If Flair was the "sole inductee" into next years HOF-your thoughts?

fatal · 30-06-2007 3:20pm #1

from pwinsider.com

When will the next WWE Hall of Fame inductions take place? Who is seriously considered next to be inducted?

The Hall Of Fame inductions take place the Saturday before Wrestlemania. Obviously, with rumors of his impending retirement, Ric Flair is the forerunner to be inducted. In fact, I am of the opinion (and I'm not alone) that Flair should be the sole inductee into the Hall Of Fame next year, with the whole ceremony devoted to Flair's career.

What are your throughts on the bit in bold writing?
Il post my opinion later as im heading out

Fozzy · 30-06-2007 3:31pm

I think he deserves it. Although Flair and Bret Hart don't speak too flattering of each other, I think they're the two best wrestlers ever

A lot of the older guys have had great careers but the younger current WWE fans wouldn't know them so well, so dedicating too much time to them wouldn't work. But everyone knows Flair now, so there'd be no problem like that. He's done so much in wrestling that it's not as if you'd find it hard to fill a full show of him

I'd say only do it if Flair actually is retiring around then though. I don't really see the point otherwise

I was listening to a Jim Cornette and Bobby Heenan interview last night, Cornette mentioned a week where Flair and Ricky Morton did eight hour-long draws for the NWA title, and all of them were great matches. These days you'd be forgiven for thinking he's just some washed up old guy who has no business being in the ring. I really wish WWE would let him do more promos, he never did one on Carlito when they had their feud, even after all the praise he got for the one that kicked off their thing together

Vince135792003 · 30-06-2007 3:47pm

I think it will be a Flair "themed" induction. What I mean by that is that when Hogan was inducted alot of guys associated with him were inducted too like Jimmy Hart, Piper, Orndorff and Iron Sheik.

I think it will be the same for Flair. I can see the likes of Steamboat, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard and Barry Windham even going along into the Hall of Fame with him.

ShawnRaven · 30-06-2007 4:23pm

Two words, Well earned!

If they can do a 3 hour show on Vince and Benoit, then they can easily do a 3 hour show on Flair

VR!

Minto · 30-06-2007 5:07pm

Absolutely. I'd def go to 'Mania if Flair was getting inducted and it was just him getting inducted, maybe put the original four horsemen in all on the same night. That would be cool. I would be all up for Flair getting his own induction show.

Proxy · 30-06-2007 5:08pm

I think he should just be like everyone else - let him get his award and make his speech, like Dusty Rhodes did this year. I think having a 3-disc DVD is enough?

rizzla · 30-06-2007 6:05pm

It would be an amazing send off for him. I would love to see it.

kentonbomb · 30-06-2007 10:28pm

How could he deserve this, all he does is a chop and a figure four and through the whole match all you hear is ''WOOOOOOOOOO'' it makes me sick how guys like Bret Hart, Eddie and Hogan didn't get this, i have no clue how he became a 16 time world champion

ec18 · 30-06-2007 10:32pm

I think they should induct the icon sting ( not goin to happen till he leaves TNA), Rock,HHH, Austin, Foley and Jericho.....Some of the newer guys from the attitude era

Fozzy · 30-06-2007 10:47pm

kentonbomb wrote:

How could he deserve this, all he does is a chop and a figure four and through the whole match all you hear is ''WOOOOOOOOOO'' it makes me sick how guys like Bret Hart, Eddie and Hogan didn't get this, i have no clue how he became a 16 time world champion

I'm 99.999% certain that you've never seen much of Flair from before the mid 90's

fatal · 30-06-2007 11:50pm

I don't think that the WWE would have a problem to devout a 3 hour show to the nature boy himself.
Although i've been a HUGE nature boy fan ever since god knows when,I think that I would like to see maybe something like half the show devoted to him and the other half used to induct the likes of blanchard,windham and others that have been associated with him much like what was done when hulk hogan was inducted into the hall of fame.
I know fozzy mentioned this before but one thing that im really missing are ric flair promo's. The WWE really should give him time to build up storylines with his promos

Fozzy · 01-07-2007 12:07am

fatal wrote:

I know fozzy mentioned this before but one thing that im really missing is ric flair promo's. The WWE really should give him time to build up the storylines with his promos

Hopefully he'll get more time now that he's on SD, because Michael Hayes is their head writer and he was around when Flair was at his best, he knows exactly what he can do. I think there were reports saying that it was Hayes pushing for Flair to move to SD in the first place

rossie1977 · 01-07-2007 12:57am

i paid $200 for a ticket for the Hall of fame in 2004 just before WM20 and i have to say i have never been so bored in my whole life

Flair deserves recognition without question, but i am not sure a joke ceremony such as what the wwe presents (inducting guys like pete rose and james dudley) will really showcase what Flair has achieved in the game.

Honestly I don't believe Flair will be the sole recipient next year; there are a few other worthy guys such as that fat oiled up guy on raw and maybe donald trump

tdv · 01-07-2007 1:44am

Of course he deserves it. He's in his 60's, he's slow & he's gone kinda fat yet he's still one of the best reasons to watch the WWE.

Fozzy · 01-07-2007 1:57am

tdv wrote:

He's in his 60's

Not just yet, he's 57 or 58

tdv · 01-07-2007 2:26am

Fozzy wrote:

Not just yet, he's 57 or 58

close enough

Minto · 01-07-2007 2:39am

Kenton, you say all Ric does are chops and the figurefour. Might I be rude and ask you what in the blue hell are you smoking? Ric is one of the greatest...f*ck it, the greatest ever! PERIOD! True he uses the figure four and his chops a lot, but they are two of his signature moves (a long list I might add) and thats what people pay to see. Ric is a 16 time (more actually, I think its 18 or 19 times) champ, because a long time ago, when wrestlers were working 300 days a year, busting their asses in dingy little arenas to entertain crowds of only one or two thousand people, earning a small living, Ric Flair was in the thick of it, bleeding and sweating to make the sport what it is today. He has inspired a generation of wrestling fans to follow their dreams and become wrestlers (does the name Triple H mean anything to you?). If anyone deserves a single Hall of Fame ceremony, it is the limousine riding, jet flying, wheeling dealing, son-of-a-gun, 'Nature Boy' Ric Flair.

Also, I can't for the life of me see why you put Hogan's name next to that of Bret Hart and Eddie Guerrero, unless you are going on Hogan's contribution to the business. In which case you are forgiven, but to make a point, Hart or Hogan would never have gotten sole inductions cos of their beef with Vince and Eddie, as great as he was, didn't have the effect Flair had on the business.

Fozzy, I'm also hoping Michael Hayes lets Flair do some of his old school promos on SMackDown!, it would be a reason to watch SmackDown!

ShawnRaven · 01-07-2007 2:49am

kentonbomb wrote:

How could he deserve this, all he does is a chop and a figure four and through the whole match all you hear is ''WOOOOOOOOOO'' it makes me sick how guys like Bret Hart, Eddie and Hogan didn't get this, i have no clue how he became a 16 time world champion

Utter ignorance and it's one of the reasons why people think you should post less on here.

It's not about the amount of moves he can do, and he CAN do a lot, but doesn't have to. He made Sting who he is to this day, cos Sting would be nothing had Flair not put him over. And if you need to question Flairs ability in the ring. Ask Jim Crockett, given how Flair kept that dying promotion alive for many years.

Same with the NWA. Flair is a f*cking legend for the amount of people he made stars. He falls short of topping Hogan for being the greatest of all time, and Hogan co-shares that accolade with Vince. He got 16 time world champion because he was the only person in NWA/WCW that could. Who would you give it to 16 times in WCW? David Arquette? DDP? There is nobody else that had been there from start to finish.

Go back and watch his stuff from the 80s, his stuff with Sting, his stuff with Harley Race, his stuff with Lex Luger, his stuff with Ricky Steamboat and then come back to me, otherwise you really should be bound and gagged, and then flogged.

VR!

littlejp · 01-07-2007 4:06am

validreasoning! wrote:

Utter ignorance and it's one of the reasons why people think you should post less on here.

There's no need for that. Where do you get off making smart comments and acting like you know every little thing about wrestling all the time?

We're all entitled to our opinions and I agree with kentonbomb a little. I wouldn't want to watch a 3 hour Flair HOF. Someone said they could do a Flair themed HOF like Hogan's where they could induct Flair and some of his most memorable opponents and partners. He could be the centre of attention but he doesn't deserve his own show if nobody else got one.

Vince135792003 · 01-07-2007 10:00am

littlejp wrote:

There's no need for that. Where do you get off making smart comments and acting like you know every little thing about wrestling all the time?

I agree.

Gillie · 01-07-2007 11:25am

Flair is a legend and he does deserve HOF all to himself but it wouldn't happen.

ShawnRaven · 01-07-2007 4:33pm

littlejp wrote:

There's no need for that. Where do you get off making smart comments and acting like you know every little thing about wrestling all the time?

I don't get off anywhere. It's fact that people have asked him to stop starting stupid topics. Hell one of his reasons he felt he should take Ph3n0m's job as a mod was because he started topics.

As for acting like i know every little about wrestling all the time. I don't think i do, in fact theres quite a lot i don't know and i'll be the first to admit it. Now if you want to think otherwise, that's just pig ignorance on your part

And if you really felt that strongly about this, it should have taken via PM instead of wanting to look like a "hard-ass keyboard warrior" in front of your internet pals.

VR!

Cactus Col · 02-07-2007 12:37pm

I wouldn't be a fan of Flair being the sole inductee. Sure he deserves a bit more time than most other people, but there are too many people deserving a spot for one person to take up an entire show

8k2q1gfcz9s5d4 · 02-07-2007 2:12pm

validreasoning! wrote:

Two words, Well earned!

If they can do a 3 hour show on Vince and Benoit, then they can easily do a 3 hour show on Flair

VR!

who is Benoit......what 3 hour show!!!!

dont think flair should be inducted until he actuly retires

triple h · 02-07-2007 6:26pm

The whole hall of fame show should be all flair and flair only.

Now, i am like Kentonbomb in that i never really saw Flair in the 80's. I never saw any good flair matches. To me wrestling started with Bret the hitman hart, he was so good that he got me into watching it. I should be saying that flair looks like a washed up old fart, BUT I WILL NOT.

why ???---- because I have heard and read about what other wrestlers said about Flair, i have never heard a bad word said about him and he is a good show man. He loves the whole wrestling business and from what i can see, read and heard he has given 110% every time.
Bret the hitman hart ( I reckon to be one of the best to ever lace a pair of wrestling boots) did not deserve a full hall of fame show because of two reasons 1) he spat at vince ( no matter what your grievance, that was not called for, bret) and 2) his early age to be in the hall of fame.

Someone said above, that Flair and Bret don't have good words to say about each other, maybe it is because of the spitting incident, maybe. Flair most likely thinks it was wrong and hot headed and Bret most likely thinks Flair is a lick hole. I don't know i could be wrong. just a guess.

Vince135792003 · 02-07-2007 6:48pm

triple h wrote:

Bret the hitman hart ( I reckon to be one of the best to ever lace a pair of wrestling boots) did not deserve a full hall of fame show because of two reasons 1) he spat at vince ( no matter what your grievance, that was not called for, bret) .

Arguably, he did worse than that about 30 minutes later in the dressing room!

Fozzy · 02-07-2007 7:06pm

triple h wrote:

Someone said above, that Flair and Bret don't have good words to say about each other, maybe it is because of the spitting incident, maybe. Flair most likely thinks it was wrong and hot headed and Bret most likely thinks Flair is a lick hole. I don't know i could be wrong. just a guess.

Flair said something in his book about Bret, it was a load of personal things I think. Bret has a response to it on his website. Neither of them seem to think the other is a great wrestler, it's a bit strange really

Bubs101 · 02-07-2007 7:17pm

I'm not sure if it's called the WWE hall of fame or the wrestling hall of fame, but if it's the former then there's no way that flair deserves a show to himself if Hogan didn't. I frankly think hogan is crap but I'm smart enough to realise there's no way I would have started to watch it if not for Hogan. He made the WWE watchable.

Flair was undoubtably a goos wrestler but he has tarnished his legend by staying for so long. What's he going to remember about it- Getting carried to tag glory by Batista? He should have retired in grace.

Also if you were to give flair his own show it would be near impssible to devote a whole show to Micheals and Triple H

Vince135792003 · 02-07-2007 8:12pm

He was undoubtedly more than a good wrestler. I would know quite a few people that would never watch wrestling today but when you say his name they could talk all day about the NWA, the Four Horsemen, Ricky Steamboat, Eurosport and life in the late 80's! For many people then and now, Ric Flair is wrestling.

Its a pleasure to watch Flair even if he is nowhere near at his best. Its incredible to think at nearly 60, given how grueling wrestling is, how hard he has partied and how hard he has worked that he can still go. My advice would be to enjoy him while you still can. Legends like Ric Flair don't come along very often.

It always amazes me how time changes perspectives and how people quickly dismiss the past.

Just on the Bret/Flair verbal feud, its playground stuff. And I think they both know it.

Goebels · 02-07-2007 9:02pm

As much as I would like Flair to be the sole inductee, there's no chance of it happening, unless HHH proposes it. I just don't see it happening, though.

Also if you were to give flair his own show it would be near impssible to devote a whole show to Micheals and Triple H

What's your point here? Flair would deserve his show for the HOF, Michaels and HHH wouldn't.

Flair was undoubtably a goos wrestler but he has tarnished his legend by staying for so long. What's he going to remember about it- Getting carried to tag glory by Batista? He should have retired in grace.

Flair is still a good wrestler. Batista carried him? Batista can't carry anyone, that's BS. Undoubtedly a good wrestler? He was GREAT. As far as the US goess, he's a top 5 great. Many people would put him number one, including 95% of wrestlers that aren't on an ego trip.
He hasn't tarnished his legacy at all. He's no longer great, but what he can do at 58 years of age is pretty amazing. He's doing stuff at that age that some people can't do at 25. He'll always go down as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, regardless of how long he wrestles, sort of like Terry Funk.

Comparing money Hogan and Flair made isn't really fair either I don't think, as Flair never had a marketing machine like the WWF behind him. He drew money in NWA. Hogan drew money in WWF. WWF was the national company, so what Hogan did is going to have more of an influence on US, but this doesn't mean Hogan was more important to professional wrestling than Flair. Not at all.

Bret was in the HOF at 49 years of age, how is that too early?

dont think flair should be inducted until he actuly retires

He's retiring at Wrestlemania.

but there are too many people deserving a spot for one person to take up an entire show

In fairness, with all the people they've inducted in recent years, they're running out of credible names who are still on good terms with Vince. They don't have a lot of headliners that will really matter as far as HOF goes.

If Flair was the "sole inductee" into next years HOF-your thoughts?

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