Ric Flair dubs two WWE Hall of Famers the "greatest wrestlers of all time"
Ric Flair is a 16-time WWE World Champion. However, despite his long list of accolades, which undoubtedly make him one of, if not the best, of all time, the Nature Boy deems two other stars to be the greatest ever to have stepped foot inside the ring.
When asked recently, Flair picked Ricky 'The Dragon' Steamboat and Shawn Michaels as two of the top stars ever gracing the industry with their presence. Having worked extensively with both top names, he is confident in his judgment of the two and believes that despite having different styles, both bring unique qualities to the table.
On the latest edition of Busted Open Radio, Ric Flair joined the team to discuss his latest takes and thoughts on the world of professional wrestling. He candidly shared why he thinks Shawn Michaels and Ricky Steamboat are two of the best:
"[Ricky Steamboat] is one of the two greatest wrestlers of all time. The other one being Shawn Michaels - not just opponents. The difference between Steamboat and Shawn is that Ricky never worked heel because Ricky doesn't have it in him to be a heel. Shawn is a great babyface, but Shawn can be a prick as well. He has grown out of that era, but Shawn Michaels was a hell of a heel. In terms of in-ring performance, I can't think of anybody better than Ricky Steamboat," Flair said. [0:35-1:10]
Ric Flair went head-to-head with Shawn Michaels in his last match in WWE
While Steamboat had long given up on working as a full-time wrestler, Ric Flair deemed it reasonable that the Heartbreak Kid should be the one to end his career in WWE. In 2008, Ric Flair was working an angle where he would be forced to retire if he lost a match.
Running through various opponents, Flair challenged Shawn Michaels to be his opponent for WrestleMania 24. While the latter initially refused, he took up Flair's offer and retired him in one of the most memorable 'Mania matches ever.
Flair later joined TNA and worked more matches there before sporadically appearing for WWE. He is currently signed to AEW, where he makes on-screen appearances from time to time.
Despite wrestling in his "final match," Flair might still be open to another about.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Busted Open Radio and give an H/T to Sportskeeda for the transcription.