Ric Flair didn’t just play the Nature Boy on television — he spent a ridiculous amount of money making sure he actually lived like him. That included Rolls-Royces, private jets, Rolex watches and, apparently, enough alligator shoes to fill an entire room.
During a conversation with Roman Sharf, Flair was asked how much of the Nature Boy persona was a wrestling character and how much of it was really him. Flair admitted there wasn’t much separation at all, explaining that he believed fans could tell when someone was actually living the lifestyle they were selling on television.
“Unfortunately, all of it was really me. To this day, if you are really into your character and believe in your character and live your character, you’re a lot more identifiable to the audience because they know when it’s [bullshit] and when it’s really you. So if you’re talking about driving a Rolls-Royce, you better have one. I’ve had one.”
Flair kept going, pointing out that the private-jet lifestyle wasn’t fake either. He owned an airplane and said his commitment to actually living the Nature Boy gimmick came with a massive price tag when it came to clothes.
“If you’re talking about flying in a Learjet — and I owned an airplane. I’ve been flying private jets my whole life and did own an airplane, but I crashed in it and almost killed myself, but it killed the pilot and two other guys. So, um, I just always believed, uh, but when I say to them, my dismay, the money I’ve spent on clothing — I mean, you’re familiar with Bruce Freriedman?”
That’s when Flair revealed just how far the spending went. According to the WWE Hall of Famer, he has purchased hundreds of pairs of alligator shoes from the same Atlanta retailer over the years.
“I have bought 320 pair of alligator shoes from Bruce Freriedman.”
The host couldn’t believe the number and joked that it represented “a lot of alligators running around.” Flair made it clear this wasn’t some short-lived shopping spree either.
“Since 1981. You can call Bruce right now.”
For Flair, that kind of spending was part of what made the Nature Boy work. If he was going to walk onto television talking about Rolex watches, expensive suits, luxury cars and private jets, he wanted fans to know the man saying it could actually back every bit of it up. The downside was that living the gimmick didn’t come cheap — and 320 pairs of alligator shoes are a pretty wild receipt to prove it.
What do you think about Ric Flair spending enough money on luxury clothes to rack up 320 pairs of alligator shoes during his Nature Boy run? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
