Charlotte & Ric Flair Talk WWE Wrestlemania 32, Getting into the Wrestling Business

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Credit Mike Johnson and Pwinsider.com:

WWE Divas champion Charlotte and WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair appeared on Boomer & Carton on WFAN in NYC this morning.

Flair said that Boomer used to come to “the matches back in the day” and they dropped a Flyin’ Brian reference.

Charlotte was asked if she heard the “Woo” non-stop at home. She said that he wasn’t home that much but would wake them up with breakfast and “Woo” all the way to school.

Charlotte was asked when she really figured out what Flair did for a living. Charlotte said that she wasn’t sheltered but it wasn’t until she went to college that she realized that she could use what her dad did to her advantage. Ric was asked if he tried to shield the kids from what he did. Flair said that since he was a bad guy and there was such notoriety, when she was a kid and they’d go to an opposing High School for volleyball, they would beat her down. He said that when his son, who was an amateur wrestler, would compete, everyone wanted to kick his ass.

Flair said he performed 365 times a year, twice on Saturday or Sunday and on holidays, he had to leave on Christmas Eve to compete on Christmas Day and when he went places like Puerto Rico, he’d have to leave a day before. He said his family enjoyed a phenomenal style of life but he wasn’t there. Flair said that when he was there and they were 10-12, he was able to take time off and travel with them to their tournaments and even went to Japan.

They noted they had Hulk Hogan in the studio before and asked him the same question – when did he realize his career and the business were something big. Flair said that it would have happened to him in 1978, when he thought he was on the right track. He said that in 1981, he won the NWA World championship and thought he was ready, but he wasn’t. He said he lost it a year later but in 1983, he got it for the second time. He said at the time, he was wrestling top guys everywhere and you travel all over the world and you find yourself having to wrestle guys who shouldn’t “even be in the ring” and he has to have championship matches with them. Ric said that he wasn’t capable the first time. The second time around, “I was stylin’.”

Ric said he didn’t try to talk Charlotte out of the wrestling business. He said that she could have gone into fashion design but her passion was fitness. She was the best personal trainer in Charlotte. She said she was in communications. They went to Miami for the WWE Hall of Fame and John Lauirinaitis asked her why she wasn’t wrestling. An hour later, she came back to Ric and asked him if he thought she could do it. Two months later, she was training in Orlando.

Charlotte said she didn’t really follow the business and grew up playing sports. It’s not that she didn’t like it, but she didn’t pay attention to it like her brothers did. She never pictured herself to be where she is today – having the chance to steal the show at Wrestlemania 32. They talked about the 100,000 fans who will attend the show.

Charlotte was asked if she’d ever want to get in the Octagon. She said that she wouldn’t want to do it unless she had proper training. She said that wrestling is the most physical thing she’s ever done and people don’t realize the toll it takes on the body.

Flair said that Charlotte is much more athletic and performs at a higher level then he did. He said she’s the best athlete in WWE.

They began talking about the late Brian Pillman. They played an old audio clip of Flair making a reference to Boomer when he was cutting a promo on Pillman. Flair said that he was at Michigan for Jim Harbo and found out he was Brian’s old roommate. He said he was there to do a pep talk at the request of Vince McMahon, who you don’t say “No” to.

Ric was asked about the creation of the “Wooo.” Flair said he did it in 1974. He heard Jerry Lee Lewis singing “Great Balls of Fire” and Flair said, “That’s it.”

Flair was asked about the Hulk Hogan trial. He said he and Hulk are very close but he doesn’t know about the situation and doesn’t want to comment on it. He said that Hogan has done a lot for the sport of wrestling and hopes he gets the money. He said Hogan went through a lot and deserves the money.

Flair was asked about his appearance on the Lizard Lick Towing Co. reality show. Flair said they filmed it in the rain and joked, “My agent, I don’t know what she was thinking on that one.” He said it wasn’t a stellar performance from him.

They plugged Ric’s podcast at www.Play.it. Flair said he likes doing it but time management to do it is hard as he’s been to Europe a lot. He said being in studio makes all the difference when it comes to sound.

Flair was asked if Steve Austin was bitter about his career being ended due to injuries. Flair said that he’s totally content and he saved WWE during a time period when everyone double-crossed Vince McMahon and left and WCW almost eliminated WWE, but they all found out they don’t double-cross Vince McMahon.

Flair was asked for a Mount Rushmore of the four greatest wrestlers of all time. Flair said, in terms of notoriety, it would be Hulk Hogan, The Rock, Steve Austin and The Undertaker. When they said Flair’s name. He said that in terms of ability, he’s in there but in terms of being famous, he came to WWE too late and when he was in his prime on TBS, a lot of people didn’t have cable. He said Ohio had it but California didn’t.

Flair said for a Mount Rushmore of ability, he has himself, Shawn Michaels, Steve Austin and Undertaker. He said there are so many guys however, that it’s impossible to really make that assessment. Flair said he’s not one of the biggest names. Roddy Piper and Dusy Rhodes’ names were also discussed.

The NFL concussions and CTE issues were brought up. Flair said that they don’t allow chairs anymore. (I believe he meant to the head). Charlotte was asked if she’s concerned about her dad given all he’s put himself through and asked Ric if he ever gets himself checked out. Flair said he doesn’t worry about it, knock on wood. He noted he broke his back in an airplane crash and had both rotator cuffs operated on. He cracked the C-5 in his neck but has a clean bill of health and has no discomfort.

Charlotte said they have comprehensive Impact testing every two months. She said that she’s found that when you are scared, you are more likely to get hurt. She said that when you commit to something you are doing that’s dangerous, it’s actually safer then worrying about whether you can get hurt. She said you do end up getting hurt that way. She said that she and her father have been extremely lucky.

Charlotte’s tattoo with the phrase “A Little Patience” was brought up. She said she was going to the first Guns N’ Roses show on 4/8 in Las Vegas. She said it was a song she and her brother were really close and used to sing that song a lot. She was asked if the reunion was going to be awesome or a trainwreck. She said it’s going to be awesome.

Charlotte plugged her match at Wrestlemania on 4/3 against Sasha Banks and Charlotte.

Ric was asked if MSG was the best place ever. He said one of the best. Flair said that it’s nothing against NYC, but he loves Chicago. He said it’s an old building and he loves the venue.

Charlotte said this will be her first match at Wrestlemania but appeared in Triple H’s entrance two years ago.

A good conversation overall..

Jonathan Widro is the owner and founder of Inside Pulse. Over a decade ago he burst onto the scene with a pro-WCW reporting style that earned him the nickname WCWidro. Check him out on Twitter for mostly inane non sequiturs