Ric Flair: To Be the Man Review

Rating 4.33 out of 5

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Ric Flair: To Be the Man
By Ric Flair with Keith Elliot Greenberg
Edited by Mark Madden
Published by WWE Books
Released on July 6, 2004
352 Pages (Hardcover)
Available in Hardcover & Paperback

Ric Flair is a legend in the wrestling world. With at least 16 world championships to his name over 36 years, there is no wrestler who had a greater career than Naitch. Having started out in the AWA, Flair quickly made his way to the Mid-Atlantic, which became his adopted home. After many years, Ted Turner bought the NWA and it became WCW. Flair then took a "vacation" to the WWF for a year and a half and returned until WCW's demise in 2001, when he was picked back up by the soon-to-be WWE.

In To Be the Man, Ric goes into detail about career as well as his personal life. He has a million funny and intriguing anecdotes about his lengthy career that will "woo" any fan of the Nature Boy. Needless to say, it was hardly a gimmick. As a whole, Flair comes across much more honest than not. He shares his thoughts about many of his contemporaries, including (but not limited to) Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Shawn Michaels, Dusty Rhodes, Sting, Lex Luger, Diamond Dallas Page, Eric Bischoff, Mick Foley and Bret Hart. Unfortunately, the last two in that list drag the book down very slightly, as they come across more as receipts than anything else.

While it's unfortunate that the book was written during those personal feuds, To Be the Man is a must-read for any fan of Flair's or even wrestling at all. It's very well-written, honest, fun, emotional and candid. You can't ask for any more from a wrestling autobiography. To Be the Man delivers on all accounts.