"Nature Boy" Ric Flair, circa June 1973
One of the greatest all-around professional wrestlers of all time, "Nature Boy" Ric Flair, came to Japan for his second son Reid Fliehr's amateur wrestling matches at the end of July. It was Flair's 20th Japan tour, but this time without professional wrestling. Reid, 11 years old, entered "Japan-USA Kids' Wrestling Championship / Worlds Youngest Sports Cultural Exchange" at Matsue City Gym in Shimane Prefecture on July 28, and at Akita City Gym in Akita Prefecture from July 30 to August 1, 1999. He took second place in the 57kg+ tournament.
Note: Reid Fliehr was the second place finisher in the 132lbs Class, and his "North Carolina Natureboys" took fifth place in the 1999 AAU National Kids Team Dual Championships on May 8-9, 1999.
Ric Flair and son Reid in Akita City, Japan, August 1, 1999
Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, and Dick Murdoch, June 1973
Ric Flair came to Japan for the first time for Isao Yoshihara's IWE (International Wrestling Enterprise) with The Outlaws (Dick Murdoch & Dusty Rhodes), Buddy Wolfe, and Skandor Akbar (as a wrestler) from June 18 to July 15, 1973. IWA had a strong relationship with Verne Gagne's AWA in those days. Since then, he has had 19 tours for IWE, All Japan Pro, New Japan Pro, and SWS over the course of 23 years.
Richard Morgan Fliehr was born on Friday, February 25, 1949, and originally from Edina, Minnesota. He won the Wisconsin state high school amateur wrestling championship, and also played basketball. He played offensive guard / defensive tackle at the University of Minnesota. His mother, Kathleen (Kay) Fliehr said: "Having a son who's a professional wrestler? I imagine it's the same as having a son who's a professional doctor."
"Ric was always all boy. He loved the contact sports - hockey, football, basketball, you name it. And of course, wrestling. When he found wrestling, that was it. And it's exciting for the family. When we had a family reunion, so many of the relatives said, 'He's the only professional athlete we've ever had in the family!' They were all very thrilled about it. He's a favorite of everybody."
Flair and Ken Patera were trained by Verne Gagne and Bill Robinson at Verne's wrestling school, and Flair debuted as a pro wrestler against George "Scrap Iron" Gadaski in Rice Lake, Wisconsin on Sunday, December 10, 1972 (10 minute draw). Then, Flair was sent to the IWE in Japan in June 1973. He wrestled in the AWA until June 1974 and came to Jim Crockett Jr.'s Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling as a nephew of Rip Hawk.
The airplane crash happened on Saturday, October 4, 1975, when the private airplane came into the New Hanover Airport in Wilmington, North Carolina. Flair suffered a broken back (one place) and multiple lacerations, the pilot was killed, Johnny Valentine suffered a broken back (three places) and permanent disability, Bob Bruggers got a permanently disabling ankle injury, and Tim Woods (Mr. Wrestling #1) and David Crockett had bruises and scratches. Flair was in the hospital for four months and came back to the ring on Sunday, February 1, 1976, and beat Wahoo McDaniel by countout. Then he made a rush into superstardom as both a single wrestler and a tag team wrestler, in a team named the "Blond Bombers" with Greg Valentine, and won a lot of the Mid-Atlantic area's titles at the end of the 1970s. He defeated Dusty Rhodes to win the NWA World Heavyweight title for the first time in Kansas City, Missouri on Thursday, September 17, 1981.
"Double A" Arn Anderson with Masanori
Ole Anderson and Masanori
The Four Horsemen were formed with Flair, Tully Blanchard, and the Minnesota Wrecking Crew (Ole & Arn Anderson) as the original members, managed by J.J. Dillon, in 1986. Flair had been introduced as a "cousin" of Gene & Ole Anderson in the 1970's. The name of "Four Horsemen" came from the great Notre Dame football backfield of the 1920's, and it was originated from the "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" from the Bible. My most favorite Horsemen are the original members and third members---Flair, Tully, Arn, and Barry Windham. In their prime days of 1986 - 1988, they were too busy to come to Japan, and there were no satellite channels or cable TV in Japan in those days, so I regret that REAL Four Horsemen were never introduced to Japanese fans at all. Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, Brian Pillman, and Jeff Jarrett are good wrestlers; however, their images were different from my favorite image of the Horsemen---mean and nasty, but classy and elegant. In my opinion, others, including Sting and Lex Luger, are out of the question. "Diamonds are forever, and so are the Horsemen!!!"
Tully Blanchard and Masanori
Masanori with J.J. Dillon
Ric Flair is always one of the most famous and respected gaijin (foreign) wrestlers in Japan. These are his title matches in Japan.
April 27, 1978---Noheji Town Gym, Aomori (All Japan Pro)
United National Heavyweight title match
Jumbo Tsuruta (2-1) Ric Flair
(1) Tsuruta (14:39) Flair
(2) Flair (8:49) Tsuruta
(3) Tsuruta (2:59) Flair
October 6, 1981---Miyagi Prefectural Sports Center, Sendai
NWA World Heavyweight title match
Ric Flair (2-1) Gen-ichiro Tenryu
(1) Flair (22:59) Tenryu
(2) Tenryu (5:50) Flair
(3) Flair (3:40) Tenryu
October 7, 1981---Yokohama Bunka Gym, Kanagawa
NWA World Heavyweight title match
Ric Flair (1-1) Terry Funk
(1) Flair (11:24) Terry
(2) Terry (3:07) Flair
(3) 3:42 double countout
October 9, 1981---Kuramae Kokugikan (Sumo Hall), Tokyo
NWA World Heavyweight title match
Ric Flair (2-1) Jumbo Tsuruta
(1) Tsuruta (17:43) Flair
(2) Flair (5:26) Tsuruta
(3) Flair (5:46) Tsuruta
June 4, 1982---Nagaoka Welfare Hall, Niigata
NWA World Heavyweight title match
Ric Flair (16:21) Ricky Steamboat
June 8, 1982---Kuramae Kokugikan (Sumo Hall), Tokyo
NWA World Heavyweight title match
Ric Flair drew Jumbo Tsuruta (29:11 double pinfall)
June 8, 1983---Kuramae Kokugikan (Sumo Hall), Tokyo
NWA World Heavyweight title match
Jumbo Tsuruta (1-0) Ric Flair
(1) Tsuruta (29:39) Flair
(2) 60 minutes time up
December 12, 1983---Kuramae Kokugikan (Sumo Hall), Tokyo
NWA World Heavyweight title match
Ric Flair (24:24 DQ) The Great Kabuki
May 24, 1984---Yokosuka City Gym, Kanagawa
NWA World Heavyweight title match
Ric Flair (2-1) Kerry Von Erich
(1) Kerry (15:51) Flair
(2) Flair (3:24) Kerry
(3) Flair (7:19) Kerry
Flair became the 66th champion
May 25, 1984---Funabashi Civic Gym, Chiba
NWA World Heavyweight title match
Ric Flair (1-1) Harley Race
(1) Race (16:06) Flair
(2) Flair (6:31) Race
(3) 10:46 double DQ
September 12, 1984---Mito Civic Gym, Ibaraki
NWA World Heavyweight title match
Gen-ichiro Tenryu (2-1) Ric Flair
(1) Tenryu (13:44) Flair
(2) Flair (8:16) Tenryu
(3) Tenryu (5:38 DQ)
April 23, 1985---Sagamihara City Gym, Kanagawa
NWA World Heavyweight title match
Ric Flair drew Riki Choshu (21:04 double countout)
April 24, 1985---Yokohama Bunka Gym, Kanagawa
NWA World Heavyweight title match
Ric Flair drew Jumbo Tsuruta (26:01 double countout)
October 21, 1985---Ryogoku Kokugikan (Sumo Hall), Tokyo
NWA / AWA World Heavyweight title match
Ric Flair drew Rick Martel (34:03 double countout)
March 7, 1987---Akita Prefectural Gym
NWA World Heavyweight title match
Ric Flair drew Yoshiaki Yatsu (17:08 double countout)
March 10, 1987---Koriyama Gym, Fukushiama
NWA World Heavyweight title match
Ric Flair (17:29 disqualification) Jumbo Tsuruta
March 12, 1987---Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
NWA World Heavyweight title match
Ric Flair (18:29) Hiroshi Wajima
March 8, 1989---Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
NWA World Heavyweight title match
Ricky Steamboat (13:47) Tiger Mask (Mitsuharu Misawa)
March 21, 1991---Tokyo Dome (New Japan Pro.)
NWA World / IWGP Heavyweight title match
Tatsumi Fujinami (23:06) Ric Flair
***The result was dropped from the official record***
September 15, 1992---Yokohama Arena (SWS)
WWF World Heavyweight title match
Ric Flair (1-1) Gen-ichiro Tenryu
(1) Tenryu (13:03) Flair
(2) Flair (11:01) Tenryu
(3) 13:46 double countout
April 29, 1995---May Day Stadium, Pyong Yang, North Korea
International Sports & Culture Festival for Peace
Antonio Inoki (14:52) Ric Flair
The crowd was reported 190,000.
G1 Climax Tournament (New Japan Pro):
August 11, 1995---Ryogoku Kokugikan (Sumo Hall), Tokyo
Ric Flair drew Masahiro Chono (30 minutes)
August 12, 1995---Ryogoku Kokugikan (Sumo Hall), Tokyo
Ric Flair (17:17) Shiro Koshinaka
August 13, 1995---Ryogoku Kokugikan (Sumo Hall), Tokyo
Keiji Muto (23:33) Ric Flair
July 17, 1996 Sapporo Nakajima Sports Center, Hokkaido
IWGP Heavyweight title match
Shinya Hashimoto (12:54) Ric Flair
You may contact Masanori at masa_h@mail.goo.ne.jp
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