Entertainment
WWE legend Ric Flair looks totally unrecognisable in rare bulked-up photo taken before life-changing plane crashAlistair McGeorge
The Nature Boy looks very different in the throwback snap (Picture: WWE)
Ric Flair is known to fans as the Nature Boy and one of the best technical wrestlers of all time – but it wasn’t always that way.
The WWE Hall of Famer had a very different style early in his career, and an resurfaced photo has revealed his hulking physique when he was working as a heavyweight powerhouse in his 20s.
Looking at the picture – which was shared on Twitter over the weekend by AEW’s Dustin Rhodes – it’s hard to believe it’s the same Flair, with the 16-time world champion looking genuinely unrecognisable.
In 1974, a devastating plane crash resulted in doctors telling him he wouldn’t wrestle again after he broke his back in three places, but he worked hard on his rehabilitation and returned to the ring just three months later.
The pilot died in the crash while Johnny Valentine was left paralysed, and Flair’s health meant he had to ditch his heavyweight style and focus more on his character and technical work.
Meanwhile, fans were blown away by Dustin’s post, with plenty of followers baffled and several admitting they mistook young Ric for Dustin’s late father Dusty Rhodes.
One social media user echoed plenty of fans’ sentiments, tweeting: ‘THAT’S RIC FLAIR!?’
Another wrote: ‘If I didn’t read the comments I would’ve never guessed it was flair. I thought it was dusty lol (sic)’
He became the Nature Boy (Picture: WWE)
The Hall of Famer was forced to totally change his style (Picture: WWE)
And yet another fan added: ‘If I hadn’t already seen who this is, I wouldn’t have guessed it in a million years.. and even seeing it know I still can’t believe who it is.’
Even Charlotte Flair herself responded, sharing a grimacing face emoji to match the picture of her famous dad.
Ric, now 73, parted ways with WWE last summer, and while an in-ring comeback seems unlikely, the Nature Boy did recently get everyone talking after sharing a video of himself getting physical with Jay Lethal.
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As well as hitting a hip toss on his sparring partner, he even took a powerful bodyslam to the mat, and showed off some of his trademark moves – including the knife edge chop and his signature ‘Woooo!’
He wrote alongside the clip: ‘Someone Had The Audacity This Weekend To Ask Me If I Can Still Do This. I Said “Really??? Naitch Don’t Play!” WOOOOO! (sic)’
Flair – who faced Shawn Michaels in a retirement match at WrestleMania 24 in 2008 before stepping into the ring for the final time against Sting in TNA Wrestling three years later – has made no secret of his desire to get back in the ring, and last year he insisted he could ‘absolutely’ lace up his boots again, but claimed WWE wouldn’t let that happen.
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‘Most assuredly, and a lot of conversation. That talk hasn’t happened, but could I do it? Absolutely,’ he said on his Wooo Nation Uncensored podcast.
‘I’m in better shape now than I was when Sting and I wrestled the last match on Nitro [in 2001]. WWE won’t let me do anything, even though I’m released.’
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