On the cultural significance of Ric Flair: Why hulks, heroes and big hair matter

“To be the man, you’ve got to beat the man.”

There’s a story brewing of such magnitude, of such social import, that I’m shocked the mainstream media hasn’t pick up on it.

Ric Flair is retiring. Yes, it’s true. The Nature Boy will end a 30-year career in professional wrestling sometime soon. He’s one of the most celebrated wrestling superstars of all time, and a cultural icon we’ll not see the likes of again.

In the vernacular of pro wrestling, Flair faces a “career threatening match” every time he steps into the ring now because WWE master Vince McMahon has declared that the next time Flair loses, his career’s over. For the 60-something-year-old Flair, that may not be a bad thing.

“And whether you like it or not, learn to love it, ‘cause it’s the best thing going today!”

This NYT story about the re-emergence of ’80s tough guys doesn’t mention Flair, but it should. Here’s a bit of the story, and why these guys have staying power:

Sylvester Stallone, at 61, is starring in the first Rambo film since 1988, called simply ”Rambo,” which opens on Jan. 25. Hulk Hogan, 54, who was doing face plants in wrestling bouts back when Frankie Goes to Hollywood was still riding the charts, re-emerged (last) month as the face of NBC’s unlikely new hit, ”American Gladiators.” Mr. T, the mohawk-sporting muscleman who squared off against Mr. Stallone in ”Rocky III” back in 1982, when Leonid I. Brezhnev was still the Soviet leader (and when there was still a Soviet Union), is back as a television pitchman for the popular World of Warcraft video game.

Even the Terminator is back — in Fox’s new series ”Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” — although the original star, Arnold Schwarzenegger, is too busy with other engagements in California to participate.

The leading action symbols of the Reagan era — with all their excess, jingoism and good vs. evil bombast — have returned, as outsize and obvious as they were in the decade of stonewash. Yet as stars of prime-time hits and feature films (not to mention Republican mascots), these actors are still as ripped and imposing as they were 20 years ago, and they continue to carry an undeniable authority with fans old and new.

Indeed, at a time when the country is faced with a new tangle of problems, the return of the ’80s action hero suggests that some Americans, particularly men, are looking to revel in the vestigial pleasures of older times and seemingly simpler ways. (Witness the popularity of the best-selling ”Dangerous Book for Boys,” a celebration of the traditional rugged joys of boyhood.)

Undeniable authority, indeed. We needed this guy back then, and we need him now.

“I’m a limousine ridin’, jet flyin’, kiss stealin’, wheelin’ dealin’ son of a gun. WOOOO!!”

Flair had bling before we knew what bling was. With his platinum locks and big jewelry, his fancy fur-lined robes and designer suits, Flair boasted and taunted his way to the top. His entrance to the ring was usually heralded by the “Dawn” section of Richard Strauss’ Also sprach Zarathustra (the music used in the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.)

For boys growing up in the 1980s, Saturday morning wrestling was a ritual to watch on TV and then recreate in the back yard. If you couldn’t master the Figure Four Leglock, you were a pussy, plain and simple.

Flair earned his reputation as the “dirtiest player in the game,” never backing down from a fight. He wrestled alongside the likes of Rowdy Roddy Piper and Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage, Dusty Rhodes, Wahoo McDaniel, Rick Steamboat, Mr. Wrestling II, Jimmy Snuka, and Greg Valentine. Don’t forget Magnum TA, Barry Windham, The Rock ‘N Roll Express, Nikita Koloff, and The Road Warriors, Animal, Hawk and Ronnie Garvin, Sting, Lex Luger and Sid Vicious just to name a few more.

Flair created the famous Four Horsemen team of wrestlers – Arn and Ole Anderson, Tully Blanchard and Flair, with James J. Dillon as their manager – and the crew pulled out every trick in the book to win. There were the usual ups and downs, and in The Fall Brawl 1995: War Games at the Asheville Civic Center, Arn Anderson pinned Flair in just over 22 minutes.

Flair would go on to become World Champion and incredible 16 times. He shook off injuries. He performed brilliantly in the ring, and became known for his incredible stamina.

But Flair has aged, and it’s time for an exit. Here’s a few words on Flair’s ring legacy:

Despite his age, less-than-chiseled physique, and being past his prime as a “main-eventer,” Flair is still a capable performer. Flair became over with the crowd, often due to his in-ring antics, including cheating ways (earning him the distinction of being “the dirtiest player in the game”), his trademark strut and his shouting of “Woooooo!” While his charisma has never been in question, Flair’s moveset has become limited in recent years, mainly punches, chops, back body drops and various devious maneuvers.

“Space Mountain may be the oldest ride in the park, but it has the longest line.”

So what’s next? Most observers expect Flair to hang on until Wrestlemania 24 in March, when his career will likely come to a most dramatic end. Until then, we’ll enjoy a few more leg locks and that spine-tingling “Woooo!”

Ric Flair tribute page.

100 greatest wrestling quotes of all time.