Controversy
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Ric Flair has been the subject of controversy. In 2004, Flair engaged in an off-screen rivalry with Bret Hart, in which both claimed to be the best wrestler of all time and accused each other of performing the same routines in most of their matches. Hart responded that Flair had spent the majority of his career in the NWA/WCW which he stated "is and always has been second rate to the WWF". Flair spent two years in the WWF prior to 2001, losing the WWF championship title to Hart in 1992. Flair has also had issues with Mick Foley, who he attacked in his autobiography, writing "I don't care how many thumbtacks Mick Foley has fallen on, how many ladders he's fallen off, how many continents he's supposedly bled on, he'll always be known as a glorified stuntman." This was in response to what Foley said about Flair in his autobiography, Have a Nice Day!: "Flair was every bit as bad on the booking side of things as he was great on the wrestling side of it". Flair also has legitimate animosity towards Kevin Von Erich. On May 5, 2002 a number of WWE wrestlers and management members flew from Great Britain to the United States following the end European tour, which concluded with the Insurrextion pay-per-view event in the United Kingdom. World Wrestling Entertainment was hit with a sexual harassment suit by Sportjet flight attendants stemming from the alleged actions of Ric Flair, Dustin Runnels and Scott Hall among others. The lawsuit alleges that Ric Flair, wearing only his robe, flashed everyone and forced an attendant to touch his crotch. Flair's wife filed for divorce in May 2005 citing steroid and alcohol abuse, in addition to incidents where he slapped, kicked, choked and bit her. Flair has been ordered to pay Beth $20,000 a month until the divorce in finalized. The judge overseeing the divorce is considering freezing Flair's assets because he spent $92,000 for a ring for his new girlfriend. Flair contends that he and his wife lived well beyond their means and racked up substantial debt to the IRS and other creditors. Flair owed the government more than $1 million in 1997 and the IRS is now seizing more than $200,000 of his salary in 2005 to cover the owed taxes. In December 2005, a magistrate issued arrest warrants for Flair after a road rage incident that took place in Charlotte, North Carolina, in which Flair allegedly got out of his car, grabbed a motorist by the neck and kicked the door of the motorist's sport utility vehicle. That left the motorist with bruises and a dent in his Toyota 4Runner. Flair was charged with injury to personal property and simple assault and battery, both misdemeanors. This incident has been ridiculed on WWE programming, most notably by the wrestler Edge. Ric Flair |
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