DOUBLE COVERAGE PODCAST - Ric Flair Reveals the Truth About Hulk Hogan’s Final Days, His Hall of Fame Career & His Wildest Stories

Episode Date: November 23, 2025

Doubl3 Coverage Episode 8 With The WWE Legend Ric Flair PODCAST on YouTube: ⁠ / @doubl3coveragepodcast ⁠ PODCAST ON Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0yB2yjx... PODCAST ON Apple: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... INSTAGRAM | ⁠ / @doubl3coverage ⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Another wrestler, another Mount Rushmore type legend who reside in the Tampa area. Hulk Hogan passed away. I talked to him at the 8-48 guy. I shouldn't say this, but... Ready to bat. Ready to flash. Leon is at. You see where it's at.

Come to me on string with a chest. You can Michael Parson get you a sack. Some of my cover. Deion's sunny. Bet like a wreck you here began. Cook you a lock up. We double coverage. And this is the outcome.

What's up. Zach here, welcome back to episode 8 of double coverage. I'm honored and privileged should be joined by another Hall of Famer, a 16 time world champion, a man inducted into every pro wrestling Hall of Fame and someone who deserves

to be on anyone's pro wrestling, Mount Rushmore, the great, the nature boy, Rick Flair. Thank you, sir. Thank you. Honor to be here. Honored to, in privilege, should be able to sit here with you, especially after your man, L.T. was our last guest. Yeah, my man, L.T., my favorite human being.

L.T. in both the pro wrestling and the NFL Hall of Fame, a lot of people don't know that. Well, he wrestled Bam Bam Bigelow. He would have thought he'd have been in the business, which is what's a great athlete he is. You'd have thought he'd have been in a business for 10 years. They had a great match. Yeah. He said he was shocked at the athleticism of Bam Bam Bigelow. he said that someone like him

he thought could play in the NFL for sure I don't know about that you better ask Andre a giant about that because Andre beat the crap on him I don't know about that but Bambo is a good athlete yes very good but is that something that people overlook

the athleticism professional wrestlers no not anymore no I think that's that's been gone for a long time. And modern times people have kind of got, now that we've got the Brock Lesnar's and the... Yeah, it was a phenomenal athlete.

My daughter, who is the best athlete in the company, Ray Mysterio, I mean, you can go down to listen to it. Yeah. Lesnar is insane. Nobody like him. Yeah. I don't want to be in the ring of the day. He misses that vertical jump to the apron.

You know what I mean? No. I think it's about a 40-inch hike. And he jumps up there every time. He almost made the Vikings. Yeah, without playing football since high school. And he goes and wins the UFC championship. I mean, come on.

And he's a tough kid, too. You ran a 4-7, the 280-pound defensive tackle. Yeah, I believe it. Yeah. I would say Brock's right up there. there with the best athletes. Yes, yep, exactly. For sure.

I couldn't argue that. Yeah, and we were getting into, for the interview, you're a massive football fan. Yes. You're watching closely. I think you play fantasy football. I mean, you're all up in action. You're breaking down the spreads, the odds?

No, I don't play fantasy. You don't play fantasy? No, but I have, I've gotten the point now where all the guys that I know that played, so now I've followed the coaches. Like I'm real good friends with Jim Harbour. of all good friends with John, good friends with Mike Brable, good friends with Lane Kiffin. Oh, wow.

I'm trying to think who else. I know. All good, I'm really good friends. I'm having a tough year with Dan Quinn, too. Yeah, tough year. But great year last year. Yeah, they'll come back. Yeah, Lane Kiffin, I actually got to work under at FAU when I was 16.

Really? Yeah, and our videographer is his dad worked with him as his wide receipts. receivers coach. Really? Coach J. McCarthy, yep. He just got back with his life. Can you believe it? No, I cannot believe it.

You would know a thing or two about, you know, a couple different wives. Are you single right now? Yeah, very single. Very single. Nobody will have me. Nobody is, so no more Miss Nature boys. No, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, no, no, no, no. One point, yeah, 1.8 million in alimony and one, one, one, one, one, and one, and one, and, one,

an attorney fees. Oh my God. Yeah, I'm not getting married again. Oh, my God. $3 million? Yeah. It costs money when you have to make money. Wow.

$17,000 a month of one of my lives for a year. Oh, my God. $17,000. I was paying out of money to three women at one time. Hey, not that, Lawrence. Healthy, ain't got nothing on that. No. Nobody does.

Maybe a few rappers. Oh, I don't know. I always have to the band of Holyfield is you've got 11 kids. I don't know. Oh, you and Holyfield are in a good competition there. I think Cam Newton just had his ninth baby. Shout out to Cam. Ralph Samson's got 12 kids.

Come on. Maybe that's why the rappers get along with you so well. Yeah, I guess. You live a similar lifestyle. Tell me about the Rick Flair drip and getting record that video with the Migos. Unfortunately, it was a great thing for me, but it was like I had just gotten out of the hospital. And when I got out of the hospital, I had no memory for six months.

So when they called me to do it, I wasn't represented. So I like, I tell the law, I said that's all the time. I made $39,000. You made, you made $48 million. He gets pissed when I tell him that. He said, I made you famous. I said, he is a great, hopeless ears. He goes, I made you famous.

I said, you wrote the song about me. I was famous, obvious enough for you to contact me, okay? What the hell are you talking to? What did he? I made you famous, really? You wrote the song about me? I inspired you. Yeah, how about John Wayne?

in the Alamo, okay? I mean, give me a break. Opset? Well, you told him now about Cardi B and Stefan Diggs, man. Oof. I don't want to get in the middle of that one. Yeah, I don't want, I mean, I know her, I met her with the course through him, and he really is a great guy.

I actually got to meet Will, he's pretty cool. How was that? Well, I've had three heroes in my life, Joe Namath Wilt and who was my third hero I just thought

about yesterday that I really admired like I was going up Will Chamber I don't know people don't know what was it's the greatest

athlete that ever played basketball the better and Robyn did what he did at track at field yeah at Kansas no people just

they stepped by that he benched press 400 pounds. He was through the shot foot, 68 feet. Come on. You know, I love LeBron, but LeBron can't do that. And he was just, you know, and he just did what he wanted to do in the court. Yeah.

I mean, if you wanted to lead the league and assist, he let an assist. You want to lead it in points, he let it in points. He did what he wanted to do. 54 point, think about this. 50, 50, 50. point four points a game 25 rebound a game

and 20 assists a game for one year come on and they leave him out of the discussion all together he just put his hand on cream's head and said

calm down and he weighed 300 pounds yeah huge I mean for him to bench press that much with arms that long You could Google it. Yeah, no, I know. But it's unbelievable.

I mean, what do you have, a 90-inch reach? Just bend-pressing 400 pounds. Well, not only that, but who throws the shop, what, 80 feet? I think he took it third in the NCAAs and the 880. Yeah. I mean, the guy was just unreal. Yeah. At Kansas.

People discount. Then he played a year for the Globetrotters. Uh-huh. piece of cake for him yeah you know who made him famous the same guy that made um Arnold Palmer famous Mike McCormick well I don't know who has wills that say it now but Will he bought so much property in San Francisco um as you know you know all Palmer ended up you can Google it right now by Mark McCormick right he was the first two first two big athletes to you know

How did he, he handled like their, what was his role? Investments. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. People don't, there's videos of Bill Russell literally jumping over people. I mean, his feet are clearing their head.

Yeah, Bill. Bill Russell, to me, he just had both numbers. I don't know what it was. But he was also surrounded by a better team every year. Will never had a team where everybody was the first team. All-Star. No, not until the kind of Jerry West era later on. Yeah.

Where he'd already been dominating for 15 or so years. Yeah, but he was a little bit then. Yeah. It'd gone through Kansas and all those years with the Sixers and the Warriors. And it's not like today with modern medicine. It's a totally different game for these athletes and wrestling as well. Yes. With peptides and stem cells and all these different things.

Thankful for all that stuff. You guys have it easy today. But I'm happy they do. No one wants to do what I did. I was telling something the other day, 83 to 85, I had 17 days off. Think about that. Twice on Saturday, twice on Sunday.

My accountant goes, how can you wrestle 420 times? I said, because I wrestled twice on Saturday, twice on Sunday. Did you do? Like the psychologist said to me, when do you drink, when I work, when you work every day. Time I had through with him, he was laying on the couch. I have to admit I've done a few heavy weights, but I was blinded by the light.

I woke up in the morning and I went, oh God, I've done something really terrible once. How about a ham sandwich and a backrope and it tonight? What have I done? You're the world champion. She weighs more than you. Oh, she's more than 240? No, I don't know. I don't think I ever did 240, but I might hit the 200 bars.

At least screws your weight. Wow. Wow, yeah. Now, you're going through this schedule and this calendar after surviving a plane crash. Talk to me about that and your recovery in the 70s where, you know, medical...

It's not like it is today. No, but I did... I was like avoided surgery. I just had a compression fracture of three. But I went from 255 to 180. Wow. And the doctor said I'd never wrestle again. So...

Knock on wood. Here I am. 1975 a long time ago you wrestled for six decades after and then my last match I had a heart attack didn't you know it in that great legend

legend do you have any regrets when something like that happens or the nature boy doesn't regret anything no no no god I have a thousand regrets about times I miss with my older children

but you got to to go to work, you know. Yeah. Back then, no guaranteed contract. You don't go to work, you don't get paid. Yeah. You don't get paid? You can't pay the bills.

Yeah, we've got to put food in the table. Yeah, but it's the only regrets I have. I can tell you right now that I would have never ever survived social media back in the 80s. When we were in the 80s, we were the Beatles. The bars were full of women. Now it's a guy of soap opera. You walk into the bar at 25 stippics. Can I have an autograph?

No. Please, Mr. Flair? No, I said no. Off. That's the way it is. In the 80s, we were the Beatles. We came a town, man. Every chick in town was there.

We're in a totally different era. Yeah. No more stealing my Rolexism telling me, I threw it a bowl spaghetti and said I had 13 more. No more taking my main coat of it. You had a legendary rivalry with Dusty Rhodes. And he was sort of the antithesis.

I put a hard time, Donna. Hard time. He was the antithesis of what you represented. He was relatable to the common everyday man. And you were the jet-setting nature boy. Yeah. Talk to me about that. It's the greatest rival in the history of wrestling.

It went on for 20 years, which makes it even better, you know. He was great, charismatic. He was a genius in terms of, you know, thinking of of these, like, the war games and the Starcade and a flair for the gold. I mean, he was a genius and stuff like that. What was your relationship like with? him out of the ring. Perfect. Well, we had conflicting ego things at a period of times, but that happens. But you two got along really well. Yeah. He was a much more conservative than I was.

He, I mean, he knew when to go to bed. I didn't. Yeah. I still don't. No, you still don't. No. You wouldn't be the nature boy if you did. credible is it now with your daughter Charlotte doing what she's doing in the WWE and his son, Cody, doing what he's doing in the WWE? Yeah. Well, my daughter is the greatest female wrestler of all the time. And I truly believe she's the best wrestler in the company right now. She can do shit that nobody else can do it.

5-11, a buck 55. It's not like she's 5'3 or 5'4. the corkscrew rooms solved I mean she could have gone to college and played a division one sport in four different sports mm-hmm she got recruited for whatever it's what yeah basketball volleyball of course chudelaine and track and field she ran her 513 mile in the ninth grade remember they used to have the president's fitness Yeah.

Of course, the mothers have abolished that. God forbid, your kid be better than your kid. God forbid. I mean, it's the truth. No, it's facts. It was gold, silver, ron. No participation. Now there's eight.

I mean, everybody gets a medal. Everyone gets a metal. Thanks, Mom. Generating a lot of... My son finished eighth. Yay. Don't get me going on that. that.

I won't. But how great has it been to see this next generation of wrestlers who were related to you and the guys that you wrestled with? I think it's great. Randy Orton, I mean, he's third generation. Randy is the best male worker in the company right now. They don't utilize them as the way. the way I would if I was Booker, but I'm not.

He can still work his ass off. Yeah. But, you know, he's making a lot of money. He's doing good. He's happy, and that's all that matters. Yeah, absolutely. But, yeah, Randy, one of my favorites. I think he's underutilized as well.

Oh, look at his body at me. God, he's off the gas, and it still looks great. Yeah, he's an Adonis. Yeah, his symmetry is unreal. and the emotions he gets out of people. I mean, I really hated him as a kid. Yeah. Oh, I know.

He could really piss you off. Yeah, he really pissed me off when you'd RKO John Cena. I mean, I really wanted to get after him. Yeah. There's a big difference in the way wrestling is today in your era, in K-Fabe. In your era, you guys really protected that. Yes. And really kept it close to the chest, whereas today, everything is documented.

In fact, there's a Netflix documentary that shows everything behind the scenes, social media. And it still thrives. And it still thrives. It's still one of the biggest sports globally. Well, let's deal with ESPN is really cool because it really legitimizes

not only the athletic skill, but the sport, which is a sport. It might be choreographed, but I can think of it in the last three years last three years two broken necks Biggie and

yeah they'll know Russell again and somebody else broke up next but I mean in the last 10 years people have I mean we've had seven broken necks yeah

so it's not a game no certainly not and we've got guys that are messed up every day with, you know, torn Muslimism. It's a really physical, physical contest. There's a reason why when the celebrities do it, they have to train in Orlando. Oh, yeah.

You know, he's great. Bad Bunny's a great. Yeah. And I'll tell you who else that's done great is Jake. Logan Paul. Logan Paul, yeah. He's done great. Hats off to him.

I mean, the stuff Logan Paul's doing is impressive, right? Yeah, I didn't realize that he was being trained by Sean Michael's like that said, but his kid is a really caught equipment time. She's worked up with Sean, and Sean is the master. Probably the greatest of all time. Yeah, he's the greatest performer, right? Yes, absolutely. Him and Steamboat.

Him and Steamboat. But Steamboat couldn't work both ways. Elaborate on that. What does that mean to someone who's not super into wrestling? It means his teambole is a phenomenal great guy, but there's not a prick. There's not a bone that says I'm a dink in Steeble's body. Sean can be a dach.

Yeah. But he can also be the best. Yeah. So you have a face and a heel, a good guy and bad guy. And in wrestling, you guys are trying to convey those emotions out of the fans. And Sean's going to do both. Yeah. Sean's had legendary matches with people from every year, including you.

Yeah. Nobody will ever touch our retirement. No, right? Nobody. Is that your favorite match throughout your career? It was hard to say it's my favorite, but I think it's the biggest WrestleMania movement all time. 80,000 people.

I didn't know what to expect because I didn't like that. I got Orlando for retiring. But when I walked out the door, There it was. The first time anybody ever said to me, he said, keep your f***ing out shut. Do exactly what I tell you. Wow.

Yeah, when he says, I love you and the finish, and no one sells better than you. That was always your calling card in the ring. You always made your opponents look incredible, which is a hard skill to master. That's the job, right? I spent my whole life doing that. Yeah.

And you got to wrestle a guy for an hour, which I'm the only guy that wrestled everybody for an hour. You've got to figure out the way to get through it. Because a lot of guys, number one, aren't conditioned to wrestle an hour. Number two, they don't have a skill. And number three, they just don't have the mental capacity. Hours are a long time, guys. Who is your favorite person to work within the ring? Oh, Steamboat.

Steamboat. Or Sean, yeah. Her Hunter, Harley Race. I love... Another legendary NWA champ. Harley Race? Oh, my God. So,

what's your first name? Zach. Jack. I'm Harley. So, Zach, what makes you think you could ask me questions

about my career? I am a hearty race, the world champion. So this is a great story. I tell everybody, so Triple-A's who is coming into the business, right? Paul would actually come in to the dressing room. And I go, and Harley was there. I go to Harley, Harley spoke in Marvel, and I go, Harley, this is, I go, Harley, this is a new guy coming in his name is Paula Beck.

So, I'm a hunter now. Yeah. Well, Mr. Reese. Train you. He's, oh, God. Harley was a drip, man. Yeah. God, you couldn't take it anywhere, man.

A lot of... Sorry. No problem. Look, Flarely. Harley Race, Jack Briscoe, yourself, all great NWA heavyweight champs. A lot of people consider you the last great NWA heavyweight champ, even though a lot of newer fans know you for your work in WWE, the hardcore fans recognize all the stuff you did in NWA. Talk to me about that era in the...

the travel i mean you're going to japan australia canada 11 000 mile week yeah talk to me about that i just said that that during that span i had that yeah so uh sydney for an hour with mark willing fly over to uh oakland new zealand an hour in ockland harley says let's change the belt and help I can't think of the more and we'll draw a bigger house tomorrow in Christchurch. I go Harley, how can he be able to do that?

You've got my permission. Ricky. So I dropped the bell to go to Christchurch and win it. And of course, some steward's called the, they called me, go, what did you do with Harley? I said, Bob, I didn't do anything with Harley. You got a problem with this, call Harley, tell Guy they go,

I'll be back on the mainland in 24 hours. Anyway, so I go from there to St. Louis for an hour. to Atlanta for an hour, and then to Tokyo, for three straight hour matches, three days in a row. You're the real traveling World Heavyweight champion. The most traveled, yeah. Yeah. Totally different than today. Oh, God, please.

It's almost, for a modern wrestling fan, it's almost... No, no, no, but it's... I'm saying that, but not demeaning, but... No. Would love. only wrestled 50 guys yeah because that's basically in a five-year period why just wrestle 50 guys I wrestle a different guy every night and 10 years and for an hour what do you think these kids would do with brooos or brodie and San Anson right now

Jesus Christ you talk about a different world yeah and then wrestling these guys in Japan. I wrestled Brody on Japan TV for an hour, but it made me famous in Japan. But still, it's a long hour with Brody. And he was good, great shape. But he's so intimidated. But he never hurt me, never once. But to watch him come around across the ring, six, six, three hundred pounds, do that flying knee and up, he never, never hurt me. And he's hold for me. I said that's all I need to do but get him down to my size like Big Show

I told Big Show I'd say Just sell your eyes and you're nuts Listen to me So I go And bring balls right He dropped to his knees Now we're the same size Yeah

Now I can punch him right What do you believe it I'm gonna punch your guys I mean you know what I mean It look a little crazy Yeah He tells that story It's a great story

tell you're a guy that's a kid come on let's go the biggest professional athlete was there someone who is someone

that you worked with yeah incredible I would just talk about this with my father who actually you met and were really nice to and he was a kid he what

he played basketball which saw state no for him to be a seven footer with that type of agility is really incredible you don't see that a guy's that big

no He's the best big man I've ever seen. The best. Including Andre. Including Andre. Wow. Yeah. Well, I'm not putting him a little bit Undertaker, but I mean, Undertaker is a lot smaller.

He's not quite their size. Yeah. It's a different league. Underdaker's the best big man ever. How does he do that? I haven't fit a roll of all that. Walking on the top world, he's just a great athlete. And even a better person.

Mark is one of the greatest guys of all time Wow The stuff he was doing with Sean Michaels I mean he was going move for move With someone so much smaller than him And so incredible at that stuff That match? Yeah

That was Sean's retirement match Yeah Yeah phenomenal It's my favorite match In Atlanta Mm-hmm Yeah Yeah

Yeah Well Sean could work with anybody man I mean, unbelievable. Let's help a mark, you know what I mean? Yeah, both of them. Both of them are Mount Rushmore type. Exactly.

How does that feel when people rank you as the greatest professional wrestler ever puts you on their Mount Rushmore and show you the love and adulation? What makes you feel true? It makes you feel great, but it's not that I couldn't have done that, but we didn't do moonsaults when I started.

I'm sure I could have done it. Does that make sense? Yeah. I'm sure I could do all that shit, but it didn't, wasn't that back. When I started, you were fighting for your life. I mean, you're getting hit in the mouth by guys that, they didn't like young guys coming into the business and taking their spot. That guys punch you in the, you've got to hit them back or you don't hit them back, brother, you're lost.

You don't walk in the dressing room. So, you know, different to him. Wow. But I think Sean and Taker and Stone Cole is one of my favorite, but the most entertaining guy in the world, I can look at this up now as the rock. He's such a gifted guy. Nobody's more entertaining.

Oh, nobody. Not even close. Shit is shit he did. The accents, the singing. What's your, what's the thing? He says, oh, what's your, I don't care what you. He was fabulous. I agree the best on the mic.

And Stone Cold, so great in the ring and on the mic, he's hilarious. Yeah, Steve, he was great. One pint, two points, three pints, four. two tequila, two bloody marries, three of you, what, what, what? I was to sit back there and go, this is the greatest I've ever seen. I flew into Manchester, I had one pint.

No, then I had two pints. The crowd was just eating it. I like Manchester. I'll have four pints, then five, then six. Was you really like that out of the ring? Oh, God, yeah, it was great. He could drink my hell, you kill me? He could keep up with you.

Oh, yeah. Okay. Yeah. He, I guarantee you what type is it in an hour and 11 margarita in his hand. You got your energy drink here. Woo, energy? Yep. Talk to you about that.

You're actually drinking. A lot of people have products, but they don't actually use it, but you're literally drinking it. Well, I want to be alert and entertained for you. Yeah. I didn't want to disappoint. No, and you're not. So it really is the best for that.

But it's mushroom fuel. And we're about to do a big deal with Walmart, which will take us over the top. And then I'm trying to get it in Japan. When I get it in Japan, I'll be hard to find. You'll call me for a podcast, and I'll say, yeah. $7,500,000, you know. Where is your ideal vacation spot if you had to pick?

My ideal vacation spot. I would have vacation everywhere. I can't say that I have one. When you lived my life and done what I've done, I mean, it's hard to pick one out. Does that sense? Yeah. I used to love the Caribbean, but I've done that so much. I guess if I was going to go on vacation right now, if you go anywhere,

I might go back to Hawaii. I used to go all the time I have been on 10 years but it was so Japanese occupied that it was just it wasn't like a

it wasn't like a good vibe you know I mean yeah but now that we've reclaimed and bought back some of the property and nothing is the Japanese got ruined with it I love the Japanese

you had a lot of great times there so you're looking forward towards Hawaii potentially going there I'm not go back there I'm trying to think I You know it's funny I don't

I just have done so much I've been so many places Um but I have not been to Columbia so I'm really looking forward to that No that'll be great Yeah So beautiful

It's on the water too right Not really Medellin no There is one city There is a city yeah Bogota Yeah Bogota is It's underwater.

Yep. It's like a few hours. Yeah. Medellin, they got like, beautiful, like, hiking and stuff. It's like a nightclub, though. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. It's like a nightclub.

Oh, you know what? I love Nashville. I can tell you that. Oh, do you? I hang out with Kid Rock in Nashville. That's a trip. Oh, that must be a hoot. So what's it like hanging with Kid Rock in Nashville?

Well, he's calmed on a lot. Oh, yes. It's just the aura of Kid Rock. I mean, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he. He's talking about a guy he'll never cancel. He doesn't get about anything. He says exactly what he thinks. And the great guy.

You see his house there, man. It's about 30 miles on a national. His house is 25,000 square feet. It's an exact replica of the White House. What? He's got two bars on it. They each hold over 300 people. people. One's country. One is like contemporary, right? 600 ahead of cattle.

I mean, it's, and you drive up to this warehouse, right? And you go inside the warehouse. He's got a studio that'll hold 50 people, maybe 80, where he records right there. Then he's got a collection of cars and shit. I mean, he lives large. private jet great guy have you been in any of his concerts I go all the time yeah I heard they're incredible

yeah that he can do well he can play every instrument yeah he can play every instrument he can do rock country pop he can rap never be another never be another

white like me no I love that me you yeah think I'm cocky With that song, the one I like, they don't speak anymore, but there's a promise. Picture? Yeah, that's a good one too.

Yeah. Oh, he's had a whole bunch of bangers. Yeah, they don't talk anymore. Oh. I tell you, he was a great guy. He's the best. God, he's the best. Is he?

Yeah, God. He's about a 10,000 acre ranch, right at the base of the mountains in Salt Lake. a really kind person. Kind. Great, phenomenal. His music's amazing, too. Obviously, he's got...

Oh, God, he's killing. So much commercial success. He's killing it. Yep. Were there any musicians in the 70s and 80s you got to hang out with and party with

that maybe someone wouldn't know? Oh, I got to hang out with Whalen Jennings a lot. Hung out with Motley crew. Guns and Roses. Oh, wow. I didn't have time to go to concerts if I met him along the way

well Steve I know Stevie Knicks real well man she can sing her ass Yeah she's incredible Yeah Trying to sing That's about it But the rock star lifestyle Pretty similar to how you guys were living

Yeah They don't live as hard as we do by any of them Oh they're not as hard No, they're living in these luxury. They travel and these luxury. Yeah, O'O'I'll tell you was a great guy, too, fun. He's a Darius Rucker. Darius might be my best friend.

He loves wrestling. So when you're going out, do you prefer, like, a real nice, fancy spot, or do you prefer, like, a more down-to-earth? I'm pretty simple, man. I don't go out of my way. like there's a place I would call Sunset Rodeo that I go to once in a while but I got an Uber over there or get a limo

and everything there's so much right here yeah it's all right here you've got Wagamama you've got Boulon you've got the furl there's a lot going on right here in this area yeah so you keep it simple yeah Another wrestler, another Mount Rushmore type legend who reside in the Tampa area, Hulk

Kogan passed away. I talked to him at the age where guy. I shouldn't say this, but what killed him was street drugs. When the doctor wouldn't prescribe anymore, he was in so much pain. And he had that neck surgery and got infected. back in the hospital, mentioned 10 back surgeries, two knees, two hips, all this, and then when they, when the doctor would not prescribe anymore, pain medicine, he just couldn't do it and all due conscience, right?

Yeah. So they went and got the drugs off the street. His body just said, you know what? Gingo, I can't do it anymore. Yeah. Sad. That's terrible. Yeah, what a great guy.

Wow. Yeah, all my buddies are going, boy. Yeah. You know Mike Rotondro, IRS? Do I know what? Remember IRS? Mike Rotundo. Oh, yeah, yeah.

Yeah, he's real sick right now. Mm. Sorry, I hear that. My best friend just had a stroke. Joe Gomez. Yeah. Knock on wood guys. Yeah.

Live it out every day. serious you had a great relationship with Hulk tremendous yeah but is these guys just I don't want to mention any and just we've just we know it's all gonna come out in immediate the next 30 days you'll read about anyway I just I just don't want I don't feel free to yeah no no don't know I don't want you to but I mean it makes sense his body being beat up like, I mean, the stuff he was doing was superhuman. Well, it's just 10 back surgeries, guys, and then come on. When you're putting Andre the Giant on your back.

No, it wasn't that. You know what? You know what caused the back surgeries? What was it? Dropping the leg. Mm. Dropping the leg. I jabbed his bones.

Mm. That's what did it. Wow. I go, hey, you, my, if you had an insist that on dropping the leg on everybody, you walk. you're walking around just fine. But that made him the holster. Yeah, I know. Yeah.

I didn't know that. I would have thought it was from the slams. No, you know, it was like a doctor told him, you just, how many times you do it? $100,000 in the 50, but. Yeah. It's hard for someone who's never wrestled to know what hurts and what doesn't.

and I'm sure there's a lot of moves that we wouldn't expect you really feel, but it does. Yeah. That's life. Yeah. Just hope to live another day. Pray and pray for your friends that are suffering now because a lot of people are. Yeah, absolutely. I went to the Cancer Institute yesterday.

Oh, my God. See, all these people with their head shaved, all the chemo and all that. It's a real wake-up call. It is. You've had a legendary workout routine since the 70s. You still get after it, lift heavy weights. Well, I don't was a rotator. But before that, I mean, this was very recent.

Up until then, you were deadlifting huge amounts. I did three weeks ago, a 400 point of life. But my best ever was 600. Wow. Do you think the workout routine and staying fit and lifting those weights? has helped you get through your scares? Yeah, plus I was very, very minimal steroids. What happens when you take these steroids,

you've got to remember that the steroids make the muscle grow, but they don't make the ligament grow. Yeah. And these guys that tear these ligaments and have all this fun, you know, you can't, you just can't put too much on the ligaments. is the steroids little bit link I mean that

legaments are one size you put too much beef on them that's where all those guys were getting the old days yeah

tearing everything up because they were gas for the gills so I obviously I took steroids but I'm very limited very limited

even though you were 240 plus well I know but I bet I took Got like Deca and Anaviris. Yeah. I didn't take testosterone around at all 50 or anything like that.

Yeah. And I only took that one, I remember. That tracks. Take a shot? Oh, I forgot. No. That tracks. And it carrying the shit in the road with you.

I thought a painting ass that was, too. Yeah. But you got some guys who are probably freaks with it. No, God, please. Look at the guys in the 80s. Who was the strongest guy that you worked with? The strongest guy ever? Yeah.

But Canbertera. Canbertera. First guy that ever put 500 overhead. Hmm. He took a bronze in the Olympics. That's incredible. And how did his strength feel in the ring? You didn't feel it, but I mean,

she just slow me around like a rubbery on me. I mean, nothing to hurt, but he didn't. literally could press me and throw me across the ring back nothing. Oh my God. A lot of guys could press me and slam me, but not throwing me across the goddamn rain. Yeah. That's insane. 6-1-240.

Boom. Wow. Yeah. Any shocking smaller guys who got you up? Yeah. No, I can't think of anybody that stands out like that. A lot of guys are most strong. Yeah, no.

We talked about, I mean, a lot of guys real strong, real athletic. Cezaro's real strong. Yeah. Real strong. John Cena is strong. Yeah, everyone says Cina and Cain. Yeah. And Cain?

Yeah. Glenn, I don't know. That's that strong. Big guy. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, everyone says Cina's real strong. Yeah, he is.

He's not the tallest guy. And a great guy. Great guy. How do you feel about? his retirement tour and him hanging it up and it's coming up soon. I know I'm am elated for him. Yeah. I heard they'd shared for him for 10 minutes in the garden Monday night.

Mm. You'll be there. No, they did. Oh, they did, yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. He's received a lot of fanfare deserved. Yes.

He's a phenomenal man. And he's a man. Yeah. When he does what the Make a Wish kids and everything. Yeah. You see one of your favorites in the ring, too? John, I never got to work with John. Yeah.

But do you like to watch him as a fan? Yeah. For our generation, the Jen's, I mean, he was our biggest guy. Yeah, for sure. A super Sina. Yeah. Larger than life. Yeah.

No, he really, I think, carried on the mantle and did a good job representing the sport. Yeah. He did phenomenal. He'll be missed. He'll be missed for sure. Do you think for someone like him it's too soon to give it up Or do you know

No, it's perfect It's perfect So in active in Hollywood now And he's done so well His acting is He's got a spot on now And he's doing great What was your relationship like

With the original nature boy Buddy Rogers Oh, it was good But it was fun I'll tell you It was strange So I really admired Buddy I never worked at him

when in the office, we're 30 years there was an age. But I did finally work on who came to Charlotte. He walked in a dressing room. And what made Rogers, this is what form like doing? Always tan, dressed immacally, right? And he walked over to me. And he looked at me and said, kid, there's only one diamond in this business.

you're talking to, buddy Rogers. He was a man. But he looked phenomenal, and I, and I wrestled him twice, but it was, he was like in the 60s or something like that. But he knew, back then brother, he was big time. He told me,

well, I've heard several times, I think about it in the 50s, he was making, making 50 grand a week. He'd go from Montreal to New York to St. Louis. I mean, everywhere he went. Wrestling with Beverly Watson and wrestling San Martino, Gene Kineski, Pat O'Connor.

I mean, he was making 50 grand a week back in the 50s. Wow. Yeah. He sold everything. He was, he was, and he really, He had this shut down. He's the first guy to ever do what we call high spots. Where you're like, you drop down, a guy jumps over you and all that.

He was the first guy to ever do that stuff. That's one of the beautiful things about wrestling is you can get those intra-generational matchups that you can't get in boxing. Because in boxing, you talk about, well, what would happen if Sugar A. Robinson boxedgeray Leonard. You never get to see it, really. It's just hearsay. But in wrestling, you can get some cool stuff with different generations.

Want me to answer that? Yeah. Shrew Ray Robinson. All right. Those older guys were toughest man. Yeah. It's like Archie Moore. Archie Moore, he did a favor for Mahan and Ali,

because he would, Archie Moore was what we call the shooter. Archie Moore was tough as shit. Oh, yeah. It's like, you know, this day, Sunday Liston, come on. He was bad. Nobody would fight Tony of Liston. He was, Eddie Machen, those guys were scared of it. Oh, yeah.

Floyd Patterson, dodged him. Nobody would fight so. Didn't go well when they did fight. I mean, yeah, Sonny List until, you know, a really young guy named Cassius Clay. Yeah. Well, it made him. But Sonny never got enough credit for his, he was bad at the bone, man. Mm-hmm.

I'll tell you what's funny. Do you remember Emil Grypheth? Uh-huh. Right? remember he was in a boxing match, Benny Kid Perrette. Yep. Right. So I was at the planet of Hollywood in New York years ago, right?

And I'm walking, he had that phenomenal body on him, Emil Griffith. And I'm walking out the door, and the sky is shining shoes. And I go, you know, Griffith? She said, yeah, man. I said, I got him a big fan here. Can I, can I do your shoes? I mean, it's just a shame. Wow.

That is a shame. Yeah, I mean, the guy was phenomenal. Incredible, yeah. All-time great. Anyway, I'm sorry. I don't mean. No, no, no. The story is that Perrette called him,

mentioned how you, Morgheim. Yeah. He really did. I watched the fight. Yeah. Saturday night at the fights. Yeah.

I watch it. Yeah. Griffith was something. What a body at him. I'd tell you what. I was working with Jake trying to make sure everything was all good.

I was like a liaison and Pete walks in smoking cigarettes in the locker room. Yeah. And I'm telling Trillard, I'm like, you guys have this comedian in here chain smoking

and Jake's got to come in here and warm up. He can't have a smoky room. I said, get him out of here. Yeah. So he got out of there and they febreezed it and then he comes in

and he was like kind of mocking everyone to their face and like, you know. Davidson was? Yeah. Huh. But I, that's certain humor. Yeah, like a,

a different, they didn't go well with the boxing guys. Yeah, I'm sure. The old school. I think BJ wanted to hit him in the ear, but he didn't catch him. Yeah. God, everybody was, I think Snoop Dog was there. Snoop Dog, yeah. Ricky Ross.

So Jake said when he knocked him out, he could hear Snoop Dog yelling. Yeah. Because there was no audience. It was just me, there wasn't many people there. No, I know. What do you think about Jake Paul and his body? boxing career? Well, I was supposed to go to that fight last Monday,

last, one in Miami last night. The one I got canceled? Yeah. Yeah. He's a tough kid. Both those kids are tough. Yeah. I mean, I know for a fact, but I shouldn't say it, but I don't mind.

He pulled up on Mike. He could have, he could have done some damage to Mike. 30 years difference in age. I don't care. I mean. Yeah. Mike's 57 or 58. and the kids 30, what?

Jake's 28. I mean, 30 years. I don't care how tough you are. And Mike, Mike, where do you got in shape for that? Mike was running on six miles of the day and trimmed down and, you know, but you're still not going to be the same of 57.

No. The Paw guys are tough kids. Yeah. They both are. Now he's got a fight coming up in Miami next month. He's fighting Anthony Joshua, the 6-foot-6, two-time heavyweight champion. Josh was a 15 to one favorite

Oh Joshua With gloves on? Yeah, 10 ounce. Pro. Oh, wow. So you can actually box them? Yep, on Netflix. He's going to... On Joshua?

Yep, heavyweight. Oh, God. Well, I'd be surprised at Joshua. Yeah. But you never know if Paul Gibbs. They're tough. Yeah. You think it's a one-round fight?

I have no idea anymore. Yeah. The public seems to think it's a big mismatch. Yeah, but that's what they do is they trying to get you to bet. Yeah, yeah. But it's a pro-sanction. I mean, it's 10-ounce gloves.

Yeah. I don't know. Well, good time. Yeah. Are you going to... I don't know. You're going to catch it maybe? Well, they wanted me to walk the ring

with those last... Oh, wow. That's Friday. So if they invite me again, I will. Okay. All right, we'll be there. The team? Oh, yeah.

It's my good friend for a long time, Jake. It was an honor and privilege to sit down with you, get your time. The Nature Boy, and for the cameras, can we get one last? Woo! Thanks, guys. Great show, great time.

What's up, guys? Miss Xax here. After a legendary interview with the Nature Boy, Rick Flair, we couldn't let you go without giving you the picks of the week. To start off, I like the Seattle Seahawks over. the Tennessee Titans. The Seattle Seahawks are a team that I've talked about all year. I touted them as a potential Super Bowl threat.

I said they were a good pick at plus 1,300 to win the NFC. And I think it's been going well ever since. Their odds have been creeping up in that area. And also, they have been winning games. Last week, tough game against Los Angeles Rams, the division rival. But I take positives out of that. Against a two-loss Rams team, they were right in the thick of it until the very end with a quarterback and Sam Darnold, who threw for four interceptions.

I don't see that happening again against the Tennessee Titans team. And I also don't see this Tennessee Titans team being able to surmise or surmount any type of offense against a dominant Seattle Seahawks defense. This is a defense that's been revitalized. They're in a totally different era with head coach Mike McDonald. They acquire Demarce Lawrence from the Dallas Cowboys. They get Leonard Williams. They have a dominant defensive line.

They have a great secondary led by Young Corner, Turek Wulin. And I think it's going to be a tough day for the Tennessee Titans. I like the Seattle Seahawks minus 13. My second pick of the week is the Dallas Cowboys against the Philadelphia Eagles. This spreads three and a half in the Eagles direction. The over under is 47 and a half. And when I look at this line, I like the Cowboys with the over. A lot of people have been hitting the under,

and that's because the Eagles offense has struggled in the Dallas Cowboys defense looked revitalized against a poor Raiders' offense, but a Raiders offense. They acquired Quinn and Williams at the trade deadline. They dealt with the tragedy of Martian Neeland, seemed to respond really strongly. but this offense I think is going to put up points better than most teams. They've got 1A and 1B and C.D. Lam and George Pickens.

There's not too many casinos in Philly, so I think these guys will be ready for game day. I like the Cowboys plus 9.5 and a half along with over 41.5. My final pick of the week is the Carolina Panthers against the San Francisco 49ers. A lot of the times when I'm looking at lines, I think the 49ers are a bit inflated. They've had a lot of success this decade. This is the team that's been to Super Bowl, but I think they're riding off the coattails of their previous defenses. They've had guys like DeForest Buckner in the building. Previously, they had a healthy Nick Bosa, a healthy Fred Warner. That's no longer the case. This is a struggling defense

going against the Carolina Panthers team. That's looked a lot better this year. They draft McMillan in the first round. They acquire Rico Dattle. And what else did they do? They got Bryce Young going. He was throwing the ball deep last week. He had 450 passing yards. He looks really good. Probably his best career performance as a professional. This is the guy who's the number one overall pick. Seems to be finally putting it together a little bit. I like the Carolina of Panthers plus seven going into San Francisco 49ers. Those are my picks of the week right here on double coverage. Ambition comes in all shapes and sizes.

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