Ric Flair may be a 16-time World Champion, but the Nature Boy is fuming that he hasn’t made the rankings of ESPN’s top 100 athletes of the 21st century.
The list in question features athletes across various sports and is compiled based on votes from experts. Despite his impressive wrestling career, Ric doesn’t appear on the list, and took to Twitter to address being snubbed.
How In The Hell On God’s Green Earth Is Ric Flair Not Considered To Be One Of The Top 100 Athletes In The World??? I Should Actually Be In The Top 10. 16 World Titles, Actually 22. 1,200 Hour Matches, 15 Years Without A Day Off; A Cultural Icon & Worldwide Sensation. Good Lord, So Many People Have Lost Sight Of What Greatness Truly Is! I Never Pulled Out With A Calf Muscle Strain. Oh How The Times Have Changed! What A Bunch Of Bitches! I Get Tom Brady And All That, But Come On Let’s Get Serious!
Ric isn’t the only name in professional wrestling that feels he should have made the list. On his show (which airs on ESPN), Raw commentator Pat McAfee shared that he feels the Nature Boy should have made the rankings. It’s important to remember though that ESPN’s rankings cover athletes in the 21st Century, and therefore the vast majority of Flair’s career should not be taken into consideration.
The 21st Century saw Flair capture his 16th World Champion after being awarded the gold by Kevin Nash in 2000. Once WCW went out of business, Flair returned to WWE in November 2001 and competed for years until losing to Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 24. He would later wrestle a handful of matches in TNA before his final match in 2022 saw himself and Andrade defeat Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal.
Related: Ric Flair Fell Asleep During His Final Wrestling Match
At 75 years old, it certainly appears that Flair’s days in the ring are officially behind him, despite showing interest in one final, final match. Until that day comes, Flair will continue to have an incredible legacy, albeit not one enough to get him in ESPN’s Top 100 list.
