In a recent interview, Bret “Hitman” Hart discussed the art of in-ring wrestling, comparing his own technical style to the hard-hitting, chop-heavy offense of fellow Hall of Famer Ric Flair and former World Champion GUNTHER. Now, “The Nature Boy” has responded to those comments, agreeing with Bret’s status as a great technical performer.
The debate between the technical artistry of Bret Hart and the brawling, storytelling-focused style of Ric Flair is one that continues to this day. Both men are considered among the greatest of all time, but their approaches to the craft were distinctly different.
Speaking with The Escapist Magazine, Ric Flair was asked about Bret’s comments. He was quick to praise Hart’s technical abilities but pointed out that Bret’s preference for a less physical style was a major difference between them.
“Oh, I agree with Brett as far as being one of the greatest technical performers of all time. That goes without saying. But Brett never liked to get smacked, and that’s the way I worked. We laugh about it now, but he just hated getting chopped.”
Flair then explained that his stiff, hard-hitting style was a deliberate and crucial part of his presentation. He believes that by hitting opponents like Ricky Steamboat, Sting, and even The Rock as hard as he could, he made the matches feel more real and allowed the fans to become more emotionally invested.
“But for me with someone like Ricky Steamboat, you must have seen our matches. I hit Steamboat as hard as I could. I hit Sting as hard as I could and the people could feel it. Especially when you’re out on the floor. I even watched a match between me and The Rock recently. I was smacking the hell out of The Rock. He didn’t care.”
Flair also gave his take on GUNTHER. While he admitted he hasn’t seen enough of GUNTHER’s work to fully judge it, he did praise his “tremendous look” and “great facials” before making it clear that he doesn’t see a comparison to himself.
“For Gunther, I haven’t watched him enough, but what they find fascinating about Gunther is his look. He has a tremendous look. Because when he wrestled Pat McAfee. Pat McAfee was 10 times the athlete that he is. But Gunther has a great look. His facials are great and all that. But if you’re comparing him to me, come on, there’s levels to the game.”
Ric Flair continues to be a major ambassador for the wrestling business through various media appearances. You can read the full, detailed interview with Ric Flair at The Escapist Magazine.
