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  RIC’S ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Thank you to my agent, attorney, and best friend, Melinda Morris Zanoni, Esq. Thanks for your loyalty, disarming nature, quick wit, odd ability to find my keys from an airplane, keeping me busy working so I stay out of trouble, and dedication to my legacy over the last twenty years. This book would not exist without you and your team’s vision and hard work at Legacy Talent and Entertainment and Apollo Sports & Entertainment Law Group. All my respect.

  I want to say thank you to the McMahon family, Triple H, and all my friends at WWE for being there for me through it all. I owe you my life.… and maybe a case of beer or two. A sincere thank-you for your irreplaceable friendship and passion. Without you, I wouldn’t be the Limousine-ridin’, Jet-flyin’, Kiss-stealin’, Wheelin’ -dealin’, Son of a Gun. WOOOOO!

  Many thanks to Brian Shields for your collaborative efforts with the Flairs and writing one helluva book. Thanks also to the incredible team at St. Martin’s Press.

  To my fans. My blood, sweat, and tears (not just a saying in my case) all these years have been for each one of you. Thank you for your support, and for allowing me to do what I love the most for my entire adult life.

  To the love of my life and partner in crime, Wendy Barlow, thank you for the good, bad, and wild times. I wouldn’t trade our time together for the world. You have stood by my side at my lowest and darkest times. I am eternally grateful for your love.

  I’ve saved the best for last. To my precious children: Megan, David, and Ashley. You all have given me so much joy throughout the years. Thank you for supporting me in all of my endeavors. Your never-failing encouragement and love keeps me going. It is the greatest honor of my life to be your father. Ashley, a special thank-you to the best coauthor a father could have. The Flair legacy will live on!

  CHARLOTTE’S ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  When I think of who I am, where I am today, and where I hope to go, everything goes back to my family.

  Thank you to my mom. Now, I have an understanding of what it required to raise two children while your spouse was on the road every week of the year: carpool, homework, meals, love and care, and being my biggest supporter. You always found a way to make things possible no matter what I needed. Those times are with me every day.

  I want to thank my dad. For always being there for me and for teaching me to live every day like it’s the last. For pushing me to be where I am today, and reminding me to go to sleep every night and “know who you are.” I never thought I’d say this … thank you for being an amazing coauthor!

  To my older sister, Megan, thank you for your endless loyalty and unconditional love. Please know how special you are to me. Our bond will last forever. A thank-you to my big brother, David, for always being there for me, and for providing the humor only the four Fliehr kids could understand. Every time I walk through that curtain I say to myself, “This is for you, Big Dave.”

  To my little brother, Reid, thank you for being my other half … for teaching me how to live, and the importance of never being afraid of who you are.

  I never imagined being blessed with friends who became family. Thank you, Erin Lunde, for showing me no matter how far apart people may be in age, kindred spirits make you best friends.

  To my Uncle Arn, you’ve been such an important part of my life. It warms my heart to be able to work with you, knowing that Reid idolized you. It’s been emotional, but it’s meant to be. You never let me off the hook and treat me like a daughter. You’ll never know what this means to me.

  Thank you, Brittany Zahn, for being my best friend, teaching me how to be an adult, and being right by my side.

  To my best friend Becky Lynch, thank you for showing me the importance of being true to yourself. You’re one of a kind!

  To my oldest friend Jared Eppes. Thank you for always standing by me.

  To my wonderful coaches: Suzie Sanocki, Kevin Brubaker, and Zoe Bell. The life lessons and discipline I learned from you have given me the tools I needed to be successful today. I think of you often.

  Sincere appreciation to Bethany and Alex Diffey for getting me on the right track to Tampa.

  My clients from Ciarla Fitness. I wonder sometimes if I would be where I am today without getting to know each you: Lynn Wray, Julie Yakobowski, Beth and Paul Hecimovich, Chavanne Scott, Regi King, Rudy Bartel, Kathy Greenhagen, Woody Fox, Mike and Alicia Gainey, Rich Magner, Dawn Campbell, Mary Ann Yeager, Kristin Thompson, Kim Radke, Lisa Walters.… you’ll always have a special place in my heart.

  My friends over the years: Britany Helms, Becca Moffett, Sara Holbrooks, Whitney Burton, and Ashley Heard. I’m always a text away.

  Thank you to Joe Gomez, Mike and Ruffin Campbell, and Mel Finley … important in my life since childhood.

  Sara Kamber and Linda Palonen. You are cherished women in my life whom I continue to look up to on a daily basis.

  Thank you to Brian Shields for your commitment to making this book what it is. For believing my story will help others, and taking on this task with all of my tears. I appreciate you working around my schedule, the late nights, and most of all, for believing in me.

  Rave reviews for the incredible team at St. Martin’s Press. Thank you for your dedication to making this book a reality.

  Thank you to the FCW crew for getting me on my way in this incredible business. Special thanks to Tyler, the Four Horsewomen, Emma, Dean Muhtadi, and Ryan Katz. To my friend Byron Saxton, your creativity is limitless.

  Thank you to Natalya Neidhart for showing me the way and giving me my career. I wouldn’t be here without you, Nattie.

  Endless gratitude to Sara Amato for believing in me since day one. To Norman Smiley for always lending a helping hand and showing me the ropes. To Terry Taylor, thank you for being a great teacher.

  Enormous thanks to the incomparable Michael “P.S.” Hayes for always pushing me to be better, and for reminding me to “make love to the camera.” Only you, Michael …

  To Dean Malenko: I never thought when I was a kid walking backstage in WCW, and you were a Horseman, that one day you’d help me in my career as a WWE Superstar. Thank you for always checking on me in and out of the ring.

  Thank you to the incredible Fit Finlay. Fit, you prepared me for every show, tour, pay-per-view, and Monday Night Raw.

  Eternal appreciation to Lita for instilling confidence in me, and making sure I was ready for WrestleMania in Dallas, Texas. Your work and dedication to this business paved the way for me. Thank you.

  Thank you to the McMahon family. Thank you to Triple H and Stephanie McMahon for being there for my family through all the ups and downs.

  To everyone backstage and in the office from FCW, NXT, and WWE: management, production, producers, makeup artists, and set designers. It’s amazing to see all of the work that goes into making W
WE what it is.

  WWE is my family and where I feel most alive. A great big thank-you to all!

  FOREWORD

  THE TRUTH MAY SURPRISE YOU

  Any Saturday morning in 1985, my excitement would revolve around one thing: watching professional wrestling. One man captivated my imagination: the NWA World Heavyweight Champion, “Nature Boy” Ric Flair.

  Ric looked like a tycoon as he stepped out of his limo or private jet, wearing alligator shoes, a diamond ring on his finger, and a gold Rolex on his wrist. In the squared circle, he was the sixty-minute man who was always in peak physical condition. On the microphone, when he spoke, he was mesmerizing. To many, including my dad, Ric epitomized evil and the opulence of the 1980s. To me, he was “Slick Ric,” the coolest cat on the planet. Whether you loved him or hated him, he was the biggest star in the industry and one of the most recognizable people alive.

  Ric’s brilliant career has spanned generations, and he has inspired hundreds of today’s performers, including me, to chase our dreams. Like Ric, I wanted to be “the man,” the main event. I wanted to be the World Champion. Just like him.

  As my career evolved and progressed, it would eventually lead me to working side by side with my hero. Our working relationship turned into a strong friendship, and eventually we became best friends. I was even the best man at one of Ric’s many weddings, and he was a groomsman at my one and only wedding. I was in a group of very few people who got to see the real Ric. I learned that in front of the camera, Ric was the definition of confidence; but behind closed doors, he was self-doubting and unsure of himself. But no matter Ric’s struggles, he was completely devoted to his family.

  Ric called his children seemingly every hour to tell them that he loved them; he asked about their days, how they did on exams, and if they made it to practice on time. He was extremely into their athletic ventures. I would hear Ric ask them the same questions over and over … my particular favorite was, “Did you drink your milk today, Wink?” (Sorry, Charlotte!) Of course she drank her milk—she was seventeen years old and you asked her thirty times. Nevertheless, his love and pride for his kids was inspiring.

  While at home with his kids, Ric was immersed in their lives. He spent every moment he could with them. Imagine working at a school and seeing the man known as “the limousine-ridin’, jet-flyin’, kiss-stealin’, wheelin’, dealin’ son of a gun” walk into the building to personally deliver his children’s lunches.

  By the time Charlotte was a teenager, she was competing in cheerleading and volleyball. And while growing up in North Carolina, in the heart of Flair country, being the daughter of the Nature Boy came with big perks, like custom Land Rovers and Louis Vuitton bags; it also came with drawbacks. There was media scrutiny, high-profile divorces, and tumultuous relationships. Not to mention standing in the shadow of a legend. Not only did Charlotte have the pressure to be the best at everything, but she had to live up to the reputation, an infamous reputation, to always be the life of the party. I’ve seen her struggle … with all of it.

  When Charlotte first called me to say that she wanted to get into the business and asked for a shot at the WWE Performance Center, I was shocked, as she had never shown an interest before and I questioned her motivation. I was also very clear about the challenges she would face, seemingly insurmountable challenges. If Charlotte thought standing in her dad’s shadow or being expected to follow in his footsteps was hard before, she hadn’t seen anything yet.

  Charlotte would be starting from the bottom in trying to learn something incredibly difficult, at best. Professional wrestling is something very few ever master. She would never be given a fair shake. On top of that, any kind of success would be attributed to her father. It would be nearly impossible to overcome these obstacles and earn everyone’s respect. But she still wanted the shot, and it wasn’t easy. Because of her incredible work ethic, she succeeded and earned the respect of coaches, peers, producers—everyone across the board. Her success had nothing to do with her father; it had to do with raw passion and immense drive. She climbed the ranks of NXT and became a driving force in the WWE Women’s Evolution. Charlotte not only stepped out of her father’s shadow, she’s currently creating her own legacy as one of the greatest female performers the industry has ever seen.

  In these pages, you will share the journey that speaks to the true heart of Ric and Charlotte Flair. You’ll experience their joys, their pain, the triumphs and tragedies, unspeakable loss, and the indestructible bond that brought them back together. It took a great deal of courage for them to step out of the ring, away from what the world has seen of them on TV, and share the details of their true, personal lives.

  I’ve been with Ric and Charlotte during euphoric highs and devastating lows. The best is yet to come—for both of them.

  Diamonds are forever, and so are the Flairs.

  —Paul “Triple H” Levesque

  PART I

  LIFE AS THE NATURE BOY

  INTRODUCTION

  HELLO, DALLAS, MY DEAR FRIEND

  March 29, 2016—Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport

  The greatest in-ring performer I ever saw in my life, Ray Stevens, once said to me, “Ric, the day you walk through that curtain and you don’t have goose bumps, that’s the day you never need to walk through it again.” After almost forty-five years in the business that I describe as the greatest sport in the world, that statement’s never been truer than it is right now. It’s WrestleMania weekend—and I’m back. But as a sixteen-time World Champion, I never imagined I’d be a part of it like I will be on Sunday, in my daughter Ashley’s corner.

  I first came to Dallas, Texas, as the NWA World Heavyweight Champion in 1982. Whenever I’m in the “Big D,” incredible images from World Class Championship Wrestling come to mind: battling the beloved Von Erichs, running wild with the Freebirds, and staying out until dawn with my close friend David Manning. I’m proud that during my career I headlined stadium shows in the United States and Asia. The Texas Stadium events, just outside Dallas, were special, but they happened before the world heard the name WrestleMania.

  In our business, WrestleMania is the greatest time of year—like what the Super Bowl is to football, the World Series is to baseball, and the Oscars is to film—all combined into one amazing spectacle. In 1992, I had the privilege of performing in my first WrestleMania. I entered the Indianapolis Hoosier Dome as the WWE Champion and faced my good friend Randy “Macho Man” Savage.

  Tears cloud my eyes when I think of the call I received from Vince McMahon in 2007, telling me that after thirty-six years of doing the only thing I ever wanted to do with my life, my in-ring career with WWE would end at WrestleMania XXIV. I’m honored to say that the experience leading up to that moment is what I consider to be the greatest retirement in the history of professional sports.

  At fifty-nine years old, I suddenly had no idea of what I was going to do with the rest of my life. Professional wrestling was all I knew. It’s all I ever wanted. I should’ve been excited about a planned vacation in paradise with my wife; instead, I woke up the next day in St. Croix with what felt like a hole in my chest the size of a bowling ball. I began to panic.

  As I make my way through the airport, sometimes I still can’t believe my journey. When I look at my right hand, I see one of two WWE Hall of Fame rings on my finger. It’s difficult to put into words what it meant to be the only WWE Superstar to be inducted into the Hall of Fame while still an active member of the roster … and the only individual to be enshrined on two occasions. I will always cherish how the McMahon family, Triple H, and WWE as an organization continue to honor my legacy. There’s nothing like the respect of your peers.

  I’m fortunate that for four decades I’ve had the honor of being part of an industry that captured my imagination from the time I was six years old. Every Saturday at 6:30 p.m. I was captivated by the mythical figures of Verne Gagne’s AWA promotion: the Crusher, Dick the Bruiser, and Mad Dog Vachon. Once a year, on my
birthday, my dad took me to the matches. What I had seen on television, in my living room, exploded into living color before my very eyes. There was nowhere else I wanted to be than inside that ring.

  In 1972, I stepped through the ropes as a professional for the first time. After a ten-minute draw with George “Scrap Iron” Gadaski, I learned that nothing is more addictive than performing before a live audience. The thrill of the chase—the anticipation of experiencing that feeling every night—drove me as a performer. It helped me recover from a plane crash in 1975. The T10, T11, and T12 vertebrae in my back were crushed. I was told I’d never walk again, let alone wrestle—but never tell me the odds. Instead, it propelled me to unimaginable heights. But there’s always a flip side. There were times it consumed me and I lost my grip on what was important.

  Appearance was an essential aspect to my character—the “Nature Boy.” I did whatever I could to make the people believe what they saw was the real deal: from buying a limousine from the governor of North Carolina and hiring a gas station attendant to be my driver … to appearing in handmade suits with alligator shoes and a Rolex President that shone like the sun … to filling my closets with diamond-studded robes that cost $10,000 a pop. To make them today would cost around $30,000 each. I thrived on the attention to detail that enhanced my character. That mentality served me well in my career; sometimes a little too well.

  By the time I realized that I was unable to distinguish between the man Richard Morgan Fliehr, from Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the character “Nature Boy” Ric Flair, the custom-made man with the ten pounds of gold around his waist, who’s left women around the world breathless, I had already been far down paths of excess. A part of me didn’t care. I was having too much fun. My goals were to be the greatest wrestler in the world, and to have the “Flair” name synonymous with the world championship. The parties night after night would make the Rolling Stones blush. “Ladies, you don’t have to wait in line at Disney World to ride Space Mountain” was much more than a way to keep the camera on me during a television interview. It was a way of life. And life was good. But the price I paid for that when the party was over exceeded any dollar amount.