Ric Flair’s last match has been hailed as the second biggest independent wrestling show in the United States in the modern era.
From the moment that Ric Flair announced that he would be entering the ring one more time, the wrestling industry was split. While some believed Flair deserved the chance to compete for a final time, others questioned the wisdom of allowing a 73-year-old with a history of serious health issues to get into the ring.
Even after the event, consensus on the show remains elusive. Flair did get to go out as he wanted, blood, tears and as many signature spots as his body could take, but the bout didn’t make for entirely comfortable viewing as the veteran struggled badly in the closing stages. He later admitted that he couldn’t remember sections of the match, despite it only finishing moments earlier.
Despite this, it appears as though the event, which was run under the Jim Crockett Promotions banner was a financial success.
Writing in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer noted that “It would have to be called the second biggest independent pro wrestling show in the U.S of modern times.” Aside from All In in 2018, the show was the most successful event of this generation.
The show drew 6,800 fans with a live gate worth $448,502. The second largest indie gate in North American wrestling history.
The one-off card achieved between 20,000 and 25,000 streaming pay-per-view buys, with an additional 4,200 in television cable buys. Meltzer adds that for show that had no television promotion, this has to be considered a success.
You can find the Wrestling Observer’s star ratings for every match on the 11-match card here.