Sometimes, you struggle with telling friends why you love wrestling. There are certainly arguments against it … it’s fake (which it’s not, it’s scripted), the athletes are steroid enhanced animals (which is everything anymore), and it’s nothing more than a soap opera. Sometimes, you read the negatives and you do wonder.
But then you have a weekend like this past one and you’re reminded exactly why you love it, and it goes much farther than just whether you like or hate John Cena (he is still the man by the way). The tribute paid to Ric Flair, both with his last match, his Hall Of Fame Induction and his farewell on Monday Night RAW where many of his old competitors met him at the ring as well as the entire company’s roster was one of the most touching moments I have seen in a long time. A wonderful tribute not just for Ric as a wrestler but as a man who has come full circle in his life in the ring, and has proven to be a role model and a leader even in the later stages of his career, and even at nearly sixty years old, a treat to watch in the ring.
Wrestling isn’t exactly the kind of sport that brings you to tears. It can bring you great excitement rooting on the wrestler you like (or the bad guy you want to get over), anger at the storyline not going your way, but not generally the joy that brings tears, but you couldn’t help but feel as strongly as everyone in the ring, everyone in the arena, heck, everyone in the stadium at Wrestlemania, at the appreciation, the love for someone who meant so much to their passion and business. Watching guys who are legends of the current day show just how appreciative they are of the legends of the past AND current was unbelievably cool. My wife was even welled up watching it, how could you not be?!
I’m admittedly a younger fan in terms of Ric Flair. I watched WWE far more than I did WCW back in the 90′s when I cared, and only saw Ric weekly in the days of Evolution. His exuberance for his work, the fun you could tell he had when he was out there was wonderful, and this is me watching him at the end of the career! Even in those last few years, he made both a good heel and face, and rare is the wrestler in any era who does both well.
I’m sure I will be doing more wrestling posting in the near future, because I have the event that I’ve watched that has rekindled the interest for me even more, and trust me, I will miss seeing Ric in the ring, and will be glad every time I hear a “Woooooo!” from the crowd.
