Ric Flair has garnered immense fame and riches over his decorated wrestling career – but the
76-year-old
asserted that it all pales in comparison to the latest honor he’s received.
Senate Bill 404 filed in
North Carolina
last month would set aside half-a-million dollars to study the practicality of founding a professional wrestling hall of fame museum in the
Tar Heel State
.
The proposal – fittingly nicknamed the “Ric Flair Act” but formally known as “An Act to Remember Iconic Combatants through Fostering Learning Awareness and Interest In Rassling” – would direct $500,000 to the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources to look into the feasibility of the plan.
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To say that Flair is on the board with the idea is an understatement. “I can’t think of a better guy to name a museum after,” the
WWE
legend exclusively told
Mirror U.S. Sports
.
“It’s more than an honor to have a museum named after you. Those are the things that count. Those are the things that are real.”
Long before Flair’s bleached blond locks, designer suits and signature ‘Woo!’ captured the hearts of millions across the world, he arrived in Charlotte, North Carolina looking to make a name for himself in the Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling territory.
“When I got to North Carolina, it was just me and Richard Petty, baby. Highest building was 10 stories. Brown bag, no liquor,” he recalled. “I mean, it was crazy. So long ago.”
It was in North Carolina and the surrounding Southeast region that Flair truly developed into a national star with his larger than life “Nature Boy” persona. Over the years to come, he’d go on to become an 8-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, 6-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion and two-time WWF Champion.
Since stepping away from full-time professional wrestling, Flair has received no shortage of praise for his achievements inside the ring. He’s been given keys to the cities of Greensboro, Myrtle Beach, Marion County and Laurinburg while also being honored with a “Ric Flair Day” in Minneapolis and Charleston.
In April of 2008, Flair was even recognized for his accomplishments in Congress by Republican Sue Myrick, a representative from North Carolina. “By any standard, Ric Flair is a living legend,” she said at the time. “His name is recognized all over the world, but he calls Charlotte, NC home.”
The kind gesture was not lost on Flair, who acknowledged that the recognition and support is worth far more than the monetary items he’s amassed. “Back when I retired, Sue Myrick, a U.S. congresswoman, had a Ric Flair day in the U.S. Congress. I mean, those are the kind of things that matter,” he said.
“I spent a lot of money on clothes and Rolex watches and that, but none of that means anything like being honored by people that appreciate your hard work, and what you’ve done and accomplished over the years.”
