Top WWE executive suggested that Ric Flair drink ahead of iconic match
WWE icon Ric Flair revealed that Michael Hayes adviced The Nature Boy to have a drink to calm his nerves ahead of his retirement match with Shawn Michaels.
Flair's last match in WWE came back in 2008 at WrestleMania 24, when he faced Shawn Michaels. The legend bowed out to a standing ovation from the crowd, after a superb match with The Heartbreak Kid.
While speaking on his To Be The Man show, The Nature Boy disclosed that his self-confidence was shot ahead of his final match. Flair stated that he wasn't drinking in the days leading up to the match, but Hayes told him to drop the Diet Coke as he was always drunk before his matches in the past.
"You know my self-confidence, once you lose it - I mean I had days where it was great, but you can only imagine wrestling Shawn Michaels in front of 70000 people, what that was like for me. I mean, I just couldn't sleep at night," said Flair.
He continued:
"I remember, I wasn't drinking during the weekend it was so much fun that we're in Orlando, of course, and Michael Hayes looked at me and said, 'What's wrong with you, you stupid son of a bi*ch. You've been drunk before every match you've ever had your entire life,' which is true, 'What are you doing walking around drinking a Diet Coke?' I said, 'You're right.' I got hammered [before the night of the show], I never drank during the day of the show unless I was in Puerto Rico because I was afraid to get to the venue and getting killed [laughs]." [From 12:17 to 13:11]
Flair said that he was "uptight and nervous" ahead of WrestleMania 24 because of the magnitude of the match, as well as the presence of his family.
WWE legend Ric Flair will return to the ring one last time
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Flair made a surprising announcement recently when he said that he will step into the ring one last time, at the age of 73.
Reports have suggested that former WWE and current AEW tag team FTR, may be involved in the six-man tag team match, as well as the iconic Rock 'n' Roll Express.
The match, which will take place on July 31, is presented by Jim Crockett Promotions and initially sold out. However, the event moved to a larger venue, the Nashville Municipal Auditorium, and some tickets are still available. The show will begin at 6:05 p.m. EST.
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