Now, I won't bore with the details of all that went down at this event. I'll only reveal that I was very satisfied and felt I'd got my money's worth. Or my dad's money's worth. Or something.
One match stood out on the card: Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair. The biggest showdown of the night as far as anyone was concerned coming into and out of the event. If Ric Flair lost he would have to retire. We all knew it was coming to this; we were all well aware of the outcome. It was how we would reach that eventual outcome that made all the difference.
Well, the pair of them went at it and told a tremendous story in the ring. For all the show that professional wrestling puts on, one essential ingredient to deliver a blockbuster match is storytelling. If you don't commit that, there's no incentive to watch, and nothing to play for. Watching this match, watching Michaels hesitate to pin Flair, watching Flair struggle to his feet with a small ounce of fight left in him, watching Michaels mouth "I'm sorry" before the final superkick, watching Flair tear up as the final three-count of his career was slammed into the mat, watching grateful farewell from the fans at the end of it all...it made me proud to be a wrestling fan.
There's a lot of people who say to me things like "Wrestling's so fake, it's shit you're shit blahahawamzz." I don't really have time for those people or those comments, mostly because they're so unfounded, and those guys all have the same copycat interests as the next person anyway. I can't even bring myself to go into defending professional wrestling to those who aren't willing to listen, though all I have to say is: if standing there sneering "it's so fake" is the best argument you've got, it's back to the drawing board for you. Wrestling is all about putting on a spectacle for the fans; the entertainment supersedes the 'sport' aspect. If you really want to take it that seriously, then you're just as bad, if not worse than the little kids who think it's all well and real. It's fun - it's the kind of thing I can walk into after a hard day, or a bad reflection about how a certain thing in my life isn't going so well, and I can sit down and watch Triple H bash John Cena in the head with a sledgehammer. Ironically, the violence of it all seems so innocent at times.
I feel I know plenty about the professional industry, not just what happens in the ring, but backstage too. The whole industry has such a rich history, filled with so many legacies and great memories. It's one of the greatest industries in the entire world - unidisputed FACT.
Now, back to Ric Flair. So it appeared that, as presumed, Wrestlemania XXIV would be the curtain call on his storied 36 year career. At 59, he was hanging up the boots. What really put the icing on the cake was the celebration that took place the following night, on Monday Night Raw. Ric Flair came to the ring for his Farewell Adress, and instead of commenting on his own achievements, being the humble man that he is, he thanked the fans for all the great memories.
Out came the likes of Triple H, Shawn Michaels, John Cena, Dave Batista, Chris Jericho, The Four Horsemen, Flair's family and the rest of the Raw roster. "Thank you Ric" chants filled the arena, each person took their turn giving a hug and thanking the man personally for his contributions to the business. Ric was bawling his eyes out, it was a truly touching moment. Lance Storm actually went into his wrestling academy the next day and told all of his pupils that if they didn't get choked up by the ceremony, they have no place in the business and should leave right away. The man is rarely wrong.
Here's why this ceremony, this particular moment on Raw meant a lot not just for Flair but for the business as a whole. Firstly, it was very classy and heartfelt. Seeing all the wrestlers break kayfabe (that means come out of their character personas) was a sobering experience and really gave an impression of togetherness and family within the company. Classy is the buzzword: after seeing ridiculous skits such as Vince's Kiss-My-Ass club and Hornswoggle running through a painted hole in the wall, it's moments like this that help restore some prestige to the name of wrestling. It reminds us that there are legacies being built within the business, and not only are they worth a hell of a lot, but so are the friendships gained along the way.
Secondly, the ceremony was deserved at a time when wrestlers are seemingly dying before anyone can say goodbye. I've forgotten the statistic that I read, but it stated an ungodly amount of athletes that passed away in the last decade. With the untimely death of Eddie Guerrero, and the tragedy of Chris Benoit's double murder-suicide last year, it felt only right that a wrestler, Ric Flair in this case, be finally sent off in the correct fashion - at the end of his career, with a chance to thank others and be thanked himself, to say farewell and step out of the door with grace - dignity and health intact.
I've been following professional wrestling for about 10 years now. Unfortunately this has meant an introduction to Ric Flair relatively late in his career, though I made the effort to go back and watch old matches that have helped immortalised him as a wrestling legend. All I can really say is that he's one of the best, if not the best. There's no one quite like him, and I doubt there will ever be. Thanks, Ric!
"To be the man, you gotta beat the man! Wooooooo!"
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