Bret Hart responds to Ric Flair's comments

[Guest JMA]

You know, it's funny. Flair criticized Foley for not being a good technical worker, yet Hart himself is superior to Flair in that category. Very interesting.

 

I think Flair is sinking further with this whole Owen thing. Not to mention that he's been coming off as a "company man" for a long while now.

[Guest Brian]

I think Frank Jewett on TOA put it best:

 

We wouldn't blame Flair for

Crockett's promotion going

under because we loved Flair.

 

In college I was surprised to

find that a number of people

in my dorm were interested in

wrestling but had only seen

the WWF.

 

I went home and picked up some

"classic" NWA matches like Flair

vs Sting from Clash I to show

them what they were missing.

 

They were bored to tears.

 

Looking back on Flair and Sting

doing the same run the ropes into

a press slam spot over and over

and over it's no wonder why.

 

The reality is that while we

preferred Flair to Hogan, the

larger audience did not agree.

 

Flair fan, JCP fan, and NWA fan

fan are very much like AWA fan:

They claim artistic superiority

because that is all they can claim.

 

Ric Flair was our Nick Bockwinkel.

We didn't get why other fans didn't

see the greatness we thought was

both obvious and indisputable.

 

Did bidness pick up while Dusty was

wearing dots in the WWF and we were

seeing "the greatest singles matches

ever" between Flair and Steamboat and

then Flair and Funk?

 

Looking back it should have been an

obvious sign of trouble that the best

matches we could envision involved

wrestlers who were over thirty-five.

 

We were those AWA fans who kept

cheering for Nick, Billy Robinson,

and Pat Patterson without noticing

that they were getting long in the

tooth and that their style was no

longer up to par with most fans.

 

Blame Flair? Maybe we should have

blamed him, or at least been open

to it, but we loved his drawn out

matches so much that we didn't ask

whether he should have compromised

and worked faster, tighter bouts.

We loved his signature spots so

much that we didn't ask whether he

should update his moveset to include

more modern spots. We loved Flair

so much that it took an amazingly

long time to realize that his once

state of the art offense had shrunk

to a few shopworn bumps in many of

his non-Steamboat/Funk matches.

 

This isn't the time or place to open

that can of worms. Wait another ten

years until a generation that wasn't

in love with Flair sees him on tape

and starts asking the kind of obvious

questions we now ask about wholly

overrated myths like Bruiser Brody.

 

At the moment too many people have

an emotional stake in believing that

they got to witness and cheer for

the greatest wrestler of all time to

discuss Flair's career rationally.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

Foley has a new interview up that talks a lot about this, and I have to give him credit. Vague internet reports said he was unhappy about what was said about him in the book, but he seems to understand that Flair's book would be as uncensored as his was. However, he does bait at Flair's own self-censoring, that Flair is a company man and knows which side the bread is buttered on.

[Guest Brian]

Foley has a new interview up that talks a lot about this, and I have to give him credit. Vague internet reports said he was unhappy about what was said about him in the book, but he seems to understand that Flair's book would be as uncensored as his was. However, he does bait at Flair's own self-censoring, that Flair is a company man and knows which side the bread is buttered on.

From the WON website:

 

Mick said that if Flair’s intention was to get a match with Foley, it is not going to happen because of that. He said that Flair is working a program without the other person knowing. He felt that he was being buried while being praised by Flair. Talk moved on to the way that that the WWE wanted to stir things up, but Mick is not going to go on WWE programming to respond to what Flair wrote. Mick felt that in talking to Flair, he enjoyed working with him. Flair even told Mick that he never read his book.

 

 

 

Mick said that you need to separate the booker from the performer, and after rereading what he wrote before, he praised Flair a number of times as a wrestler. He feels that Ric did not care so much about the other programs while he was a booker. He thinks that things could have been different if he had complete control over his own storyline instead of being told to cut his hair, get an earring and change his name to Spartacus. He feels that he will be seen as a bad talent evaluator since he let Mick and Steve Austin leave WCW under his watch. He was not sure if Triple H was with WCW, and let go when he was the booker.

 

 

 

Talk moved on to how Ric’s complaints were about the way he was treated by people like Jim Herd and Eric Bischoff, just like Mick’s comments about Flair as a booker. Mick said that people did not buy his first book to read about Ric Flair because it was not a major part of the book. The only time that Flair was brought up was on WCW television by Terry Funk. Mick said that he never used Ric Flair to sell his book. Mick suggests that there must be something relevant about him now because they are focusing on Mick Foley in promoting Flair’s book.

 

 

Mick feels that he has made a connection with the fans, and that might lead to some people thinking more about his work than what he actually did in the ring.

 

 

 

Mick was asked about the WWF’s influence over the content in his book. Mick said that there was some concern in the company about Mick taking shots at Vince, but Vince did not want Foley’s book gutted. Mick asked where the criticism was in Flair’s book about Vince McMahon, Triple H or anyone else in power right now, and the people that Flair attacked were not active wrestlers with WWE. Mick said that things might have been under closer scrutiny after the Hardy book. Mick is thankful to Vince for giving him the chance to write his books, but he did screw Bret.

 

 

 

Mick talked about the criticism that Flair had about Bret Hart and Montreal and Owen Hart. Mick said that he talked to Bret after his comments were made about Flair. Mick suggested that you shouldn’t write when you are angry. Mick said that he edited what he wrote about Flair himself because he might have been angry at the time. He suggested that maybe he will release the unedited material about Flair in a future book

[geniusMoment 0]

Foley will still work the program in order to shill his next book. Besides the promos they could cut on each other would more than make up for the match that would likely not live up to either of their reputations.

[The Czech Republic 0]

Was that supposed to be poetry? If so, I liked it.

[Scroby 0]

I gotta agree with Foley here, cause when you think about it, all the promotions for Flair's book have been about the controvery it has in it. I mean don't get me wrong, thats good for selling a book but thats what all the promoting has really been.

[Spaceman Spiff 0]

Was that supposed to be poetry? If so, I liked it.

Nope, that's just how he posts.

[Promoter 0]

Mick asked where the criticism was in Flair’s book about Vince McMahon, Triple H or anyone else in power right now, and the people that Flair attacked were not active wrestlers with WWE. Mick said that things might have been under closer scrutiny after the Hardy book. Mick is thankful to Vince for giving him the chance to write his books, but he did screw Bret.

That was the same criticism I made in this thread.He goes off on guys who he knows he has a safegaurd against his employment. This is understandable, but God forbid Flair dies tomorrow this stuff in his book will be the record of Ric Flair's views on an industry where he is indeed a legend. I can't believe Flair is all positive about the company he went up against in the 80's. I wish he wouldn't hold back some stuff. Him claiming the wwe was always the superior group undercuts his own legend and really making claims of Bret not being a draw and whatnot is a mute point if he proclaims what he does. Bret as a multiple time champ had to be of some value then if he claims it was the superior group. That's why Hogan's book is kind of a joke along with The Rock's. This stuff will be like a record of history. I guess it'a all about the money anyways.

 

I think Foley will still work the program. They want people to believe it's a shoot(well the less informed fans anyways). Brian, I liked that post and reading it something came to my mind. Okay, remember Bret's tirade about not really seeing Ric Flair work, but heard about the legend? I think it is possible plenty of fans never really saw Flair wrestle, but heard of the legend. In Toronto, we did hear about the legend of Flair, but we never really saw him on a regular basis(after the wwf took over the region in 1984). By 1990-1991, many people thought some of the nwa was the real deal since Vince went more Walt Disney with the cartoon characters(up here anyways). Then we would hear about or see clips of the matches between Steamboat/Flair(Steamboat told our media that the wwf was more glitz and glamour, while the competition was more stiff in the nwa). I was just wondering if some of Flair's legacy/legend was really created by the constant promotion in wrestling magazines as being "The Man" and being able to go to sixty minute draws? I also remember the big legend Kerry Von Erich had up here as well. My point is that maybe Frank Jewett's write up is a common thing amongst fans of the wwe. Flair wasn't nearly as exposed as Hogan by the time of his 1991 arrival. Could some of the reason he didn't draw that well in the wwe(although to be fair that timeframe the business had a lot of bad press) was that he didn't live up to his hype(that was REALLY off the radar)? Flair was a focal point in 1992(which I don't even know if it was really that bad of a financial year as 93-94-95 had to be worse, but comparing to the 80's I suppose). Hogan and Sid dipped after WM. The summer feud was built around the championship and storyline of Savage/Flair that got mixed with Ultimate Warrior for SummerSlam after that terrible Papa Shango stuff. Bret and HBK really moved up more in the fall/winter.

[reign 0]

I know..I know...we're all begging for this to stop...but in the words of "THE GREATEST Of ALL TIME"...to A MikeSC...I have to give you a receipt since you took my comments the wrong way...

1. I said to an extent Bret made UT and HBK...I know that UT was and always would've been a star without Bret but up to that point in his career his matches were slooow and didn't really show what he could do...it was all about the supernatural and getting his shit knocked in by these big-ass characters(Gonzalez, Kamala, Yoko..which was quite good, the Million Dollar Corporation) so that he could go on hiatus for a while and then make his big return..I'm not saying it didn't work because it did but from a match quality perspective they wern't all that good..his matches with Bret from SS and One Night Only were good and showed what UT could do with a real wrestler and took him out of that scene were his fueds were based on his urn being stolen or whatever..imo it transitioned him into the main scene even though he was champ during that time frame..and yes I know that Vince had already made the move but Bret definately helped...and Shawn would've also been great but it was his runs with Bret that made him famous...from the time HBK went single Bret was there to work with him...but Austin is fo' sho and you can't argue with that nor that Vince woud've been as impactful with Austin without what Bret was already doing with him..Bret was working the "you are screwing me! " angle long before Montreal...

 

2. Again I said "setting the scene"...which he did...everybody says even though the ratings weren't there that WWF had the better product for at least a year before t.v cought up with them and the screw job did as much for the company as Tyson and Stone Cold did.

 

3. He was the top heel and had U.S fans in such a rage that not many heels can get these days.. and really the only heels to keep that rage after he left was Vince and Shawn and the Rock..see above points for explanation on the latter two.

 

4. Credit were credit is due but I said he set it up...keep in mind Bret has some imput into the setting before he left.

 

5. They didn't have to be a better booker...hell just keep the character going...better booker or not they whipped Vince for months(yes while Bret was champ) just by using WWF guys in the same fashion as when they left ...Bret couldv'e showed up as Bret Hart..the "real WWF Champion" as somebody else said and played off the WWF's comments on the matter..instead they changed everything and well I don't even want to go into everything they screwed up down there but the fact is they had a ready made story and they wasted it...just like...

 

6. ....The Invasion and the NWO!...and Ric Flair was part of WCW right..thanks for proving part of our point that Ric Flair didn't draw.."at all"..but I'll help you out and say that Invasion with Steiner, Goldberg, Flair and the NWO along with proper booking of DDP and Booker T and no Stephanie with a face Shane would've worked...Vince can make anything work(look at Eugene, Val Venis's initial run and so much more) if he puts his heart into it..but he waited to bring in the big names until after the angle was over...maybe it would've tanked but it's obvious that the angle that fans wanted was killed without any effort being put into it...done well it could've brought Sting in..and unlike the NFL it is a work and you can develope around weaknesses. Like Bret in WCW they were ready made stories that should've wrote themselves but Vince put his ego above his company's success. It should've ended at Mania instead of three WWF guys with two "Alliance" guys versus WWF guys at Survivor Series.

 

7. Touche...got caught up in the debate..sorry..

 

8. Things may have gotten a little crazy here but I did go back and watch some of Bret's big matches and then watched the Flair DVD and I still think Bret/Davey is better than what most could do..imo I can't find many that are better in moves and pyschology...I'm a big mark for suspending my own disbelief when it comes to pro-wrestling and Bret for the most part was always able to make everything seem real and legit..like with Davey, Perfect, Shawn, Vince and Austin...Flair raley could make me believe that outside of his interviews(which are great) becuase in the ring he just did the same thing and was too dramatic...Bret conveyed emotion on levels most can't do both in the ring and outside.

 

9. KoTR '93(the tourny at least) is the best of them all and really showed what Bret could do...he was the true champion in my eyes still and I thought that it really showed what a champion should be unlike Hogan at the time who looked weak in a squash match against Yoko...and SS later that year he did the same thing with two guys that you wouldn't have thought could be that good...Doink and the Lawler who hadn't done anything in years looked credible and again..the emotion felt very real...and I enjoyed Lex/Yoko in a Hogan/Andre way and thought that it was a good show.

 

10. Bret's impact was huge and many pro's admit that and I guess we'll never know who could've taken who.

 

11. I can't stand it when fans are having a debate and then somebody says.."it's all a work you know" it just takes the fun out of all of this...next time your watching Flair and marking out and get excited I hope somebody leans over and says "it's all fake you know"...we ALL know it's a work damnit.

 

12. I'm a fan of Bret and that's what I believe..take it for whatever it's worth..yes he was nothing in WCW but he was the best in the WWF for many years and when he said that he always got a pop because the fans know what he meant and respected that. Flair's just pissed that Vince who made him feel so great in 92' had lost his interest and wanted to put the belt on a guy who was better in the ring..something that Flair thought he was the best at.

 

13. Just making a point...

 

14. and 15. My point was that Bret was dicked over so hard in life,mostly by or around one man, and his misfortunes lead to retirement and not a continued national, on air once a week stage so that everybody could give him verbal blowjobs week in and week out like they do so often with Flair..imagine if Flair had retired ten or fifteen years ago...I think that if Bret were still around and back in the WWE people would be trumpeting him as the greatest too...especially with a few more big runs like Flair has been getting time and time again..Flair was in a pretty crappy company in for most of his career with no real stars...I think that people saw what he was in his prime and how much of a star he was in one section of the country and were always trying to rekindle that same magic with little success...

 

Above all what I've learned from this surreal debate is that is that each of us remember a time that we thought wrestling was great and these two guys represented that..I was never really a NWA or WCW fan until the Monday Night Wars because the production was bad and the stars looked bland..I used to think that Flair was the greatest until I understood what working was and saw through his act...Bret on the other hand was always entertaining to me and to see where we're at now with the sport just isn't fun anymore...and Flair seems more and more like he's trying to defend a legacy that wasn't really being challenged until his comments about Bret and others...I'm not saying the Ric Flair can't say what he wants but he was taking shots at the guy that he had to drop the title to for no real reason other than amongst fans Bret is considered to be one of the greatest and in many views the best in ring worker besides HBK. I'll say no more on the matter. Please guys don't blast me for this long-ass post if anybody even reads it..I probably wouldn't.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

Fuck it.

 

I tried to resist caring about this feud but I NEED a Foley/Flair feud now, simply for the promo-to-end-all-promo's Foley will cut on Flair.

[Guest MikeSC]

This is still going on? God, I lost interest days ago.

-=Mike

[Lord of The Curry 0]

I know, I'm kinda shocked that this thing is still alive too. It's taking up space that can be used towards demeaning the product, dammit.

[algrim 0]

Pin it in the Classic Threads section, just for the discussions alone.

[Guest JMA]

Pin it in the Classic Threads section, just for the discussions alone.

I agree. Everything has pretty much already been said.

[KTID 0]

Well there goes Flair's reputataion down the drain. No big loss to me, i'll get on with my life.

[Promoter 0]

Well, all you have to go to is pwtorch.com. The people there love Flair to death(I just wanted to add to thread to make at least 20 pages before it goes in the classic category).

[Guest The Ultimate Fantasy]

See Bret's problem is that he is known for being so bitter.

[Guest SteveyP93]

How would people like the Bret Hart DVD to be? I think it would be interesting to compare the matches with Flair's.

 

I think that a multiple-disc Bret Hart DVD would KILL Flair's DVD. Both in entertainment value and maybe even in sales, since WWF fans are much more familiar with Bret's career.

 

vs. Austin from Survivor Series '96, vs. Austin from WrestleMania 13, the 10-man tag from Canadian Stampede, any of the Hart Foundation/British Bulldogs classics from Saturday Night's Main Event, the 2/3 falls Hart Foundation vs. Demolition match, his bloodbath with the Bulldog from In Your House, vs. Taker both One Night Only and SummerSlam, vs. Austin from In Your House: Revenge of the Taker, vs. 1-2-3 Kid from Monday Night RAW, vs. Owen from WrestleMania X...there's just a bunch of really, really great matches from Bret's career that have yet to make it to the DVD format. His SummerSlam '92 match with the Bulldog, Survivor Series '97 with Shawn, the SummerSlam '94 cage match with Owen, and the WrestleMania XII Iron Man match with Shawn are the only ones that really come to mind as classics that are already out on a DVD.

[Promoter 0]

I think a lot of the appeal of Flair's DVD goes with what I said above. MANY people just simply did not see as much of Ric Flair in his hey day because the wwf was the mainstream promotion. Many of those stuff on the DVD fans have not seen. That may not work in Bret's favour, but there are a lot of matches Bret has that haven't been released or seen as well from Stampede. It's also arguable that the wwe wasn't as mainstream during Bret's hey day and some newer fans may get the same vibe and appeal of seeing another legend at his best because they never got the chance.

[Guest Brian]

How would people like the Bret Hart DVD to be? I think it would be interesting to compare the matches with Flair's.

 

I think that a multiple-disc Bret Hart DVD would KILL Flair's DVD. Both in entertainment value and maybe even in sales, since WWF fans are much more familiar with Bret's career.

 

vs. Austin from Survivor Series '96, vs. Austin from WrestleMania 13, the 10-man tag from Canadian Stampede, any of the Hart Foundation/British Bulldogs classics from Saturday Night's Main Event, the 2/3 falls Hart Foundation vs. Demolition match, his bloodbath with the Bulldog from In Your House, vs. Taker both One Night Only and SummerSlam, vs. Austin from In Your House: Revenge of the Taker, vs. 1-2-3 Kid from Monday Night RAW, vs. Owen from WrestleMania X...there's just a bunch of really, really great matches from Bret's career that have yet to make it to the DVD format. His SummerSlam '92 match with the Bulldog, Survivor Series '97 with Shawn, the SummerSlam '94 cage match with Owen, and the WrestleMania XII Iron Man match with Shawn are the only ones that really come to mind as classics that are already out on a DVD.

Two big feuds to cover from Bret's career that would take up a disc a piece IMO: Bret v. Owen and Bret/Hart Foundation v. Austin. I think it should at least get three discs. Screw doing things chronologically like the Flair disc; punch out those two discs and then fit everything else on the other.

 

As for the Flair DVD, I think it did well for multiple reasons, the main is that there are alot of people who aren't watching wrestling, as much if at all, right now who saw Flair and wanted something like that. I think a Bret DVD could appeal in that way.

 

And I think the fact that people didn't see Flair in his prime was a double-edged sword. On one hand, people were probably interested in seeing Flair, especially hearing him called the greatest. But on the other, continuing to compete has severely hurt his legacy in the eyes of many people.

[Scroby 0]

If Bret's dvd is promoted corretly it will most likely outsell the Flair dvd. If it isn't promoted correctly, it'll come close but most likely won't. I for one hope it does, and also can't wait for Bret's DVD.

[Guest SteveyP93]

Bret only had four real blood feuds: Lawler, Owen, Austin, and Shawn. I agree that they could dedicate an entire disc to the Austin/Canada vs. USA feud alone. The matches, the promos, the sneak attacks...it'd be easy.

 

I would structure it like this, though:

 

Disc 1

- The Hart Foundation years, 1986-1991

- The I.C. champ era (1991-1992), highlighted by his matches with Hennig, Piper and Bulldog

- The title win over Flair-defeat by Yokozuna at WrestleMania IX, highlighted by his defenses against Shawn at Survivor Series and Razor at the Rumble

 

Disc 2

- The 1993 King of the Ring and his feud with Lawler (and his cohorts, i.e. Hakushi), and it's end at KOTR '95

- His feud with Owen, the incident at Survivor Series '93-vs. Backlund at Survivor Series '94 (including WrestleMania X and SummerSlam '94)

- His feud with Backlund, including the chicken wing incident on RAW, the Royal Rumble '95 schmozz, the "I Quit" match at WrestleMania XI

- Bloodbath with Bulldog from IYH and winning the title back from Diesel at Survivor Series '95

 

Disc 3

- The Shawn feud, from WrestleMania XII-Survivor Series '97

- The Austin/USA vs. Canada feud (encompasses Austin, Patriot, Taker, etc.)

 

I don't think that the WCW years are even worth looking at, aside from the Owen tribute match with Benoit and his involvement in Starrcade '97.

[algrim 0]

Other matches that they can put from his WCW days:

 

-vs. Flair (Souled Out '98)

-vs. Sting and Benoit (1999 Mayhem tournament )

[Guest Brian]

More Flair Comments

 

Ric Flair never intended for his new book to start a storm of controversy. But, as everyone knows, people love to read about other people's dirty laundry and that's exactly what has happened with Flair's new book, To Be the Man. In the current New York Times bestseller, the World Wrestling Entertainment star reveals his true feelings about a number of other grapplers - none more scathing than Alberta's own ring legend Bret "the Hitman" Hart.

 

Flair, a 16-time world champion, made his most heated claims about the self-promotion of Hart's own talent (vastly overrated) and Hart's inability to draw big money during the heydays of the '80s (riding the coattails of Hulk Hogan).

 

Hart fired back in his own Calgary Sun column and on the Internet, debunking Flair's views and taking shots at the Nature Boy's own skills. One of Hart's rebuttal essays even declared that Flair "showed great cowardice when he let Bobby Shane die in that tragic plane crash in '75."

 

In all, it's been quite a war of words.

 

"It's sad because I didn't mean for all this to happen," Flair (Richard Fliehr) told the Sun during an interview on his book tour that stopped in Toronto earlier this week.

 

"I said what I think and I what I feel. Obviously there are only a couple of us in the business who can look back at the past - I've been in this business for 30 years - and say who was good and who wasn't. I've wrestled everybody from Bruiser Brody to the Rock - Dusty Rhodes, Wahoo McDaniel, Buddy Rogers, Gene Kiniski, Hulk Hogan, Roddy Piper, Randy Savage, Ricky Steamboat - and I know who was good and who wasn't.

 

"Bret was a great worker, a great technician, but he wasn't a great performer and he didn't have a lot of charisma. It's all part of a package. When you're the size of Bret and I, we're not six-foot-six and 300 pounds with 21-inch arms, so you've got to have something else to bring to the table."

 

For Flair, that has always been a showmanship largely unequalled by his peers - a flair, so to speak, to be a great heel or face (bad guy/good guy) with a schtick that sold time and time again from the '70s through to today. He never had a chiselled body, but his persona, the exhuberance of his promo interviews and the dreaded figure-4 leglock combined to make Flair routinely regarded as the No. 1 wrestler of all time.

 

Hart and Flair did hook up in World Championship Wrestling after Hart's unforgettable departure for the WWE and they had a classic pay-per-view matchup. But the ill will continued, perhaps even magnified, during the tragic death of Owen Hart in an accident prior to a match in Kansas City on May 23, 1999.

 

"Owen's passing was an unparalleled tragedy but all Bret wanted to do was say how Vince (McMahon) screwed him in Montreal. I never once insulted the Harts," Flair claimed.

 

"When Bret became (WWE) champion, he couldn't draw but Vince couldn't get him out of his contract. (The WWE) was happy when WCW offered him a contract, and look what happened. He went there and failed miserably.

 

"It's ludicrous for Bret to say I wouldn't put him over. I've never taken a fall of Bret. When Bret came to WCW, no one wanted to put him over, not Hogan, not Kevin Nash, not Sting, not Goldberg. I was the only one who was willing.

 

"I gave my opinion in the book about Dusty Rhodes and I wasn't flattering but Dusty didn't turn on me. It's just that the truth hurts sometimes."

 

As wooden as Flair thought Hart could be when working a crowd or a microphone, he is not of the same opinion on Edmonton's own world heavyweight champion, Chris Benoit, who has been criticized several times during his career for a lack of, ahem, flair.

 

"Chris is now in a great position," said Flair. "He's got charisma. It just doesn't ooze out of him but he is catching on. It's just that he's never been given a chance. He's a shy guy who doesn't refer to himself in the third person as the best there ever was. He's a guy who's proud to be in the position he is as world champion and he's respected for it in the wrestling community."

 

Flair's efforts to put together his book stalled a desire to get into another rugged business - the world of politics. He considered following the footsteps of Jesse "the Body" Ventura, the former governor of Minnesota, by running for office in North Carolina, but chose instead to focus on his memoirs.

 

The 53-year-old, who counts seven of his famous ring robes and the treasured American Wrestling Association title belt among his limited memorabilia, continues to wrestle and will stay ringside in some capacity or another until being told it's time to pack it in.

 

"I learned the craft from guys like Dick Murdoch, Harley Race, the Funks," said Flair. "I'm trying now to give something back and the young guys today enjoy wrestling with me. They can learn how to play off a crowd, how to play off that energy and all about ring psychology.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

Wait.

 

Sorry Ric.

 

I didn't catch you there.

 

How long have you been in the wrestling business again?

[Guest JMA]

I don't really believe that Flair never intended to cause controversy with his book. He, and WWE as well, know that controversy sells. Just take a look at how WWE is exploiting the things Flair said about Hogan, Hart, and Foley ON-AIR.

[haVoc 0]

Just like others said, Flair only takes shots at guys outside WWE. I'm glad they asked him about Benoit and see him politic his way around that question.

[KTID 0]

"Chris is now in a great position," said Flair. "He's got charisma. It just doesn't ooze out of him but he is catching on. It's just that he's never been given a chance. He's a shy guy who doesn't refer to himself in the third person as the best there ever was. He's a guy who's proud to be in the position he is as world champion and he's respected for it in the wrestling community."

 

 

Did I just read that correctly?

 

*RIC FLAIR* just talked down to *CHRIS BENOIT*.

 

Now that's funny. Flair talking about how he's a better worker than Bret Hart, Mick Foley and Randy Savage is reasonably laughable as it is. But now he's talking about Benoit as if he's a young rookie just establishing himself who can learn alot from Flair. Flair is particularly dilusional, I have to say.

[Promoter 0]

Hmmm....so because Benoit doesn't call himself the best there is, was, ever will be he's great and charismatic in his view. As long as Benoit doesn't claim to be the best he's all fine and good. I see.

 

Benoit better not make any claims against Flair or else we'll see Flair rip him to shreds and call him Mr. Roboto.

 

His claim on Bret not drawing and Vince trying to get out of the contract because of it has one flaw. Bret only had the belt for a month before Vince wanted to break the contract. Didn't Bret win the title at SummerSlam and then in September Vince went to Bret about the contract situation? HBK, Sid, and Undertaker were champion in the timespan from when he returned to the wwe. The major program that stole the show was Austin/Bret.

 

As for the Hogan carrying Bret thing isn't that a bit misleading to a casual fan? Bret was in tag teams at the time and wasn't even a singles wrestler. Of course, it's easy to also say Hogan brought wcw into the mainstream, while Flair couldn't. Didn't Hogan break wcw ppv and gate financials with his debut match with Flair? If he says that then he must say Hogan carried wcw to the promise land too.