Ric Flair: A Wrestling Legend's Journey

What’s Up with Ric Flair’s Net Worth?

Let me tell you about Ric Flair, a man who's not just a wrestler but a cultural icon. Ric Flair, whose net worth sits at around $500 thousand, is a retired American professional wrestler and wrestling manager. Known as "The Nature Boy," Flair has been wrestling since 1972. Many consider him the greatest professional wrestler of all time. His career spanned an impressive 40 years, and he's now part of the WWE Legends league. He was inducted into the Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2008, and his legacy lives on through his charisma and unmatched skills in the ring.

Flair isn’t just a name; he’s a phenomenon. He’s the guy with the bleached blonde hair, the flashy robes, and the larger-than-life personality that made him a household name. But what really set him apart was his in-ring presence. His technical skills, storytelling ability, and unmatched charisma earned him the respect of peers and fans alike. He wasn’t just a wrestler; he was a performer who could captivate an audience with his words and actions.

Throughout his career, Flair graced the mats of some of the biggest wrestling organizations, including the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (WWF/WWE). His 16 world championship titles speak volumes about his dominance in the sport. And let’s not forget the legendary Four Horsemen, the faction he led, which became a defining chapter in wrestling history. His feuds with wrestling greats like Ricky Steamboat, Sting, Dusty Rhodes, and Hulk Hogan are legendary, showcasing his versatility and flair for drama.

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Flair’s influence extends far beyond the wrestling ring. His famous catchphrase "Wooo!" has become a part of pop culture, and his flamboyant style has inspired countless entertainers, especially in the music industry. This guy wasn’t just a wrestler; he was a trendsetter.

Early Life: Where It All Began

Richard Morgan Fliehr, better known as Ric Flair, was born on February 25, 1949, in Memphis, Tennessee. Flair was adopted, and interestingly, it’s believed his birth name was Fred Phillips. Some documents suggest other names like Fred Demaree or Fred Stewart. When Flair was adopted, his dad was completing his residency in obstetrics and gynecology in Detroit, Michigan, while his mom, Kathleen, worked for the Star Tribune newspaper. The family eventually settled in Edina, Minnesota, where Flair spent his formative years.

Flair attended Wayland Academy in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, for high school. He wasn’t just a bookworm; he was also an athlete. He wrestled, played football, and even ran track. He briefly attended the University of Minnesota, where he planned to follow in his dad’s footsteps and study medicine. But wrestling had other plans for him. Flair dropped out to pursue a career in professional wrestling, and the rest, as they say, is history.

A Career That Defined Wrestling

Flair’s career began when he met the legendary Vachon brothers, who introduced him to the wrestling business. On December 10, 1972, Flair made his professional wrestling debut against "Scrap Iron" George Gadaski. His early career was spent with Verne Gagne’s Minneapolis Boxing & Wrestling Club before moving to Charlotte, North Carolina, where he became a regular for Jim Crockett Promotions. In 1981, Flair claimed his first NWA World title, marking the beginning of a legendary career.

Flair was a pay-per-view powerhouse. He headlined Starrcade an impressive 10 times and WrestleMania in 1992. That same year, he won the Royal Rumble. He was named Wrestler of the Year by Pro Wrestling Illustrated eight times. Flair’s achievements didn’t stop there. In 2008, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame for his individual career, and in 2012, he was inducted again for his role in The Four Horsemen. He’s also a member of the NWA Hall of Fame, Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, and Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame. This guy has it all.

Flair is a 16-time world champion, including being an 8-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, a 6-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion, and a 2-time WWF Champion. He was the first holder of the WCW World Heavyweight Championship and the WCW International World Heavyweight Championship. Flair completed WCW’s Triple Crown as the first WCW World Heavyweight Champion and went on to win the Intercontinental Championship and the World Tag Team Championship. He’s the only wrestler to hold all four versions of the title, a testament to his incredible versatility and dominance in the sport.

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Personal Life: The Man Behind the Mask

Ric Flair’s personal life has been as eventful as his career. On August 28, 1971, he married Leslie Goodman. They had a daughter, Megan, and a son, David. However, the marriage ended in 1983. Flair then married Elizabeth Harrell on August 27, 1983. They had two children, Ashley and Reid. Unfortunately, this marriage also ended in 2006.

Flair married Tiffany VanDemark, a fitness competitor, on May 27, 2006. But their marriage was short-lived, with Tiffany filing for divorce in 2008. The divorce was finalized in 2009. Flair wasn’t done with marriage just yet. On November 11, 2009, he married Jackie Beems in North Carolina, but they divorced in 2014. Flair tied the knot for the fifth time on September 12, 2018, with Wendy Barlow, better known as Fifi the Maid from WCW. They separated in January 2022 but reconciled in May 2022.

Flair’s children followed in his footsteps in various ways. His son David was a professional wrestler for WCW from 1999 to 2001. Reid, another son, was a decorated high school wrestler who signed a developmental deal with WWE in 2007. Tragically, Reid passed away in March 2013 due to a drug overdose. Flair became a grandfather in 2004 when Megan gave birth to her daughter, Morgan Lee Ketzner. His daughter Ashley signed with WWE in 2012 under the stage name Charlotte Flair.

Flair has made some bold claims over the years, including sleeping with 15,000 women and drinking 15 drinks a day. In June 2020, he defended his daughter Charlotte from critics who complained about her overexposure in wrestling. He said, “I’m so mad about that – one mark after another, ‘We’re tired of seeing her.’ Good, watch her on TV at another event. She’s a millionaire – she can do what she wants to do. And she’s a millionaire because of the company; there you go.”

In July 2022, Flair launched the virtual restaurant chain "Wooooo! Wings" in Nashville, Tennessee, which expanded to six American cities by August 2022. He also partnered with Mike Tyson to create a cannabis line called "Ric Flair Drip" under "Tyson 2.0," which launched in October 2022.

Financial Troubles: The Ups and Downs

Ric Flair’s financial journey hasn’t always been smooth. He’s had several run-ins with the IRS since the early 1990s. In 2000, the IRS slapped him with a lien for over $870,000 in unpaid taxes. The IRS even started garnishing his WWE earnings in 2005. Flair blamed his financial woes on his second wife, Elizabeth, for her extravagant spending.

Legal filings released in 2019 revealed that Flair failed to pay his full tax amounts for his earnings between 2016 and 2018. He owed the Federal government $240,000 and the state of Georgia $40,000. In the same year, Flair underwent heart surgery, leaving him with a reported $1.8 million medical bill not covered by insurance.

In 2019, during an appearance on The Steve Austin Show, Flair shared how he found himself $500,000 in debt due to his son’s rehab bills. That’s when Hulk Hogan stepped in to help, and the two became great friends. Flair’s journey has been anything but ordinary, filled with both triumphs and challenges, but his resilience and spirit have kept him going.