starting point is 00:28:41 I mean, I admit it. How many people are taking it? It's damn hard to buy right now. You know that people are eating Xanax? I admit it. How many people are taking it? It's a damn hard to buy right now. You know that people are trying to abuse it. What are some of your top, if I said, okay, Rick, give me your top three catchphrases that you've used in your career. You know, I'm a woman. I'm every woman's dream. Every man's nightmare.
Starting point is 00:29:01 Diamonds are forever. So is Ric Flair. Styling, profiling, limousine riding, jet flying. Thatiling limousine riding jetfly that's probably your most famous that's probably your most famous one if you don't like it you'll learn to love it all women want to be with me all men want to be like me yeah if you said okay they said okay Rick you get three you've got a hundred give me your three favorite I am the diamond ring wear Rolex wearing living G riding private jet fine kids stealing wheeling dealing whoa son of a gun that's having a hard time hold these gators down that's your number one of all time that's yeah
Starting point is 00:29:41 that's it so how to be the man to beat him how did you come up with that and I'm trying I got an office song about trucking some guy was saying he was trucking and I just and you put Rolex wearing private jet flying limousine ride kiss stealing wheeling dealing yeah well here's what happened the private jet thing came around like this so I was the United States champion I'm wrestling black Jack Mulligan but yeah I'm glad I can or you understand I'm done yes Charlotte was sold out but I'm in Greg Gagne's wedding right for a guy you broke me in yeah so I told George God I said I gotta have this Saturday you're not even Saturday off he said and so I chartered a private to back then I
Starting point is 00:30:30 got a Lear 9 right to go to many at the Minneapolis from Charlotte and back for $2,700 okay now that would be 50 grand yeah but $2,700 back then was a lot of money yeah 20 to that and they filmed me right getting all the blake coming back and i made it to the coliseum at 7 30 and we were sold out and uh and so i started to private that thing and then it just just kind of it went from there yeah but that that basically what that was i just said i couldn't discipline my friend and not be in his wedding right but i had to be back wrestle my george scott said you don't make charlotte just keep take the plane to memphis right which was like the end of the world
Starting point is 00:31:10 that's where i was born did uh did people did it bother you when people called you cocky no because they're gonna come see you regardless yeah so when you wrestle you mentioned like you and i know black jack melligan and sergeant slaughter and all those guys uh baron brun rasky you know like you mentioned the anderson brothers so if you wrestle black jack and charlotte you've traveled on down to savannah and wrestled him again yeah different different cars yeah yeah yeah we had the k-fave back then right um like you know there was no talking. We had different locker rooms. Right. You could get fired for riding with one of your opponents.
Starting point is 00:31:51 Really? Oh, yeah. Back then, they... Because they wanted the appearance that you really didn't like each other. Yeah. Yeah. Of course. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:32:01 Now, it's just accepted, and it hasn't hurt the industry, but back then the word kayfabe was huge. Right. So, and the guys were, it was a really tough business back then too. I mean, the guys were tough guys. Right. There was no, nobody wanted to lose, you know what I mean? And there was nobody, there was no 25 agents to talk about it.
Starting point is 00:32:23 It was just two guys, you know? So how did you come up with a strategy? Like, who's going to be the hero? Who's going to be the heel? Who's going to win? Who's going to lose? How did you guys come up with that? Well, I think the personalities made the determination on who was going to be the good guy or the bad guy.
Starting point is 00:32:47 And then, to be honest with you, for me, because I just wanted to get along, I said, beat me. I'll just be better than you. To myself. And I was. So by the time he got through, by the time the match was over, you could be right in the middle of the ring. Everybody's going, I got to see that guy who's laying on his back. I went I went to war with every night, you know, the tape right there. And when all else fails. Cut it. Yeah, yeah.
Starting point is 00:33:11 Just a little nick. You're already perspiring. Yeah, yeah. Blood's going to be everywhere. You got the blonde hair. Yep, yep. Savannah was bleeding grounds, man. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:33:19 Oh, man. You don't know how many times. Thunderbolt Patterson. Thunderbolt. Two boy. Oh, yeah. Remember him? See, now you're going way. Two boy. Oh, yeah. Remember him? See, now you're going way.
Starting point is 00:33:27 Now, that's all Georgia Championship wrestling. Yeah, yeah. Man, those were the good old days. Thunderbolt, man. But, you know, now they got schools that'll teach you how to wrestle. Yeah, yeah. Did you guys have that when you were, or you just learned it on the fly? Well, I went to a wrestling camp.
Starting point is 00:33:42 Okay. They just beat us up. Nobody even taught me from my first match. I never did anything but get beat up for eight weeks by Vern Gagne and tough guys. Right. You know, guys that are amateur wrestlers or, you know, real good that are in the business, right? Right. Because they wanted you to, they wanted to break you.
Starting point is 00:34:02 Right. And if they broke you, you make it right so the objective then when i broke into business was to break you or see if you had it and once you've had it then they'll then they'll start helping you right so the different but now so did they teach you how to fall i mean you do the drop kick and do you fall like this? Or when they suplex you and how to, you know, you do the body, you come up the top rope. Yeah. It's all you learn by yourself. Right.
Starting point is 00:34:33 But that's what, but, and people like, okay, it's scripted, but you still have to learn how to fall. You're still falling. Oh, absolutely. And you're falling from 10, 12 feet. And some of the mats are just like this. Yeah. I mean, now like WWE, they've got like, but basically even today, it's
Starting point is 00:34:48 four by fours, plywood, and are like a wrestling mat. Right. You know, that's all it is. Right. It's hard. But it has to make that sound. There's a sound that the audience needs to hear. Yeah. And it's still, to this day,
Starting point is 00:35:04 just like when you wrestle, it's kind of the same. Yeah deck to this day Just like when you wrestle is kind of the same Yeah, well the ring is a much better now better. Yeah So how do you I mean like you said you're doing it every day in some days you're doing it twice a day Yeah, is that why you think some of the guys maybe did the drugs in excess because of the pain? Of course, of course And you know what? I've noticed a lot of the pain of course of course and you know what i noticed a lot of a lot of ex-football players started wrestling uh ernie ladd turned into wrestling yeah uh chief wahoo mcdaniel played with the broncos what wahoo is my mentor man yeah so what is it what is it about and we see you know a lot of uh uh what's the uh paul you know, a lot of, what's the, Paul. You know, Wahoo, I'm glad you know all these guys.
Starting point is 00:35:48 You know, Wahoo had the state high school Russian record until Billy Sims broke it. Wow. Yeah. Wahoo ran a 10 flat 100. Yeah. Yeah. He played for the Broncos. And the Jets, the biggest story about Wahoo,oo when they drafted name with every time he made a tackle
Starting point is 00:36:07 Yeah, but the Jets right right they take you played middle linebacker They said guess who and the whole crowd would go wahoo and then they drafted jet their minutes. They drafted Joe Namath true story. They traded wahoo Wow, I think he ended up with Miami. Mm-hmm Trader Wahoo. Wow. I think he ended up with Miami. Mm-hmm. I just wanted to ask you this, because your name, although it's spelled differently, it was, I think, F-L-E-U-R?
Starting point is 00:36:34 I-E-H-R. I-E-H-R. How do they determine a name? Do you get to keep your real name, or do they give you a name? How did that happen? How do you get a name? Well, I went to Vernon Guy, the guy that wrote me, and me i said i want to be rambling ricky rhodes i wanted i wanted to be dusty's brother right okay and vernon kind of looked at me he said you're crazy i don't know what you could do i don't see what you see in him because dusty and dick were just funny guys right they just
Starting point is 00:37:00 enjoyed life and uh he said you're rick Flair that's a cool name I said Ric Flair is cool he said yeah and then you know and I went by that name and when I went down to Charlotte it sounded natural and it got on and then I was at an autograph signing it's funny you mention that maybe a year ago and Terry Bradshaw was there so I know Terry a little bit right he said Ric Flair that's the greatest name in the world I like Ric Flair I said I'm thinking of myself and I want to call myself Rambler Ricky Rhodes I mean it wouldn't I don't know if you'd have been the same no the nature boy the Ric Flair the blonde hair oh I had my hair curled and everything like Dusty you had curly hair like Dusty yeah Yeah. Because Dusty, if I'm not mistaken, he lived in Marietta, right?
Starting point is 00:37:46 He did, yes. Yep. Yeah. I'm sorry. I just. No, no. I mean, I was crazy. Oh, no, I love it.
Starting point is 00:37:52 I was like, I thought about being a wrestler. I was like, man. Yeah. Well, you got to do that. Yeah. All that falling football was tough enough. Yeah. And to do that every day for years and years, and you did it for 50.
Starting point is 00:38:03 Yeah. Wait, let me tell you. You'd be surprised at the number of football players that could come in and didn't make it, man. Right. Do you remember the guy, the Mars man from the play for Oakland from Columbus, Georgia? No, not Matusak. Black guy. Otis is strong.
Starting point is 00:38:23 Otis is strong. Yeah. Yeah. He came in the ring one day Gone and the other guy Holmes played But forgot one day he He was out there the guy that was shooting the rifle. Yeah. Yeah. He was only there one day to not getting one
Starting point is 00:38:42 He was tough, right, but he didn't like You know, it wasn't you right but he didn't like you know it wasn't you know we didn't like the wrestling now that's you know I mean but but they put you know the name because you like wrestling they put the oldest is drunk in the cage match with Mad Dog for Sean oh how do So how do they determine the type of match? Because you got the Texas Death Match, you got the Cage Match, you got the Bull Rope.
Starting point is 00:39:11 I remember the Bull, you know, you're tied to each other, you know. You got the Steel Cage Match. You got the Indian Strap Match or Wild Ripper did with that damn... So how do they determine the type of match? That's a promotion. To this day, they try to bring out something?
Starting point is 00:39:27 Different right to capture the imagination right public. So who who is your favorite wrestling opponent? of all time Steamboat receive or drag or sting who I'm with on your now. Okay, cuz sting had the main event He had a gym in Atlanta. Main event, yeah. Sting and Luger. Yep, yep. Partner.
Starting point is 00:39:52 Who's your favorite partner? Because you've had some partners. You had Greg, Valentine, you the Four Horsemen. I think it was you, Valentine, Tully Blanchard. But my favorite partner, it had to be Greg or Arne Anderson. I wasn't allowed to tag Mike. We were in those eight-man-to-war games and all those crazy. Right.
Starting point is 00:40:10 Jesus. But it sold out. But my guy's gentleman coming last, who was a legitimate badass, right? Right. And we'd be throwing blood on Mike and everything. He'd get that tag, man. And when he came in, because we were going home, he would kill everybody.
Starting point is 00:40:28 We just knew it. Because the cage is only this high, right? Right. There's a ceiling on it, right? You can't crawl off it, right? Right. So he picked up J.J. Dillon on Animal Shoulders, which is a movie you don't want to do
Starting point is 00:40:46 Period but JJ the manager right and the hog jumped off the top rope and spun AJ down separated his shoulder So what happens when you have because obviously guys have had separated shoulders and dislocated elbows and torn ACLs But you're slotted to wrestle 30 minutes and that happens 10 15 minutes well they used to say make no efficiency like I've been referee did me pay is like Michael Hayes the PS from the free bird right yeah as an agent he told her a freak they have earpieces right tell him but tell him to tough it out.
Starting point is 00:41:25 He's Ric Flair. Okay, my lip was, what happened is I hit the rope. Right. Came back and whipped me in the face, broke my nose. You know, tough it out. Right. But now they stopped the matches. Oh, do they?
Starting point is 00:41:38 Okay. Yeah. So, yeah, I remember. There's a heavy, heavy scrutiny of the head shots. Right. No more shares of the head. Right the end neck neighbor of the head shots, right? No more shares of the head, right? You know more no more close to the head cuz you remember these just laying into the rope and didn't Hit you the head with Well, though, let's go do that
Starting point is 00:41:56 Yeah, oh sure. Yeah, you just hope you gotta hope the guy knows what he's doing So when you when you look back and you look at all the names that you've wrestled from Andre the Giant to, like you said, Steamboat and Bobo Brazil and Thunderbolt.
Starting point is 00:42:14 I wrestled Bobo a lot. Yeah. You remember Bobo? I do. Benton Harbor, Michigan. Abdullah the Butcher. Yeah, Abbie and I are still friends. He lost a leg to the diabetes.
Starting point is 00:42:25 Diabetes, yeah. Because he used to have a barbecue spot in Tampa. In Atlanta. Atlanta. He got one in Atlanta? No, it was in Atlanta. Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, I used to travel the Caribbean with Abby a lot.
Starting point is 00:42:37 Right. Yeah, it'd be me and Abby against Carlos Colon and somebody else over there. And you talk about blood, man. I told Puerto Rico that's all they wanted was blood. November is here, and we're in the heart of football season. Basketball and hockey are just getting started. So many games to watch on any game. Wake up with football every morning and listen to my new podcast,
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Starting point is 00:46:07 S-H-A-Y, S-H-A-Y, for $20 off. Download Game Time today. Last minute tickets. Lowest price. Guaranteed. You mentioned you was born in Memphis. How many years did you spend in Memphis?
Starting point is 00:46:20 Because I know you ended up being in Minnesota. Well, I ain't spending months. I'm adopted. Are you okay? Yeah. That's interesting. Is it true that you were stolen? Stolen, yeah.
Starting point is 00:46:29 Child traffickers? Yeah. And you ended up being adopted. So how old were you when you found out that this was your adopted parents and not your biological parents? I think you told me
Starting point is 00:46:40 when I was like five. Did you ever seek out your... No. So you don't know if you have brothers sisters no I don't as recently funny that what guy how many years was that Wendy this is six years ago somebody reached out my brother my last my real name would be Fred Phillips right and my brother reached out to me. I didn't have any interest. Really?
Starting point is 00:47:07 I didn't want to borrow money. You know? You know, that goes right. You didn't want to leave anybody, huh? I'll call Steve Austin. Steve, I don't want to borrow any money. Just call me back. Right.
Starting point is 00:47:22 You mentioned your dad was a doctor. Your mom was an actress she worked for the uh she wrote a book called in search of audience uh-huh and she was a uh she was not an actress but she um worked at the uh agency sir sir tyrone guthrie theater okay and she was like um what was she say I don't know they both were very smart right my dad had to do dr. Dries right one in theater in English and one in now medicine what type when you talk about your dad you you light up he was a big influence on you wasn't yeah he made me learn how to do everything five o'clock five be
Starting point is 00:48:06 five years old dollar downstairs shovel me out it was back then he was OBGYN right right there was when there was just what woman wanted her doctor right there weren't being passed around the way it is now where I was on call tears earned out right I mean I can't tell you shovel me out right and he wanted to make sure I knew how to work every tool but he was that we spent a lot of time together I read where you had a list we used to have an impediment as a kid I had one letter was so did kids make fun of you back then? No, I don't remember.
Starting point is 00:48:48 I don't think anybody made fun of me. My parents made fun of me, except me doing speech therapist and all that. Right. I mean, it's funny. They did all this stuff, and I was just so... I would just like to have fun. And they spent a fortune probably on braces and then
Starting point is 00:49:07 I never wore my retainer right and it's right there all I do is put the retainer on right but I just it didn't does it make sense so I just I just like to be out having fun did you understand that your upbringing was kind of different than your than your friends in the neighborhood because you had a doctor as a dad? Did you understand that? Or you just looked at it, that's my dad and I'm a kid and I just want, like you said,
Starting point is 00:49:30 you just wanted to have fun? Yeah, just fun. I don't think anybody, people back then didn't judge anybody. It could be a doctor, a guy, I remember the guy across the street once worked for hire as a roofer,
Starting point is 00:49:40 if you remember them years ago. I mean, another guy was an architect. I mean, the neighborhood, neighborhoods were family back then. I mean, it's a whole different deal now, where everybody's so judgmental of everything. I read where you went to boarding school. 13 years. So why did your parents send you to a boarding school?
Starting point is 00:50:04 Because I got in trouble riding a motorcycle around, first of all, I got busted trying to buy alcohol. How old were you? I was 15, but I had a leather jacket on, like I was in college, right? And so they arrested me. I was on Father's Day, but they had to come get me. And then another time,
Starting point is 00:50:36 my parents had bought me a Honda 50, and I was riding there innocently around Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis, and they got arrested. And so the guy said to my mom and dad, it's military school reform school And so they put me away like I remember back then 10,000 years a lot of money. Yeah for sure. Yeah back in 60s. I started in 64
Starting point is 00:50:59 But when you would you we think about it? They really loved you, Rick, because they could have. Yep. Yep. Yep, I know. Do you look back at that time and like, wow, this could have went this way, could have went that way, but because of them, it went that way? Well, you're asking me, I'm going to get emotional. Well, you're asking me, I'm going to get emotional. Even though I didn't do anything that is illegal or anything bad, I just feel like I was, I didn't do them justice.
Starting point is 00:51:40 Does that make sense? Yeah. Because they were such good people. I was just just wild not bad wild right just just i mean they drank and all that it was like that but i just you never know i know like when my when my dad died it took me a week, not a week, five days, literally, to go tell my mom my dad died. The health care keeper kept calling me. Your mom wants to know where your dad is.
Starting point is 00:52:11 I said, he's fine, he's fine. The minute I walked in that room and told her that my dad had passed, she looked out the window, and she never stopped looking out the window for two years until she died two years later. And she never spoke. Wow. So for two years until she died two years later. And she never spoke. Wow. So I don't know what she thought.
Starting point is 00:52:31 Interesting that you're asking that. I'm sure that was a lot of people. Man. I couldn't. 59 and a half years, they were like this. And to tell her. Even though she lived two years longer. She really died when you told her he had she just looked out the window Is that why you took you five days because you knew the impact it was gonna have on her oh, yeah, absolutely Yeah, listen so when my parents
Starting point is 00:53:02 Move they bought a place in a real prestigious retirement community in Charlotte. They moved to Charlotte by then. And when my mom had to go into assisted living, my dad was still in the apartment. So my mom would call me and say, your mom wants you to go and find out where your dad is. Well, my dad was up at the bar. She couldn't walk to get there. Boy, she didn't like getting up at the bar drinking at 78 years old. Right.
Starting point is 00:53:39 Think about that. Those are the funniest stories. Yeah, they were very close. Right. My mom and dad would read a 300 page book a day apiece. Wow. And I tell you what, my dad would just read, drink his red wine, did lunch, and then the five Manhattans and Jack Daniels. I remember I bought my dad a bottle of Jack one time and I said, why were you spending money on this or when I bought that I bought a two million dollar Charlotte my dad but my
Starting point is 00:54:10 mom and dad so proud to show him right right and my dad walked into the foyer and had marble floors everything he said why is this ridiculous? Dad is that a saying this is nice. Congratulations I Mean it just did crazy. They were just they were so conservative, right? What did you think your father wanted you to become? Did you think he wanted you you think he wanted you to be a doctor or travel along that path? No, let me tell you this is another true story. So I told my dad I wanted to be a doctor or travel along that path no let me tell you this is another true story so when i told my dad i wanted to be a wrestler and i was moving to um um charlotte
Starting point is 00:54:52 and i was married at that time my first wife right mother of my two uh old youngest to my oldest kids um and uh i said i borrowed four dollars he, I'm not going to invest any money in something that's ridiculous. $400? I went to Vergani, the promoter. I said, no, this is when we grow up and learn how to do it. So I left. With no money in your pocket? How much did you have?
Starting point is 00:55:20 I had about $1,500. Okay. How much did you have? I had about $1,500. Okay. And I had like $3,500 or $4,000 that I left with Leslie and my oldest daughter. And then I got down there and Crockett liked me right away. And he pulled me aside and said, how's this working out for you? I said, I love it.
Starting point is 00:55:50 He said, well, here, you want some money to move your family down he gave me ten thousand dollars wow i went what the hell are you kidding me with jim crockett well jim cracker promotion the best yeah it was yeah but you did get i mean out of high school you're you're three if i'm not mistaken the three sports star yeah you wrestled played football champion wrestling in two years played But you did get, I mean, out of high school, you were three, if I'm not mistaken, a three-sports star? Yeah. You wrestled, played football. Yeah, I was a state champion in wrestling for two years. Played all-state in football. And shot put, I was average. Yeah. You got a scholarship, played football at the University of Minnesota?
Starting point is 00:56:15 No. I got, what happened? I signed a letter of intent. That's why I'm so loyal to Harbaugh. Okay. Okay, so you're old enough to remember Bump Elliott. Mm-hmm. Bump was the coach. Right. Pete was the AD. Okay. So I signed a letter of intent and
Starting point is 00:56:29 then my academic advisor would not write a letter saying that I could predict. Right. So I couldn't go to Michigan. So Iowa recruited me and I went and spent the weekend with Eddie Polak. Okay. So I loved that. Right. Social part of it. But in the summer I went home and I met a guy at the gym and said, why don't you look at Minnesota? So I met Mike McGee.
Starting point is 00:56:58 Okay. Remember Mike, right? Remember he played at Duke, but he was an AD in South Carolina, AD at Southern Cal. I don't know if he's still living or not, but he said, and I went and met him, and went and met Murray Warmath, who was the coach. Right. So I walked on. But then, as I said, once I got in that fraternity, man, I was...
Starting point is 00:57:22 The booze, the girls. Yeah. Football wasn't nearly as important. Yeah, the booze was great, but the girls were better. Right next door to the Tridel's house. Right. So you wanted to go to the University of Michigan. Yes, that's why I'm so loyal to Dan, to Jim.
Starting point is 00:57:39 Right. Jim and I have been friends since 89. Right. And John, we're great friends. Right, so when you said, okay, I'm gonna and I've been friends since 89 right and John I'm a great friends right so what's when you said okay I'm gonna be a wrestler you go all in you move to Charlotte and basically you go all in so what was the training so you know Jim Crockett ended up giving you 10,000 move your family down but at that point in time there's a point of no return you have crossed the Rubicon there is no turning back now. No. This is it.
Starting point is 00:58:05 This is it. This is what you've decided to be. I think I'm the only wrestler that I can think of that never moved. They wanted me to move to Atlanta. They wanted me to move to New York. They wanted me to move to Florida. I just never did. Now that I live in Florida, I thought I loved him.
Starting point is 00:58:23 Right. So basically, you just commuted. Mm-hmm. Wow. Wendy's got two places at Rosemary Beach with Panhandle. Mm-hmm. Yeah. She comes to visit me and stays for a week.
Starting point is 00:58:36 She said, I'm only coming to the fraternity house for a week. I'm out of here. Right. She's going back to the quiet beach. Right. So how do you train for wrestling i mean do you like you know you bench press why you do cardio yeah what's a wrestling i mean obviously you have to wrestle to get you know to understand the moves how do i
Starting point is 00:58:57 train yeah how did you train what when i was training uh why i did 500 free squats every day okay and then when i was heavier i totaled 1640. so i did a 485 bench 530 squat and uh 600 deadlift okay i could i couldn't stand on squat but i weighed 310 pounds so even after i broke my back um i thought i went down to 180 right and the plane crashed right i never got my bench back over maybe three and a quarter right but you know at that point it just is staying in great shape right the key for my success is i was in better shape than a lot of guys it's hard to go an hour right two hours in one day right well with ricky morton we did it two hours on saturday two hours on Sunday. And we did one, so what, that nine hours in one week. Wow.
Starting point is 00:59:49 Nine hours of wrestling. That's a lot. Yes, a lot. I mean, nine hours of car. But so how do you, let's just say you're wrestling Ricky Steamboat. Mm-hmm. How, I mean, are you guys, okay, I'm going to sling into the rope. So how do you know? call he trusted me yeah you gotta be it's being a ring general
Starting point is 01:00:10 you know I'm sure you said do it you know I don't know what I can't remember which quarterback you know John yeah I'm sure there were times you said John so to me I'll catch it right I know I can beat the guy right it's kind of like that you they trust each other right and then And then you have chemistry and the chemistry is there. I mean, it's that's one of the key things you guys talk about, right? You know, it's like I'm watching LeBron last night. I mean, I don't know what in the hell But the guy is unreal. Yeah, I think I think at 38 points. That's yeah 28. He had 28 10 11 Yeah, well 28. Yeah. Yeah, I'm watching on the airplane points last year 28. He had 28 10 or 11. Yeah, yeah 28. Yeah
Starting point is 01:00:45 Yeah, I'm not holding on an airplane flying in right and I'm thinking to myself Alan Hahn calls him an old man, right, you know Alan It's a guy and he gets on to get up once okay. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah cause of an old man. What an insult I want to jump through the TV and strangle these so you'll LeBron fan. Oh god. I love him You kidding me? The king? So LeBron, Jordan, I mean, Jordan's from North Carolina, had a place in Charlotte. I know Mike real well.
Starting point is 01:01:11 Yeah. Wendy's met Michael. Right. You mentioned the playing craft. 6'8". Yeah. 265 pounds, 6'6", 215. Right.
Starting point is 01:01:22 I know he was unreal, but what record does LeBron need to break to be this? I mean, he may average 30 points a game this year if he wants to. It's unreal, isn't it? And he don't take time off. No, no. If he's, I mean, the thing is, he doesn't cheat the game. You know when he's out there, he's giving you everything he has. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:01:43 And for him, if he can't go, you know when he's out there he's giving you everything he has yeah and for him if he can't go you know something is seriously wrong because he really for him to maintain the level of excellence that he's had for 21 years that's love that's dedication well I was sitting there watching and if you watch the whole game I say he started all I just thought I turned it over a couple of times it's like it's been doing it to me like he's been doing it so long right and he spent he spends so much time, in my mind, that's the way I perceive it, trying to get other players in. He does.
Starting point is 01:02:10 He loves to get the ball to the other guys. Yes. When anyone says they're not making the baskets, he says, sit on the score. You know what? He just scores when he wants to. Right. But who's going to stop him driving the lane?
Starting point is 01:02:21 From the outside? I mean, unreal. Pulls up a three-point. All of a sudden i don't know how he does it he's unbelievable yeah wake up with football every morning and listen to my new podcast nfl daily with greg rosenthal five days a week you'll get all the latest news and the best analysis delivered by the time you get your coffee the show hits every single game every single week but I can't do it alone.
Starting point is 01:02:47 So I'm bringing in all the big guns from NFL media like Colleen Wolf. Subscribe today and you'll immediately be smarter and funnier than your friends. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Can't get enough football? Look no further than the Good Morning Football podcast. We'll be right back. further. We've got recaps, retweets, and reactions to all the wild moments you might have missed both on and off the field. Make sure to listen to the Good Morning Football podcast Monday through Friday on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. This is Michael Rapoport, and I have been professionally podcasting for 10 years. The podcast game has changed so much, and if you're looking for the most disruptive podcast in the world, then subscribe to the I Am Rappaport Stereo Podcast today.
Starting point is 01:03:46 We're talking sports, politics, pop culture, entertainment, and anything that catches my attention. Listen to the I Am Rappaport Stereo Podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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