Guest Paranoid Report post Posted November 19, 2002 On October 4, 1975, shortly before arrival in Wilmington, North Carolina, his private plane crashed due to a lack of fuel. Times truly looked dire for Ric, as his back was broken in three places. Besides Flair, two other occupants, John Valentine and Bob Bruggers, suffered permanent, life-altering injuries, while another two occupants, Tim Woods and David Crockett, emerged from the aircraft with relatively minor cuts and scratches; the pilot was killed. After the crash, the doctors informed him with the wrenching news that he would most likely never wrestle again and would need at least an entire year to recover fully. Exceedingly even the most liberal estimates, Ric miraculously not only fully recovered in less than a year but also returned to the squared circle less than four months later on February 1st of the following year. In defeating Wahoo McDaniel again, the victory became not only a comeback for the ages but also the beginning of a scintillating rivalry between the two accomplished grapplers. I think that Falir accomplished tons after a doctor telling him his back injury was career ending. Granted Michaels doesn't have the heart for the business that Flair did, but to count this man out as a major player is just ignorant. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Dillon Likes Bossman Report post Posted November 19, 2002 hahaha ...the best part is when the plane crashed...tell it agian! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Kahran Ramsus Report post Posted November 19, 2002 Yes, everyone knows about Flair's injury. But let's face it, Michaels is no Ric Flair. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Breetai Report post Posted November 19, 2002 Let's just hope Flair doesn't teach HHH how to no-sell death like that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest buffybeast Report post Posted November 19, 2002 You are also assuming that Flair's injury was similar to HBK, which no one at this board knows for sure. So it is unwise to compare the two injuries as they could be totally different. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Brian Report post Posted November 19, 2002 Well, I guess you could draw comparisons to the fact that Michaels thought he would be back in a year since it was one of only two things that got him to job. But then it took Michaels 13 times as long to wrestle again in a ring. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest El Satanico Report post Posted November 19, 2002 Flair was also much younger when he injured his back. You heal better and faster when you're young. Also since Flair returned in 4 months while it took Michaels 5 years it's fairly obvious that Flair's injury was far less severe. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest oldschoolwrestling Report post Posted November 19, 2002 Flair is a wuss. HHH got dropped in a car upside down from 200 feet and came back the next show. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Kahran Ramsus Report post Posted November 19, 2002 Also, Flair had a far less punishing style than Michaels. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest DeputyHawk Report post Posted November 19, 2002 shawn just didn't heal properly until he found god. let's only hope the big man never saw 'wrestling with shadows'. the scece: backstage immediately after the montreal screwjob bret hart: "you weren't in on that?" shawn michaels: "i had no fucking idea. as god is my fucking witness, my hands are clean of this one. i swear to god." woopsy! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest godthedog Report post Posted November 19, 2002 flair after the plane crash was roughly 20,000 times the worker post-injury shawn michaels proved to be in the elimination chamber. michaels also knows he's not the worker he used to be, and isn't nearly as motivated as he was before. the fire in him is gone: he's already got his legacy and he has nothing left to prove. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest The Hamburglar Report post Posted November 19, 2002 Let's just hope Flair doesn't teach HHH how to no-sell death like that. As someone else already mentioned, HHH has no-sold death when Austin dropped his car. Others to no-sell death that spring to mind - Taker(obviously) and Rock when Hogan laid the smackdown on his crippled ass. I'm pretty sure Austin's done it at one point also. Didn't Rock once throw him off a bridge? I mark for the no-selling of death. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest alfdogg Report post Posted November 19, 2002 Indeed. No-selling death=RATINGS~! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Slapnuts00 Report post Posted November 19, 2002 Our beloved WWE champion was thrown off the roof at Cobo Hall and returned unscathed later to win his first world championship! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LaParkaYourCar 0 Report post Posted November 19, 2002 My problem with HBK's title run right now is that he was given a title to further a storyline with HHH that was never about the title in the first place. They could have easily put the title on someone else and continued the HHH/HBK feud all in the Chamber match. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest saturnmark4life Report post Posted November 19, 2002 i can't deny shawn's skill at being a drugged up to the teeth occasional wrestler. Or being a twat. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Rob Edwards Report post Posted November 19, 2002 Different injuries (possibly) but at completley different times of their lives. i think we should also take into account that Ric's was an impact injury wheras Shawns was caused mainly by wear and tear Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest dreamer420 Report post Posted November 19, 2002 it's not fair to flair to compare him to michaels. flair never too many problems putting people over and he put the business ahead of himself, unlile michaels who is only out for one person in this world. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest The Metal Maniac Report post Posted November 20, 2002 flair never too many problems putting people over Assuming I understand what this sentence is supposed to mean (And I may well not) then I have 2 words: Lex Luger. Hey, it's only one, but still, don't say he'd put anyone over. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Brian Report post Posted November 20, 2002 Then again, they pretty much had to get a gun to Michaels head for WrestleMania XIV. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest bps "The Truth" 21 Report post Posted November 20, 2002 I'm not going to go into the logistics of discussing Flair wanting to put Sting over instead of Luger...and Michaels not wanting to put over the man who became the biggest draw ever. At least Flair gave an alternative...a better one at that Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest DeputyHawk Report post Posted November 20, 2002 plus, flair wanted to put austin over in wcw before hulkalove showed up. conclusion: flair is a more selfless wrestler who has more love for the business than shawn does. and a better back. shocker. EDIT: so put flair over shawn for the big gold belt. you just know hhh would love to pin flair on ppv, so it's all good. it's not like the ratings matter anymore, anyway. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Brian Report post Posted November 20, 2002 And Flair wanted to put Steiner over, but I don't know the full story behind either that and the Austin case. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest bps "The Truth" 21 Report post Posted November 20, 2002 The most I ever got of the Austin WCW story was that Flair had picked Austin (like he did Sting) to be the guy he would put over. At the time Flair was a face, and he would make Austin the top heel, passing the torch and all that. Then Eric opened up Turner's pocketbook, signed Hogan and his friends and they turned Flair heel and had him drop the belt to Hogan. Ratings and Buyrates eventually went up...but they ironically let go of the man who would single handedly overtake them later. Plus...the move set them on the course to implode anyway. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest evlpurpose Report post Posted November 20, 2002 Screw coming back the next show, big show did it on the same card, and beat hogan for the title on the too, at halloween havoc 95. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheFranchise 0 Report post Posted November 21, 2002 Let's just hope Flair doesn't teach HHH how to no-sell death like that. LOL nice one Share this post Link to post Share on other sites