Taken from JRE #1974 w/Ric Flair and Tony Hinchcliffe:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7pqCMYGY2n07DXqu0tCX0d?si=83ea2e30ce2e4b15

I mean like beyond So he's if he like seems like a little awestruck right now.

I was raised on raised on pro wrestling and I didn't know what a Rolex or a jet or anything was until you came out when I was 8 years old And I'm like what the hell is this guy?

yeah Well, it's You took the art of the promo, like the interview, to a completely different level.

Is that something you cultivated for pro wrestling?

I watched it all the time, and then my dad would take me to a match on my birthday or something like that, right and then I was gonna play football University of Minnesota and academically and eligible after a semester Stayed in a fraternity house for 2 years told my parents.

I was still in school And then Ken, but Eric came to town and I got a chance to break in with Vern.

I just kind of grew up on Joan Amos, you know, going back to where I got that.

When I saw Joan Amos in Miami in the men's coat with the chick and the lawn chair, I said, that's me.

And then that he had slept with 300 women in Alabama.

There's a video, I'm sure you've seen it, of these football players.

Yes, and they're all, Jamie, see if you can find it, because it's 1 of my absolute favorite clips on the internet.

And these guys are reciting your lines word for word.

And I'm having a hard time holding these fucking sounds.

They're getting through me now, and I'm Ric Flair.

I couldn't show up on your show without the gators.

You know, I've done this at a show before where you could just say, Ric Flair, and you point the microphone out, and the whole crowd goes, woo!

You're like literally the only human being that's connected to a sound Yeah, you go Ric Flair and they go

How did that was that something that just came out 1 day 1 promo

I was right we used to drive You know 3 by 6500 miles a week sometimes 4.

I mean at night you're listening to music and drinking beer and throwing cans at the science, you know 100 miles an hour and And I heard Jerry Lewis called goodness, gracious, great balls of fire, woo.

But the emphasis wasn't on the woo as much as the thing.

And I went, shit, the next day on TV, I said, da, da, da, da, woo.

Recognition, gracious, good balls of fire.

I have a question you once cut a promo when you went, when you were back in WCW and NWO and all that was happening and you start taking off your Rolex and your clothes and you're threatening Eric Bischoff.

He's trying to get the owner of the WCW out.

You're gonna come out of your handcuffs himself To the thing another I mean it is so funny.

It's epic He for some reason you do an elbow drop on nothing at 1 point

better at 1 point my house my cars whatever money I have I'll sign it over to you I will give you the satisfaction of saying you raped the nature boy.

If you have the you know what, to walk the aisle here tonight 1 more time.

Bishop, You turn the camera off and I'll be naked when you come back!

And at 1 point you're ripping up hundred dollar bills and you take off Gucci shoes and you throw them into the crowd.

I always wondered, after I grew up older and learned about production and stuff, I'm like, oh, there must have been an assistant over there that he threw it at.

Because there's no way, he just launches it into the...

He's just, he's about to drop an elbow there's nobody there

Where, how do you, what was your method of madness to that?

Like that part, the cutting promo part of Ric Flair?

You'd have a loose plan and you just let it rip?

Or did you have any practice or anything?

We had been in that legitimate lawsuit, legitimately don't like each other to this day.

I mean, we've agreed to agree, but I was pushed down so far in the company that like the NWO was a featured act which I didn't have a problem with but don't abuse me right So I was taking my son to the AU Nationals in Detroit.

I'd asked a lawyer for the time off, not missing Nitro, missing Thunder, the secondary show nobody went to, right?

And he walked in front of about 85 people and said he was gonna break me.

He's an executive vice president of Turner.

Gonna break me, ruin my family, destroy me and all that.

And so I could have sued, I would have been a multi-millionaire, but then I wouldn't have been able to wrestle again.

So after I waited, I sat home for a year, costing a million dollars, and I said, fuck it, I'll go back.

And they gave me my check each week, but the minute I cashed the check, then I would be admitting that I'd work for him again.

Just another screw job, and then he ended up bankrupting the company anyway.

Well, they thought they were going to put Vince out of business.

That's where they made the biggest mistake.


Speaker 0: The Joe Rogan experience

Speaker 1: this guy is a gigantic fan of yours. I mean like beyond So he's if he like seems like a little awestruck right now. That's what's going on.

Speaker 2: Yeah, it's very polite. Thank you

Speaker 3: I was raised on raised on pro wrestling and I didn't know what a Rolex or a jet or anything was until you came out when I was 8 years old And I'm like what the hell is this guy? Beating the good guys

Speaker 2: When I literally just preposterous

Speaker 1: yeah Well, it's You took the art of the promo, like the interview, to a completely different level. You really did, you made it so fun.

Speaker 2: Yeah, thank you. I was having fun making them.

Speaker 1: How did you develop that sort of style? Like, was that something you always had? Is that something you cultivated for pro wrestling?

Speaker 2: No, I loved pro wrestling as a kid. I watched it all the time, and then my dad would take me to a match on my birthday or something like that, right and then I was gonna play football University of Minnesota and academically and eligible after a semester Stayed in a fraternity house for 2 years told my parents. I was still in school And then Ken, but Eric came to town and I got a chance to break in with Vern. I just kind of grew up on Joan Amos, you know, going back to where I got that. When I saw Joan Amos in Miami in the men's coat with the chick and the lawn chair, I said, that's me.

And then that he had slept with 300 women in Alabama. I said, that's my game. I gotta figure out how to get there.

Speaker 1: There's a video, I'm sure you've seen it, of these football players. You know what the team was?

Speaker 2: The Colts, Sergio Brown.

Speaker 1: Yes, and they're all, Jamie, see if you can find it, because it's 1 of my absolute favorite clips on the internet. And these guys are reciting your lines word for word. Sergio Brown

Speaker 0: And I'm having a hard time holding these fucking sounds. They're getting through me now, and I'm Ric Flair.

Speaker 2: He's got them on for you.

Speaker 1: He's got gators on right now. Come on, man.

Speaker 2: I couldn't show up on your show without the gators.

Speaker 1: You know, I've done this at a show before where you could just say, Ric Flair, and you point the microphone out, and the whole crowd goes, woo!

Speaker 2: Thank God.

Speaker 1: It's Amazing. I mean, that's an amazing thing. You're like literally the only human being that's connected to a sound Yeah, you go Ric Flair and they go

Speaker 3: How did that was that something that just came out 1 day 1 promo

Speaker 2: Johnny? I was right we used to drive You know 3 by 6500 miles a week sometimes 4. I mean at night you're listening to music and drinking beer and throwing cans at the science, you know 100 miles an hour and And I heard Jerry Lewis called goodness, gracious, great balls of fire, woo. But the emphasis wasn't on the woo as much as the thing. And I went, shit, the next day on TV, I said, da, da, da, da, woo.

That's how it all started. Wow. 1974. Jerry Lee Lewis, the killer. Recognition, gracious, good balls of fire.

Speaker 1: Oh my god. That's amazing.

Speaker 3: I have a question you once cut a promo when you went, when you were back in WCW and NWO and all that was happening and you start taking off your Rolex and your clothes and you're threatening Eric Bischoff. And at 1 point you take off your tear. He's tearing up hundred dollar bills. He's trying to get the owner of the WCW out. You're gonna come out of your handcuffs himself To the thing another I mean it is so funny.

It's epic He for some reason you do an elbow drop on nothing at 1 point

Speaker 0: My goodness, starting to... This is how I travel, you jackass! I'm custom made from head to toe! Have been and always will be! You jackass!

Taking all of his clothes here. Shirts, suits, ties. That's me! I've lived the life of a king

Speaker 3: it gets better and

Speaker 0: better at 1 point my house my cars whatever money I have I'll sign it over to you I will give you the satisfaction of saying you raped the nature boy. If you have the you know what, to walk the aisle here tonight 1 more time. He

Speaker 2: called him out!

Speaker 3: No way, you gotta see him. He dropped an elbow for no reason. I think it's back. Actually.

Speaker 0: I ain't going home. Is that a cover to stop to the right? Get your ass out here. Come on. Okay.

I've been talking right back. Don't go away, please. Bishop, You turn the camera off and I'll be naked when you come back! Oh my god. He incomes himself to the fucking room!

Speaker 3: And at 1 point you're ripping up hundred dollar bills and you take off Gucci shoes and you throw them into the crowd. Did you ever get those

Speaker 2: back? No.

Speaker 3: I always wondered, after I grew up older and learned about production and stuff, I'm like, oh, there must have been an assistant over there that he threw it at. Because there's no way, he just launches it into the... Jesus Christ. A $2,000 shoe. Oh, here he goes.

This is it. Watch this. He's just, he's about to drop an elbow there's nobody there

Speaker 2: There's something wrong with me

Speaker 1: Any plan? No. Nothing? No. Just free balling the whole thing?

Speaker 2: Yeah. Did you know

Speaker 1: you were gonna take your clothes off?

Speaker 2: I had a plan, but I wasn't sure. I didn't run it by anybody. I knew he'd never go for it.

Speaker 3: Where, how do you, what was your method of madness to that? Like that part, the cutting promo part of Ric Flair? You'd have a loose plan and you just let it rip? Or did you have any practice or anything? Like what would you?

Speaker 2: No, I just thought of it. We had been in that legitimate lawsuit, legitimately don't like each other to this day. I mean, we've agreed to agree, but I was pushed down so far in the company that like the NWO was a featured act which I didn't have a problem with but don't abuse me right So I was taking my son to the AU Nationals in Detroit. I'd asked a lawyer for the time off, not missing Nitro, missing Thunder, the secondary show nobody went to, right? And he sued me.

And he walked in front of about 85 people and said he was gonna break me. He's an executive vice president of Turner. Gonna break me, ruin my family, destroy me and all that. And so I could have sued, I would have been a multi-millionaire, but then I wouldn't have been able to wrestle again. So after I waited, I sat home for a year, costing a million dollars, and I said, fuck it, I'll go back.

Because they wouldn't give me a release. And they gave me my check each week, but the minute I cashed the check, then I would be admitting that I'd work for him again. Just another screw job, and then he ended up bankrupting the company anyway. Or not he, the combination of things.

Speaker 3: Right, exactly. He's going up against Vince McMahon.

Speaker 2: Well, they thought they were going to put Vince out of business. That's where they made the biggest mistake. Vince is a very smart guy. Hence the attitude error. They had 83 weeks.

That's it.

See all PowerfulJRE transcripts on Youtube

How Ric Flair Developed His Persona