At WrestleMania 24, Ric Flair lost to Shawn Michaels in a match where his WWE career was on the line, bowing out on an iconic career in one of the best retirement bouts in history. The following night on Monday Night RAW, WWE held a tribute to Ric Flair and his lengthy professional wrestling career, giving him a stirring farewell to the red brand. The March 31, 2008 edition of RAW is one of the most celebrated and loved editions of the show, though it had nothing to do with the in-ring action, and had all to do with the man who had already wrestled his final WWE match.
WWE’s Farewell To Ric Flair Was Emotional
- Ric Flair closed out Monday Night RAW.
- He was greeted by all his best friends and rivals.
- Flair was in tears as WWE said goodbye to a great.
The biggest moment on Ric Flair’s retirement show came right at the end of the night, as Ric Flair finally came out to greet an impassioned audience, delivering a tearful speech about his career. He stated that he’d never wrestle again, but this wasn’t something he was sad about, as he and the fans should be happy that he got to have the greatest career of all time, had so much fun, and loved the fans dearly each and every day of his life. Not only that, but he bowed out to a “great wrestler” and “better man” in Shawn Michaels. Just as Flair was about to leave, out came Triple H to issue his own “thank you”, in what felt unplanned given Flair’s hugely emotional reactions throughout the rest of the tributes.
Triple H then brought out many of those who had ties to Flair over the years, and those who he influenced. The Four Horsemen emerged, which completely broke Flair, as JJ Dillon, Ole Anderson, Arn Anderson, and Tully Blanchard greeted their stablemate. Following this was Batista, Ricky Steamboat, Greg Valentine, Harley Race, Dean Malenko, Chris Jericho, John Cena, Ric Flair’s family, and finally Shawn Michaels, all of whom embraced Flair, who could fill an ocean with how many tears rained down his face. The rest of the roster and WWE personnel filed out to applaud the Hall of Famer.
After the show went off the air, both The Undertaker and Mr. McMahon joined the celebration, paying tribute to Flair as “Leave the Memories Alone” filled the arena. It was, and remains to this day, one of the most emotional and beautiful segments ever put together by WWE, and it was the perfect way to say farewell to Flair’s WWE career.
Monday Night RAW Had A Ric Flair Theme
- WWE had video packages throughout the night.
- Many wrestlers spoke about the impact of Ric Flair.
- WWE showed how well they can do a tribute.
The closing angle on this episode of RAW was special, but the rest of the night was sprinkled with many Ric Flair-themed tributes and video packages. WWE revisited his iconic match series with Ricky Steamboat in NWA/WCW, with many of their meetings being considered the greatest matches in the history of professional wrestling. His Royal Rumble 1992 victory was also spotlighted, among other things.
Shawn Michaels, his opponent from WrestleMania 24, delivered his own emotional promo to the crowd, looking somber and heartbroken as he realized that he now had to live with being the one to end Flair’s career. The Big Show also spoke on Ric Flair, and shared some of the positive words that Flair had given to him over the years. Dusty Rhodes also had some time to speak on Ric Flair. All of this helped to play into what was very much a Flair-themed show.
Ric Flair Didn’t Retire From Wrestling
- WrestleMania 24 was Flair’s final WWE match.
- He left WWE for TNA, and continued wrestling.
- Flair’s final match actually came in 2022.
Rewatching Ric Flair’s retirement on RAW is always emotional, but there is always a little voice in the back of your head that whispers, “Don’t forget about TNA”. Flair was not ready to retire in 2008, and this (among some monetary issues) led to him heading over to TNA, which was jam-packed with old-timers such as Hulk Hogan, Mick Foley, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, and more at the time. Flair laced up the boots and wrestled several times, coming out of retirement between 2009 and 2011. Just prior to his TNA run, Flair and Hogan ran back their feud in a special tour of Australia. Finally, in 2011, Flair stepped away from TNA after last wrestling his old rival Sting… until over a decade later when he returned again.
Ric Flair wanted one final match, and thus a show was created entitled ‘Ric Flair’s Last Match’ as he teamed with then-son-in-law Andrade El Idolo to take on Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal in what can only be described as nothing but a surreal disaster. A very old Flair passed out during the match, was drenched in sweat, faked a heart attack, and ambled around the ring. It has been three years since that night, but never say never when it comes to Flair, as he has a history of coming out of retirement.
