Ric Flair Says This Fellow WWE Hall Of Famer Influenced Him The Most

Ric Flair might have inspired many wrestlers to follow in his footsteps and make their way into the industry, but according to "The Nature Boy" on "Busted Open Radio," one WWE Hall of Famer inspired and influenced him so much that he wanted to be his kayfabe brother. During Flair's early days in the industry, he idolized Dusty Rhodes.

"The guy that influenced me the most when I was breaking in? Dusty Rhodes. I can answer without even thinking. I fell in love with The Dream. I wanted to be his brother, I wanted to be 'Ramblin' Ricky Rhodes.'" Flair continued, recalling a story where Rhodes and Dick Murdoch asked him to take them to an airport. "I was such a mark for Rhodes and Murdoch, right, so they told me one time 'Listen, we're gonna be on Johnny Carson tonight, take us to the airport. But don't tell anybody!' So, I took 'em to the airport and I went home and told my wife."

"The Nature Boy" again declared how much of a fan he was of the legendary team, and that he decided to watch the episode of Carson's "The Tonight Show" to see his heroes. "I loved them both. I watched that damn Johnny Carson for an hour and a half, that's what kind of a mark I was for them." Hilariously, Flair eventually realized that the veterans tricked him and got a free ride to the airport because their actual destination was Honolulu.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Busted Open Radio" and provide Wrestling Inc. with a h/t for the transcription.