A Flair to Meet

A story about "meeting" RIc Flair.

A Flair To Meet

Living in a college town, I tend not to be surprised at a lot of things. I've done some dumb things and seen a lot of people do a lot of dumb things. I never seen anyone famous while I was growing up in the small town I grew up in. I never seen anyone famous in the town I went to college in, but knowing the college history, I knew a lot of famous people went through here.

St. Cloud State University is the college I graduated from. Sven Sundgaard, weatherman on the Minneapolis NBC affiliate, graduated from SCSU. MacGyver went to college here before he became famous. Another Minneapolis newscaster, Jeff Passolt, who's the lead anchor of the evening news on the FOX affiliate here, graduated from SCSU. For me, Eric Bischoff, former WCW President and former WWE Monday Night Raw General Manager, went to SCSU for a year, before dropping out and went to college elsewhere.

One day walking to campus to buy a stamp to send off one of my bills, I heard a mummer about a certain “professional wrestling legend from the '70s to the present” was on campus. I gave it some thought and was confused for a few minutes, trying to figure out what pro wrestler could have been around since the 1970s and are in the business in some way.

Struggling to imagine who it could be, I heard a large group behind me throwing out some “Woooo!”'s. That was enough of a hint to figure out who this wrestling legend is.

I turned around to see what the commotion was about and seen the only person it could be, the Nature Boy himself. Once I turned around, I only seen a sea of humanity. I heard a lot of laughs and heard a lot of jokes. I shook my head, wondering if “Natch” was telling some bar stories at a college where its reputation's known for partying.

The crowd made its way over by me and the legend himself, Ric Flair stopped, and wanted some information at the Information Desk. “Hi, I'm the 'Nature Boy' Ric Flair, the real Worlds Heavyweight Champion. Where do I need to go to find the college cable station?”

The desk worker told him and pointed out to him where to go and the crowd walked him over to where he wanted to go. “Do you know why he needed to know that?” I asked.

“Have no clue. I can't believe he's that old,” the desk worker replied.

I shrugged off what I seen and went home after dropping off my bill in the mailbox. I grabbed some food to eat and pulled my phone out to post on Twitter who I just seen. Before I could, I had to respond to several tweets sent to me, as well as a few dozen text messages, people wondering about if I heard that Ric Flair was only blocks away from me.

Not knowing why the former sixteen-time World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion would be in St. Cloud and not knowing why he's a few blocks away from me, I had to walk back to try to find Mr. Flair again, hoping to get an autograph, at least.

Before leaving my place, I grabbed a photograph I have of Ric Flair and a notebook, if in case he won't sign the picture. Once I have both in my hands, and a pen, I walked back to campus. Around fifteen minutes later, I ended up twenty feet away from the “Nature Boy” in all his glory.

No, I didn't see him nude or in the bathroom. He was cutting a 1980's promo for the campus newscast.

I leaned over and asked the person by me, “Is he gonna cut a few promos for the radio station?”

“Already did.. Just got here and starting to cut promos the the TV station. I take it you want an autograph?” this person asked.

“If I can, it'd be great,” I responded, hoping to get a chance to meet the former World's Champ.

The guy walked off. I couldn't believe I am watching one of my old school favorite wrestlers cutting promos for my campus television station. Thinking of meeting Ric Flair again, the guy who I talked to a few minutes before came back and said, “Follow me,” so I did.

Not wanting to question where we're going, I followed this mysterious man who knows the “Nature Boy” into a small room, a room that was prepared for Ric Flair himself. “Stay here, when Ric gets done, we'll come back here and you'll be able to meet him.,” he said, making sure I knew what was going down.

“Thanks, I appreciate it,” I replied, still stunned that I'm going to meet Ric Flair.

I sat down in one of the couches and relaxed and starting to think of possible questions I could ask one of the greatest professional wrestlers. Weeding out the horrible questions, I wrote down whatever I thought of, looked them over, reread them, crossed out the bad ones, and continued to think for a time that felt like forever, but after Flair and his security guards came in, it was only twenty minutes.

I stood up to shake hands with one of my favorite wrestlers and felt like I died and entered wrestling heaven. We talked his AWA days in Minnesota, days down in the Crockett Promotions, WCW days, his WWE run, and his time in TNA wrestling. We must of talked for several hours and Ric was open to answer all the questions I had, even the stupid questions.

Before I left, he signed the photo I had of him and even wrote out a note for me on the notebook paper I had with. And to put the final dot on the time together, we took a few pictures on my phone, for I have proof for friends and family, showing them that I did, indeed, hang out with the “Nature Boy!”

I went home afterwards and texted several people with the pictures I have with Mr. Flair, and continued with my Saturday, acting like every other Saturday. Drank a few Mello Yello's to unwind and get off the high I was riding after meeting my childhood hero. A few hours passed, the same smile never left my face, I went out to eat with a few friends, Ric Flair style! Woooo!

To be the man, you have to beat Ric Flair. True story.

“the Dirty Dawg” Darsie