Ric Flair’s reputation as a “party animal” during his heyday is well-earned, according to fellow former wrestler Barry Darsow. Speaking on The A2theK Wrestling Show, Darsow—known to fans as Demolition Smash and Repo Man—recalled what a typical night out with The Nature Boy was like.
“Oh my gosh! It’s not an easy night, let’s put it that way. When you go into a bar, you better be ready to drink some beer. And it didn’t matter how many people were in there, Ric was the party.”
Flair was never one to hold back when it came to spending money to make the night unforgettable. While many wrestlers on the road tried to save their earnings, the two-time WWE Hall of Famer was known to spend freely—often on complete strangers.
“It’d be nothing for him to spend 3-4-5,000 dollars and buy the bar everything. I don’t know how he did it. I hung around him a lot and he was a character.”
According to Darsow, Flair’s presence could turn any bar into a full-blown celebration, especially when he was back home in North Carolina.
“Especially where he was from down in North Carolina where we lived. Everyone knew him and everything. So it was just a party everywhere you went.”
Now 76 years old and long removed from his days as NWA World Champion, Flair’s wild nights are behind him. Still, the memories—and the legend of The Nature Boy’s larger-than-life lifestyle—remain unforgettable to those who were there.