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WWE Raw Reax #5: "Too bad Ole couldn't be in the ring with the group last night as well." Apr 1, 2008 - 3:32:36 PM
Jonny of Lancaster, S.C. (10.0): Best Match: Slick Ric. Worst Match: Cryme Tyme. Wow, that was the greatest sendoff I've ever seen for a wrestler and well deserved for "the man" Ric Flair. No one under the age of 40 remembers watching wrestling without Slick Ric so its so hard to believe he's gone. If you had asked me 20 years ago which wrestler I expected would retire at age 60 after a five-star WrestleMania match, there is no doubt in my mind I would have guessed Ric Flair. Eat your heart out Hogan, you may be the most recognized name in wrestling but you will never have the respect that the Nature Boy has earned.
Justin Ballard of Boston, Mass. (10.0): Best Match: Flair's Farewell (Duh….). Worst Match: Who cares? This was literally the best Raw I've seen in years. Moments like this remind me why I love wrestling, and why I'll be a fan for the rest of my life. Even without the Flair tribute, this show featured two very strong TV matches in Jericho-Punk and Orton-Hardy. Both of them were highly enjoyable. Ric Flair's farewell was one of the best-done segments I can ever remember and a prime example of what I love about Ric Flair. I have always admired Flair's emotiveness when talking about pro wrestling and his fans. To be able to watch someone who is so passionate and so dedicated to what they do is truly inspiring. I don't remember ever getting choked up so many times during one segment of television, but it happened again with each person Hunter introduced. I would love to know what Flair and Shawn said to each other. It was an incredibly special night and I commend WWE for sending off one of the all-time masters in style. THANK YOU RIC!
Brian Kay of Cleveland, Ohio. (10.0): Best: Flair's sendoff. Worst: N/A on this night. The McMahons have screwed so many things up over the years that it's amazing they stay on top of the industry. Not giving Flair the respect in-ring that he's deserved has been the main sticking point for me for all that's wrong with Vince. (In the Four Horsemen DVD, J.J. Dillon sums it up nicely by saying that Vince never really respects things he doesn't create, and Flair was but one example.) I was angry that the WWE didn't let Flair go out with a victory, but I'm sure the Nature Boy was on-board with the booking of his final run, since he's always been such a professional. So even though he went out with a loss, it was bookended with the HOF induction and last night's Raw. Flair got the respect he deserved, and his departure was awesome. Well-handled, and Vince kept his mug out of the segment, which was also very respectful. Letting Flair's colleagues past and present come out was a beautiful thing to watch. Seeing Triple H putting the four fingers up one last time sent shivers down my spine and took me back to my teenage years watching what was always without a doubt my favorite era of wrestling (several notches above the original NWO era), the days of the Original Four Horsemen. Too bad Ole couldn't be in the ring with the group last night as well. Still, seeing the genuine respect and admiration that the wrestlers have for Flair - the tears in Big Show's eyes when he climbed up on the apron, seeing Orton wipe away tears, and on and on and on. Hogan could only dream of that kind of respect. Thanks Flair for all of the years of entertainment. And even though Michaels beat The Man Sunday night, Flair is and will ALWAYS be the man. Diamonds are forever, and so is Ric Flair.
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