Is Ric Flair’s Robe Authentic?
Ric Flair has made an impact on the world of wrestling and continues to make a huge difference in pop culture. The Rolex-wearing, diamond ring-wearing, kiss stealing, wheeling n’ dealin’, limousine-riding jet flying son of a gun is an icon, having had dozens of memorable matches and angles throughout his career.
One of the most recognizable aspects of ric flair’s larger than life presentation in the ring is his array of custom-made robes. These elaborate leisurewear pieces often adorned silver sequins, gold trims and exquisite Austrian rhinestones, and could cost as much as $10,000 to make.
During his heyday in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and then World Championship Wrestling (WCW), Flair wore a variety of colorful, fur-lined robes during in-ring appearances. They were all designed by Olivia Walker, a professional wrestling gear and robe maker who worked for several other notable wrestlers as well, including Lex Luger, Greg Valentine, Dusty Rhodes and Paul Orndorff.
In addition to his dazzling robes, ric flair also wore a large gold belt around his waist. During his time in both the NWA and WCW, this belt was regularly seen in a variety of matches. When he moved to WWE, Flair gave his original, WCW version of the gold belt to Triple H as a sign of friendship and goodwill.
Pink was a color that seemed to pop up a lot in the robes of ric flair during his WWE days. The pink robe that he wore for the NWA World title defense against Lex Luger in 1990 is one of the most recognizable.
The red robe that he wore at WrestleMania is another famous look that ric flair created during his era with the WWF. This robe was a key part of ric flair’s WrestleMania victory over Mr. Perfect, and it would return for his losses in the WWF title battle against Bret Hart (October 1992) and a loser leaves WWF match against Mr. Perfect (January 1993).
White and purple were two colors that ric flair returned to time and again during his WCW era. This robe is the most recognizable of his WCW robes, and it’s still a popular choice for collectors.
This robe is likely the most iconic of all his robes, and it was worn during Ric’s first ever World Title Victory over Dusty Rhodes in Kansas City in 1981. It was also worn during his title feud with Kerry Von Erich in 1984.
In addition to his robes, ric flair also walked the line in a pair of boots that are worth a fair amount of money. This set of boots was worn by ric flair during his run with the NWA in the 1980’s and the 90’s.
As ric flair approaches retirement, he’s getting ready to take on one last opponent. Rather than sit on the sidelines and ponder his next move, the 73-year-old is planning a special event in Nashville where he will get one more chance to live the life of a champion. He’ll be fighting against an as-yet-unnamed opponent at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium.