End of an Era

You know, I've never known a time in my life during which I could say "I won't see another Ric Flair match." This past week, that changed. I've known Flair was going to retire after WrestleMania for months. The dirt sheets leaked it a long time ago. For some reason, though, I thought to myself that it would be a Terry Funk retirement. In other words, it would be the first of many. In the past few weeks, though, I started to question it. It truly seemed as if Flair was saying goodbye in his actions and attitudes during his moments on camera with WWE.
Then came Monday night. First, the announcement of his farewell address. Then, the montages of some of his "biggest" title wins. Finally, during the main event, Space Mountain himself walks down the aisle and thanks the fans. It was a truly heartwarming event.
I got a sense of dread when Triple H's music hit. I'll admit it. Many of us internet wrestling geeks spend our days typing away at our keyboards (apparently in our mother's basements) spewing vitriol over "The Game." When his music hits, I'm conditioned to be annoyed and prepare myself for long speeches about his greatness. But Monday night, he stepped in and did just the opposite. He reminded us of just how great Flair is. The "wheelin', dealin', jet flyin, limousine ridin' son of a gun" who won 16 world titles and wore the crimson mask countless times just to entertain us. To prove it, he brought out some of the greatest wrestlers in history who sought to tribute Flair.
Much can be said about the order in which these guys came out, but I think it's disrespectful to the man they came out for. Almost everyone on the list is or will be a "Hall of Famer": Blanchard, Dillon, Anderson, Windham, Batista, Steamboat, Race, Valentine, Malenko, Jericho, Cena, Michaels. Not to mention Flair's family and the entire WWE locker room. For the first time I can remember, I finally feel as if WWE has done someone right as they leave the business.
The past few years have thrown me curveballs. I've learned to live in a world without guys like Rick Rude, Owen Hart, Brian Pillman, and Curt Hennig because they were taken before their time. I've had to come to grips with the fact that Bret Hart retired before he was ready to, and that Chris Benoit became a monster before he ended his life. It's great to know that one of the all time greats, if not the greatest, left on his own terms.
Thank you, Mr. Flair. Thank you for everything .
{photos in the post are courtesy of www.obsessedwithwrestling.com)

To talk with JJ and others about the greatness of Flair, click here.

To e-mail JJ with your thoughts on Flair, click here.