Professional wrestling legend Ric Flair is the subject of a new ESPN “30 for 30” film, coming out on Nov. 7.
“30 for 30: Nature Boy” is the first professional wrestling themed “30 for 30” film from the network.
The recurring theme of the documentary will be the balance between Richard Morgan Fliehr, the man and “Nature Boy” Ric Flair the professional wrestling character.
Fliehr, the man has gone through four marriages, faced several accusations of assault, domestic violence and sexual misconduct, has had many private breakdowns and is in a constant state of debt to various people, businesses and organizations.
Examples of these cases are alimony payments to his ex-wives, lawyer fees, IRS debts, mortgages and a litany of failed business ventures. From 2005 on, most of his earnings from wrestling were being used to pay these debts.
At one point Flair was $1.7 million in debt according to a 2011 Grantland article chronicling his financial and personal woes.
Flair, the charismatic wrestler, is one of the greatest performers in the genre, delivering engaging rapid fire promos and interviews on the mic. He also captivates audiences with his technical prowess in the ring and his ability to make his opponent look like a huge star. He’s won 16 world championships, is the only two-time WWE Hall of Famer and is seen by his peers as one of the best workers in his profession.
The film will not look past the dark side of Flair’s life, and includes “the good, the bad and the ugly,” according to it’s director, Rory Karpf.
“It was something I was really good at,” Flair states in the trailer for the film. “Then it became a disease.”
“Wrestling was my love,” Flair says in the film. “The Nature Boy was my wrestling character. The Nature Boy wasn’t fake. The Nature Boy was me. I have sacrificed everything for wrestling. I always wanted to be The Man. I could never live just being a man. I gave my entire life to the wrestling business. I paid the price. I am the Nature Boy.”
The film will cover his life and career and include comments from several of his peers including Triple H, The Undertaker and Hulk Hogan.
Figures from his personal life such as his first wife Leslie Jacobs and his three living children will be interviewed as well.
Karpf is known for directing other ESPN documentaries such as “I Hate Christian Laettner” and “The Book Of Manning.”
One of Karpf’s filmmaking goals was to make a documentary on Flair, as he is a fan of the Nature Boy.
“I grew up a huge wrestling fan in the 1980’s and I was captivated by Ric Flair,” Karpf said in an ESPN press release for the film. “It’s been a personally rewarding experience to tell the story of arguably the greatest wrestler of all time. Ric’s story transcends the wrestling business, and my hope is that it will appeal to wrestling and non-wrestling fans alike.”
Flair was interviewed for the Laettner film, and the social media response to his interview convinced ESPN Films executive John Dahl to greenlight “30 for 30: Nature Boy.”
Karpf’s goal in making the film is to pay respect to the institution of professional wrestling, and give a complete story on one of its most prolific performers.
“…As for Ric, I leave that up to viewers,” Karpf said in an interview with Sports Illustrated. “I don’t want to tell someone what to think of someone. A lot of it is open for interpretation. Two people can watch the same thing and think someone is a villain or hero.”
Flair was in the news over the summer after having a major health scare. Flair underwent a procedure to remove part of his bowel that caused significant complications that left him ill.
“30 for 30: Nature Boy” is the story of the “stylin’ and profilin’, limousine ridin’, jet flyin’, kiss-stealin’, wheelin’ n’ dealin’ son of a gun!” that premiers Nov. 7 at 10:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Henry Wolski
Executive Editor