wcwworldwide: [This Day in WCW History] Ric Flair: WCW World Heavyweight Champion - WCW Starrcade [December 27th, 1993] Ric Flair on winning the WCW World Heavyweight Championship from Vader on this night, taken from his 2004 autobiography To Be The Man: "Harley Race was Vader’s manager. With all our history, it was kind of special to have Harley there. And for the first time, my parents watched me wrestle, alongside Megan, David, Ashley, Reid, and Beth. All around them, the people were clapping their hands together and chanting, ‘Flair! Flair! Flair!’ I know that the other guys were kidding Leon backstage for having to lose the title to me, so when we got in the ring, we practically fought for real during parts of the match. When Leon suplexed me from the top rope, he protected me. When he jumped on me from the turnbuckles, he was ten times easier on my body than a lot of other guys. But when he punched me, it was legit. My ear was cauliflowered. My nose was swollen. He came at me with two fists at once, busting open my mouth. We went to the floor, and Leon said, ‘I’m going to beat the fuck out of you, if you don’t fight back.’ I told him, ‘You want it, buddy? You got it.’ And I just started tagging him. I’d been in fights like that before but I never expected to have one at nearly forty-five years of age. I was biting Vader, and the fans loved it. As I covered him for a near-fall, Harley climbed the ropes, then came careening down with one of his flying headbutts. I rolled out of the way, and Vader took the hit. We got up, and I began chopping Vader. He knocked me down, then turned toward the crowd. That’s when I grabbed his ankle, tripped him, and rolled on top for the pin. It was one of my finest moments in the ring. The people were so happy. Even when I went backstage, the fans were still screaming, “Woooo!” I never really had the feeling that my parents liked wrestling. They told me all the time that they were proud of me, but I know they had no passion for the business. I was glad that they could be there with my kids that night, and see how much I meant to people.”

wcwworldwide: [This Day in WCW History] Ric Flair: WCW World Heavyweight Champion - WCW Starrcade [December 27th, 1993] Ric Flair on winning the WCW World Heavyweight Championship from Vader on this night, taken from his 2004 autobiography To Be The Man: "Harley Race was Vader’s manager. With all our history, it was kind of special to have Harley there. And for the first time, my parents watched me wrestle, alongside Megan, David, Ashley, Reid, and Beth. All around them, the people were clapping their hands together and chanting, ‘Flair! Flair! Flair!’ I know that the other guys were kidding Leon backstage for having to lose the title to me, so when we got in the ring, we practically fought for real during parts of the match. When Leon suplexed me from the top rope, he protected me. When he jumped on me from the turnbuckles, he was ten times easier on my body than a lot of other guys. But when he punched me, it was legit. My ear was cauliflowered. My nose was swollen. He came at me with two fists at once, busting open my mouth. We went to the floor, and Leon said, ‘I’m going to beat the fuck out of you, if you don’t fight back.’ I told him, ‘You want it, buddy? You got it.’ And I just started tagging him. I’d been in fights like that before but I never expected to have one at nearly forty-five years of age. I was biting Vader, and the fans loved it. As I covered him for a near-fall, Harley climbed the ropes, then came careening down with one of his flying headbutts. I rolled out of the way, and Vader took the hit. We got up, and I began chopping Vader. He knocked me down, then turned toward the crowd. That’s when I grabbed his ankle, tripped him, and rolled on top for the pin. It was one of my finest moments in the ring. The people were so happy. Even when I went backstage, the fans were still screaming, “Woooo!” I never really had the feeling that my parents liked wrestling. They told me all the time that they were proud of me, but I know they had no passion for the business. I was glad that they could be there with my kids that night, and see how much I meant to people.”