Corrigan’s Corner: The Day I Wore the Nature Boy’s Robe

Without a doubt the greatest thing I’ve done in Huntsville is slide my shoulders into the most legendary article of clothing in professional wrestling history: Ric Flair’s robe.

And the only reason it happened is because of writing columns like this.

On my first day in the newsroom of AL.com, an elderly gent with a brown cowboy hat and a camera strapped around his neck approached me with a smile.

“I hear you’re a wrasslin’ fan,” said “Bullet” Bob Gathany, the best damn photographer in the business.

“Yeah, I’m a pretty big fan,” I replied, downplaying the last 14 years of my life.

“Well, I heard this story on the radio while I was driving in…”

Ric Flair had appeared in a commercial for the 1st Family Mortgage Company, a local business in Huntsville. While in town, a friend of his set up a meeting between Naitch and Dick Bourne, author of “Big Gold”-an analysis on the design and history of the WCW World Heavyweight Championship.

Well, Bob suggested I reach out to Bourne for an interview. It went smashingly and you can read it here.

A few days after posting it online, I received an e-mail from a reader who absolutely loved the piece. Of course, I’m no stranger to fan mail, especially if you remember my universally adored contributions to The Temple News…

Anyway gang, the reader then suggested if I wasn’t busy over the weekend, to come over his house and check out his collection of championship belts.

Now you may be thinking what kind of psycho invites a stranger to his home to show off his toys and possibly later use them in Basham brother-style foreplay.

But what you SHOULD be thinking is how sick am I for immediately agreeing to go over to this stranger’s home without any worries.

I ain’t scared.

So on July 27, I cruised over to this man’s mansion (gated community and pool hanging off a mountain) and explored his homemade wrestling museum. Displays of replica as well as authentic championships from WWE, WCW, NWA, and ECW adorned the walls. Vintage posters, portraits, and even the ECW sign hung in his basement. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Kevin Nash’s cape that he wore as Oz during his disastrous first run in WCW.

How does this man, who has never worked in the industry, possess all this memorabilia?

He’s a wealthy, diehard fan. And more specifically, a diehard Ric Flair fan.

I know I know, who isn’t? Darius Rucker loves Naitch, Mike Mooneyham incessantly Tweets him, Amanda has rode Space Mountain, we get it.

But do any of them have a life-sized mannequin wearing Flair’s bronze robe, rotating inside a miniature ring, with his entrance theme blasting, surrounded by a giant glass case?

Exactly.

John Corrigan wearing Ric Flair’s robe

This guy turned his fandom into friendship with the 16-time heavyweight champion of the world, and in the coolest Pollyanna gift of all time, received the Nature Boy’s red and gold robe, which was worn at WrestleMania 18.

Obviously, as a diehard fan myself, I couldn’t pass up the chance to style and profile just once in my life like the limousine-ridin, jet-flyin, kiss-stealin, wheelin-dealin, son of a gun.

So he helped me slide it on and Meeeeaaaaan BY GOD Gene, let me tell ya, it felt like I was on the receiving end of his signature chops. Adrenaline bursting, veins popping. I strutted around the room and then dropped an elbow on the floor. Shattered the tile, but fuck it, charge it on the tab, honey. It’s a night of kamikazes and women and Rolex watches and $1500 shoes and we’re calling Arn and Tully and J.J. and WOOOOO!

“Get out of my house.”

Wrestledelphia.com assistant editor John Corrigan can be reached at . Follow him on Twitter at .