Last Updated on September 13, 2024
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Who is Ric Flair?
Richard Morgan Fleihr, popularly known as Ric Flair, is an American professional wrestler and manager. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, the USA on February 25, 1949, Ric is a professional wrestler with a career that spans over 40 years. Unarguably, he is one of the best wrestlers of all time.
He was introduced to the wrestling business when he met the legendary Vachon Brothers. He came into the limelight in 1972, when he faced George “Scrap Iron” Gadaski.
Since then, Ric Flair has won a total of 16 world championships from World Championship Wrestling (WCW), National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).
During his career, Ric also worked for Total Nonstop Action (TNA) and Vince McMahon‘s World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
Currently, Ric is retired from wrestling, but he makes his living from being a wrestling manager and from different endorsement deals. Here’s what we know about the life of Ric Flair.
Quick Facts
| Full Name: | Richard Morgan Fleihr |
| Popular Name: | Ric Flair, The Nature Boy |
| Gender: | Male |
| Birth Date: | February 25, 1949 |
| Age: | 74 years |
| Parents: | Luther Phillips (father) and Olive Phillips (mother); Dr. Richard Reid Fleihr (foster father) and Kathleen Fleihr (foster mother) |
| Siblings: | N/A |
| Birth Place: | Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America |
| Nationality: | American |
| Ethnicity: | White |
| Education: | Wayland Academy, Minnesota University |
| Marital Status: | Married |
| Sexual Orientation: | Straight |
| Wife/Spouse: | Leslie Goodman (1971 – 1983), Elizabeth Harrell (1983 – 2006), Tiffany VanDenmark (2006 – 2009), Jacqueline Jackie Beems (2009 – 2014), Wendy Barlow (2018 till date) |
| Children: | Megan Fleihr, David Fleihr, Ashley Fleihr, Reid Fleihr (died 2013). |
| Dating: | N/A |
| Net Worth: | $500,000 |
| Source of Wealth: | Professional wrestling manager, brand endorsement deals |
| Height: | 6ft (1.83m) |
| Weight: | 243lbs (110.2kg) |
Early Life and Career Information
Ric Flair was born in Memphis, Tennessee, to Luther Phillips and Olive Philips, on the 25th of February, 1949. He was named Fred Phillips, although some documents had Fred Stewart or Demaree on them.
He was put up for adoption and was adopted by Richard and Kathleen Fleihr. They named him Richard Morgan Fleihr, and the new family relocated to Edina, Minnesota, where Ric spent his childhood. Ric attended Wayland Academy in Beaver Dam for his high school education. He was an active participant in his school’s wrestling, football, and track team.
After his high school education, he attended Minnesota University briefly. He intended to follow in his father’s footsteps by becoming a medical doctor, but he soon left the field to focus on his wrestling career.
Ric Flair made his professional debut appearance in the wrestling ring on December 10, 1972. His opponent was George “Scrap Iron” Gadaski. The match ended in a draw after 10 minutes.
Flair spent the next several months of his career with Gagne’s Minneapolis Boxing and Wrestling Club. He then moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, to become a regular for Jim Crockett Promotions.
In 1975, Ric survived a plane crash and broke his back in three places. Doctors told him that he might not be able to wrestle again, but Ric returned to the ring in three months. This feat earned him the nickname “The Nature Boy.”
He went on to win his first NWA world title in 1981. Since then, Ric Flair has enjoyed a prosperous wrestling career.
In his career, he worked for World Championship Wrestling, Total Nonstop Action, and World Wrestling Entertainment. He was an 8-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, 6-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion, and 2-time WWF Champion — making a total of 16 world championships to his name.
He was the first holder of the WCW World Heavyweight Champion and the WCW International World Heavyweight Champion, making him the first WCW Triple Crown winner. He’s also one of 4 wrestlers who have completed the WCW Triple Crown.
Ric has gone through many marriages in his lifetime. His first marriage was in 1971 to Leslie Goodman. The marriage yielded two children, Megan and David Fleihr. The couple separated in 1983.
The same year, Flair got married to Elizabeth Harrell. This was his longest marriage, and they had two children together — Ashley and Reid Fleihr. They got divorced in 2006, after being married for 23 years. Unfortunately, Reid passed away from a drug overdose in 2013.
Ric Flair got married to Tiffany VanDenmark in 2006. She filed for divorce in 2008, and it was approved in 2009.
In 2009, he married Jaqueline Jackie Beems in 2009, but they separated in 2014. Subsequently, he wedded Wendy Barlow on September 12, 2018. They have been together since then.
Ric Flair’s Net Worth
The Nature Boy, 16-times world wrestling champion and first-ever WCW Triple Crown winner is currently worth five hundred thousand dollars.
He makes most of his money from his wrestling management career. He also makes money from endorsement deals with various brands, like Adidas and BYB Brands.
Lessons From Ric Flair’s Life
Be Intentional About Your Growth
“To be the man, you gotta beat the man.” ~ Rick Flair.
Flair had a prolific rise to fame. He dropped out of college to focus fully on wrestling. He honed his craft, and it paid off for him because he is one of the best wrestlers of all time.
To rise to the top, you have to keep growing and developing until you’re better than the people currently at the top.
Ignore the Naysayers
“When somebody has convinced you that you are not worth anything to anybody anymore, and they spend a lot of time doing it, you start believing it yourself.” ~ Ric Flair.
Never allow what other people say to put you down. In life, there will always be naysayers and people who don’t support your dreams. Do not allow such negative comments to affect your self-esteem.
Posted by:Igor Ovsyannnykov
Igor is an SEO specialist, designer, photographer, writer and music producer. He believes that knowledge can change the world and be used to inspire and empower young people to build the life of their dreams.When he is not writing in his favorite coffee shop, Igor spends most of his time reading books, taking photos, producing house music, and learning about cinematography. He is a sucker for good coffee, Indian food, and video games.
