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As the wrestling world prays for the Nature Boy, fans are still waiting for his ESPN documentary to air. Since the trailer dropped on July 26, fans of Ric Flair, 68, have been salivating at the prospect of a 30 for 30 chronicling the career of arguably the greatest professional wrestler of all time:
WOOOOOO!!! It’s official… Our #30for30, #NatureBoy, on @RicFlairNatrBoy will debut November 7th on ESPN.
Details: t.co/xRepS0jTGC
The documentary will air on November 7 on ESPN at 10 p.m. Eastern time. It is appropriately titled Nature Boy.
On August 14, Flair’s agent, Melinda Morris Zanoni tweeted that “we need prayers and positive energy” following reports that Flair was in intensive car. A WWE statement said that Flair first went to a hospital in Atlanta on August 12 for heart-related issues.
Flair’s 30 for 30 is directed by Rory Karpf. Karpf previously directed two ESPN documentaries, I Hate Christian Laettner (Which Flair appeared in) and Tim Richmond: To the Limit. Karpf lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, where Flair lived for many years. In 2000, Flair even considered running for governor of the state as a Republican.
Karpf said about Flair when the doc was announced, “I grew up a huge wrestling fan in the 1980s and I was captivated by Ric Flair. 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.”
Please pray for my friend Ric Flair and keep him in your thoughts
During the making of the documentary, Karpf elaborated more on the Flair story in an interview with Sports Illustrated saying, “In the wrestling world, the viewer isn’t sure what’s real or what isn’t, but ‘Nature Boy’–Ric Flair wasn’t just a character. He was real. The wrestler he portrayed in the ring was also the man he was outside the ring. I found that to be fascinating. He’s led a crazy life that’s a natural for a 30 for 30. Plus I just love pro wrestling.”
Karpf continued:
Hulk Hogan and Wrestlemania had become household names and meanwhile, Ric was in a rival organization. I wanted to explore what specifically made Ric so great and what specifically makes for a great pro wrestler. Why is he considered the greatest of all time?
How is that determination made? Unlike the NFL or NBA there really aren’t stats and metrics we can use like touchdowns, points scored or championships to determine greatness. Wrestling is pre-determined. But it is very athletic and the performers are definitely athletes. I wanted to give wrestling its just due in comparison of other sports.
Once again, Nature Boy airs on November 7 on ESPN at 10 p.m. Eastern time. It’s one that you won’t want to miss.
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