With a tear in his eye Ric Flair won the 1992 Royal Rumble Match and with it the WWF Championship. The man himself as since claimed that the famous night in Albany, New York was one of the highlights of his entire career.
Ric Flair left WCW in a whirlwind of controversy in 1991 after being fired by Executive Vice President Jim Herd. Flair was also stripped of the World Heavyweight Championship. The only problem being that Flair still had the belt in his possession. So when he walked onto WWF television on September 9th, he did so with the big gold belt around his waist.
At Survivor Series, Flair helped The Undertaker defeat Hulk Hogan to win the WWF Championship before also getting involved in a rematch at This Tuesday In Texas. Due to the chaos, WWF President Jack Tunney declared the title vacant, and said that a new champion would be crowned at the Royal Rumble.
In the match Flair entered at number three and lasted over an hour before eventually claiming the win.
Ric Flair Reflects On Royal Rumble Win
Speaking on his podcast, To Be The Man, Flair has now revealed that he was told he would be winning the match by Jake Roberts. Not that he initially believed him.
“Believe it or not. Jake Roberts told me that day in the gym, and I didn’t, I didn’t believe Jake. He said congratulations I hear you’re winning. I said what are you talking about? That was the last thing I was thinking about. I was just glad to be away and be with friends that were real.”
Following his win at the Royal Rumble it was announced that Ric Flair would be defending his newly won title at WrestleMania VIII against Hulk Hogan. However, the WWF switched their plans and the dream match never took place. Even to this day, the reasons for the match being scrapped are still hotly debated.
Flair wrestled his last match for the WWF during this period on February 11th 1993 at a house show in Germany. Once his contract ended the star returned to WCW, where he remained, until the company was bought out by the WWF in 2001.
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