Wrestling legend Ric Flair had a good natter with Dom Smith of Soundsphere.
[like_to_read][/like_to_read]
S] How do you look back on your career? In terms of defining moments, again, you’ve done some incredibly wonderful things and inspired a lot of people. What kind of things do you look back on and think ‘wow, that’s why I do this’?
R] “You know, I have a couple of my favourite moments, but I’m pretty much thankful about maybe one or two defining moments. I think the day I retired was phenomenal, but winning the world title the second time was also a huge part of my life. That was probably a twenty-five years difference in time. I’ve been blessed, I guess; I’ve had a great life and a great time, and I’ve been able to perform a bunch, and saw some great fans. It’s been a great opportunity for me.”
S] Given that you’re still going out there, either doing shows or meeting the fans, do you think there’s anyone else in the WWE right now who has the same legacy you do? You’ve got Triple H and all those great wrestlers, but you’re still going out there. Do you think there’s anybody else, apart from your daughter [WWE superstar, Charlotte], who’s obviously doing very well?
R] “I’m so proud of her. She’s doing great. You know, I’m blessed with good health, that’s the key to my success; I feel the same way right now I did twenty years ago. I’ve got good blood, you know, from God, so I don’t know if anybody else could do this or not. I would hope they would.”
S] Are there any performers out there, apart from the ones you draw from for inspiration, that you feel have that Ric Flair Factor when you watch them?
R] “My favourite right now is Randy Orton, and Dolph Ziggler.”
S] Given your level of experience, how would you advise younger people from smaller areas without big schools to try and pursue a career in wrestling and sports entertainment in general?
R] “Well actually, I would discourage that; I don’t like the way the majority of the schools are run. I don’t think that, more often than not, they’re qualified to reach out, to take them [the students] to the next level. Number two, I worry about the facilities, the safety issues. I discourage people unless they’re involved with NXT and WWE in Orlando Florida.”
S] Is there anything left for your career that you want to achieve?
R] “The defining moments for me would be the day when she’s completely where she needs to be and happy. My goals are her goals, if that makes sense.”
https://youtu.be/1zD7ZL1QNRs
S] We speak to a lot of people with disabilities, who are going through different struggles in life. Can you remember a time when you had to struggle particularly and how you have overcome that? How have you maintained motivation through difficult times in your career?
R] “Well, everybody has ups and downs in their life; I’ve certainly have my share of them. I just look back and say that I’ve made bad personal choices and I can’t blame anyone else. Almost everybody does that, and it’s easier to try and blame somebody else for it, but 99 per cent of the time it’s probably a bad choice you made. But in terms of wrestling, I’ve been down before. But, you move on from that. For me, it caused me anxiety. But, I got over it, I survived it, and I couldn’t be happier right now.”
S] What would be your message to the people reading?
R] “Perseverance, hard work, and commitment.”
