Ric Flair is one of the most legendary names in wrestling history, but as it turns out, his father also had an indirect hand in the industry.
Gary Juster has a long history in professional wrestling, serving in both executive and promoter roles with Jim Crockett Promotions, AWA, WCW, and NWA. During his time with WCW he was responsible for overseeing multiple promoters in different cities throughout the country. He later went on to serve as Ring of Honor’s Director of Operations and now works as an executive for MLW.
Speaking on a new episode of The Insiders with Conrad Thompson, the longtime promoter and executive revealed his history with not only professional wrestling, but specifically with Ric Flair and his family.
Juster began by noting that he and Flair attended the same high school, though that wasn’t when the two became acquainted.
“Ric went to my high school for a year and I still don’t know why.”
After reflecting on the fact that he most likely met Flair when being trained by Verne Gagne for the AWA, he revealed that Flair’s father Richard Fliehr was the physician who delivered him at birth.
“One of the great coincidences is that Ric Flair’s father, Dr. Richard Fliehr, actually delivered me when I was born. Growing up, the ‘Fliehr’ name was a household name because it was my mother’s doctor.” (h/t WrestlingInc)
Ric Flair Was Adopted By The Fliehr Family As A Baby
Despite his taking his iconic name from an alternate pronunciation of Fliehr, Ric Flair’s identity could have been very different. Flair was born on February 25th, 1945 but was adopted by Kathleen Kinsmiller Fliehr and Richard Reid Fliehr when he was just a baby. After being given the name Richard Fliehr, he later adapted it to become Ric Flair as he launched his wrestling career.
Speaking on the Peacock documentary Woooooo! Becoming Ric Flair, the two-time WWE Hall of Famer opened up about his adoption and revealed that he only learned his birth name of Fred Phillips a few years back.
“Fred Phillips. I just found that out three years ago.”
Flair went on to add that he had been contacted by a man who shares the same birth mother, but the legend had little interest in meeting him.
“I don’t have any curiosity. I’ve got enough to be curious about, without someone I’ve never met in my life and meet him now at 73. What are we going to talk about? Ruin our life? He probably only wants to meet me because I’m what I am, whoever I am… If that makes sense.” (h/t Metro)
Flair recently returned to WWE television, introducing his daughter Charlotte Flair for an appearance on Raw’s 30th anniversary celebration, Raw is XXX. After facing off with Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair and Bianca were both confronted by Sonya Deville, and Belair went on to defeat Deville in a match. Full results from the January 23rd episode can be found here.