In this WWE Evil: Ric Flair review, some thoughts on the seventh installment of the newest Peacock series from WWE.
Let’s jump in.
– I do appreciate them adding in movie clips of villains from Scarface, Rocky, Star Wars, Wolf of Wall Street, etc. It does add a different dynamic when trying to explain pro wrestling characters.
– Casual fans probably don’t realize just how huge Flair was early in his career. He was a big dude. As noted in the documentary, he was far from “The Nature Boy” until Verne Gagne got him in shape.
– Flair recalls the plane crash in 1975 and breaking his back in three places. That was the launching point for the idea of Flair transforming himself into “The Nature Boy” character. They dive deep into Flair’s style and his impact on society.
– The documentary shifts to Flair’s in-ring shenanigans. His stuff wasn’t necessarily as “evil” as some of the other subjects of this series, but he was someone you loved to hate.
– Then it’s on to good vs. bad with Dusty Rhodes’ rivalry with Flair. The angle with Flair “breaking” Dusty’s leg inside the cage is one of a kind. Fans legitimately wanted to kill Flair and the Four Horsemen. The formation of the Horsemen is also discussed in good detail.
– The focus turns to Flair’s love of women and how different it was from Hulk Hogan’s “take your vitamins and say your prayers.” This may have been better received before the infamous Dark Side of the Ring episode on “The Plane Ride From Hell.”
– If you haven’t watched the 1992 Royal Rumble match in a while, do it. It’s perfection. Not just because of Flair’s performance but also Bobby Heenan’s incredible commentary.
– They go into the story of Flair being unable to separate the character from the real person. Dr. Phil, Charlotte Flair, and more weigh in on it.
– Flair’s return to WCW is covered, especially the moments where WCW made him look like a fool. Flair admits he was broken by essentially being written off during that run and the unknown of what was next after WWE bought the company.
– Fast forward to Flair questioning himself upon his return to WWE. I do like that they went into this detail of his career, as Flair has talked about the impact of losing his self-confidence. However, it was Evolution that helped him get his groove back.
– As for other Flair matches to go back and watch, that WrestleMania 24 match against Shawn Michaels was also one of a kind.
– The documentary climaxes with Flair’s mannerisms being used in pop culture, Charlotte’s legacy as a Flair, and ponderings on what to make of Flair’s unique character.
BLAKE’S TAKE ON WWE EVIL: RIC FLAIR
There’s no denying Flair’s accomplishments inside a wrestling ring. He’s one of the greatest, if not the greatest, of all time. And there’s also no denying that he played the villain as well as anyone in wrestling history. He lived his character, and that made him real. That makes him a good subject for an “evil” series.
But like with other episodes of WWE Evil, pretty much everything (well, not everything) has been detailed in other Flair documentaries. Flair is Flair to a fault, and that works for the character aspect of the storytelling. However, some of Flair’s antics outside of the ring have seemingly worn thin for a lot of fans, so this may not be everyone’s cup of tea.
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