Whatever Happened to David Flair?

Brian Damage

It can’t be easy being a second, or third, generation wrestler. The expectations, from an early, age to match, if not better, the achievements of the family members that came before. It’s a task made all the more difficult when your father is the iconic ‘Nature Boy’ Ric Flair. today we ask ‘Whatever Happened to‘ David Flair.

It certainly mustn’t have been easy growing up as the son of the 16 time world heavyweight champion….the legendary ‘Nature Boy’ Ric Flair. It was even harder trying to follow in his footsteps as a professional wrestler. David Fliehr aka David Flair did just that in 1999, when he started training at WCW’s Power Plant.

There were people who wanted to test him and see if he would stick around. They may have either worked a little extra stiff or took liberties on the young David Flair. ‘Hollywood’ Hulk Hogan for example, brutally whipped David with his weight belt during a segment, An incident which initially angered Ric Flair as he felt he took liberties with his son. To his credit though, according to Ric Flair, David took the beating like a man and refused to complain about it.

David Flair was pushed relatively hard for the next few months in WCW, turning heel on his Dad and eventually winning the WCW United States title and co held the WCW world tag team titles with Crowbar. After a number of feuds and programs with the company….WCW went out of business and David was signed to a developmental deal with WWE.

While David never really had a career to speak of with the WWE, he did have a segment with the Undertaker where Taker attacked Flair while he was in training leaving him battered and bloody. That segment helped promote his dad’s match with the Undertaker at Wrestlemania. David Flair was eventually released by the company and he showed up next on the upstart TNA wrestling. After about a year with TNA, David wrestled sporadically on the independent scene.

According to Ric Flair’s good friend and Four Horseman stablemate Arn Anderson….David Flair’s wrestling career was only suppose to be a one time deal teaming with his Dad against Curt Hennig and Barry Windham. He said the appearance was so well received, that WCW management wanted to bring the younger Flair in long term. It was something that Arn felt David never really wanted fully. His heart wasn’t into the business as it was with his father.

Add to the fact that he was rushed through his initial training in the Power Plant…and his lack of his dad’s charisma and David never really matched up in any way to Ric Flair. So it begs the question….

Whatever happened to David Flair?!?

David Flair still makes appearances at wrestling events, but for the most part, has moved away from the business of pro wrestling. He is married with two children and lives and works in his home state of North Carolina. He had worked for a medical supply company for a while, but now manages the Seal Wire Company which is owned by his mother in law. The Seal Wire Company produces copper and steel wires for companies.

You can read all previous ‘Whatever Happened to?’ pieces here.