Open Letter to Mr. David Crockett, Conrad Thompson, et al

I'm up early today because I need to write about something that is on my conscience.  As the subject line states, you may consider this an open letter to those concerned.  

As an avid wrestling fan, I have for years admired the career of one Ric Flair.  Whether he has been in WWE, WCW, Impact, or NWA/Jim Crockett Promotions, Flair has always been the greatest pure professional wrestler ever.  His style and accomplishments speak for themselves; indeed, there is nothing I can say in his praise that hasn't already been said.  

Flair was, is, and will always be "the Nature Boy" and "the Man" (apologies to Becky Lynch, but he had it first).  

This notwithstanding, I am distressed about the main event in "Ric Flair's Last Match" (1).  My concern has nothing to do with perceived jealousy, selfishness, or wanting to be Ric Flair.  Rather, it involves questions of health, and a worry about Mr. Flair's well-being.    

Let's consider the facts of this matter:   

• Professional wrestling is a very physical activity, and one that comes with many "calculated risks".  

• Both serious injuries and deaths have occurred as a result of these activities.  See Darren "Droz" Drozdov in October of 1999, Mick Foley in 1998, and Owen Hart in May of 1999. 

• Flair is seventy-three years old, and has wrestled for the better part of fifty years (2). 

• In recent years, Flair has had kidney failures, heart surgeries, and various other medical problems.

In a certain sense, I know what this is all about; Flair has said that he "will never retire", and that he wants to die while in a wrestling ring (3).  

Like Flair, I too love professional wrestling.  And I realize that it is difficult to pull yourself away from doing something that you truly love, no matter what that might be.  Indeed, even the great Undertaker seems to have had trouble realizing the truth; that it was time for him to step away from activities inside the ring.  

Please don't misunderstand me; I realize that if Flair truly wants to go out this way, he has the right to do so.  I'm not him, nor do I claim the right to make decisions for "the Man".  If this is his choice, let him make it.  

Nevertheless, I must mention that at a certain point, people are unable to make certain decisions for themselves, or even to understand what might happen as a consequence of such choices and actions.  This is, ultimately, what worries me about the current situation.  

Simply put, if Flair doesn't understand the risks involved, or if he is no longer capable of making rational decisions for himself, the scheduled main event must not be allowed to take place.   

Now, Flair has nothing left to prove to me, the wrestling world, or to the world in general.  He has already proven, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he is the very best to ever do what he has chosen to do.  That much is beyond question.  

That said, there is no need to assist in what could well be Flair's own suicide.  In this fan's opinion, the end does not justify the means.    

This is not to say that the show must not go on.  It is perhaps possible to find a replacement for Flair in the main event, and have the match that is expected.  And it is well within your rights to make such a substitution; indeed, the match card is always "subject to change".  

However, I believe that some consideration should be given to changing the main event in this manner.  Even if he needs the money, there's no need to have him go out in what I call a "Chris Benoit moment", or something at all similar (see note).  In this fan's opinion, it just isn't worth it.     

Thus, I urge you to consider the health and mental state of Ric Flair before going ahead with this event.  If he's mentally sound, then by all means, have the match as scheduled.  That said, let's do the right thing for everyone concerned.  

Note: You may recall that in 2007, Mr. Benoit killed himself and two members of his family in a murder-suicide.  It has been suggested that certain mental issues, combined with stress, led to the actions taken (4).  

Sources:

1. “Ric Flair’s Last Match.” Starrcast V, starrcast.com/ric-flairs-last-match. Accessed 19 July 2022.

2. “Ric Flair.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ric_Flair. Accessed 19 July 2022.

3. “Ric Flair - Still and forever the Nature Boy WOOOOOOO!!!” YouTube, uploaded by SARiX, 4 Jan. 2009, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rg_teqyLNOs&feature=youtu.be. Accessed 19 July 2022.

4. “Chris Benoit Double-Murder and Suicide.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Benoit_double-murder_and_suicide. Accessed 19 July 2022.