The Last Real World Champion

The Legacy of "Nature Boy" Ric Flair

De: Tim Hornbaker

Narrado por: Joe Hempel

For more than a century, professional wrestling has cultivated some of the most eccentric and compelling personalities. As the embodiment of flamboyance and intensity, the "Nature Boy" Ric Flair stood at wrestling's apex for decades, cementing his place as a once-in-a-lifetime athlete and performer. When he was in the ring, fans knew they were witnessing the very best, and he not only became a multi-time world heavyweight champion in the NWA, WCW, and the WWE, but his status as a generational great has been confirmed with inductions into numerous Halls of Fame.

The Last Real World Champion: The Legacy of "Nature Boy" Ric Flair is a gripping portrait of a wrestling legend. This unflinching biography explores the successes, struggles, and controversy of Flair's life in wrestling, pulling no punches in sharing the truth behind his in-ring achievements and out-of-the-ring hardships. Today, Flair is celebrated for his pioneering career and as an iconic figure in the realm of mainstream sports entertainment. Celebrated wrestling historian Tim Hornbaker tells Flair's complete story, with meticulous attention to detail and exhaustive research, creating a must-listen for fans of wrestling, sports, and popular culture.

©2023 Tim Hornbaker (P)2023 Tantor

Fantastic Book about the Nature Boy

This book starts from the beginning to end of Ric Flairs career. Tons of information, great stories and really shows what it took to be a great wrestling champion.

Good information

Good information overall but more of just a line my line expression of Ric Flair's career if you're wrestling fan, you probably know it

"The Last World Champion..."

I went into this one expecting a deeper exploration of Ric Flair — not just the performer, but the man behind the persona. Unfortunately, the book never quite gets there.

The biggest issue for me is that it feels like all bun, no meat. There are very few “wow” moments, revelations, or insights that longtime wrestling fans wouldn’t already know. Much of the book reads like a replay of Flair’s in-ring career and storyline progression, material that’s already well-documented and far more engaging when experienced through the matches themselves.

Hornbaker does touch on key figures and moments as Flair’s life and career progress, but the personal side remains thin. The glimpses into Flair as a person feel surface-level and largely drawn from information that’s been readily available for years. There’s little emotional depth, introspection, or behind-the-scenes nuance that would elevate this beyond a career recap.

As a historical overview of Flair’s status as a traveling champion and his place in wrestling history, the book functions well enough. But as a biography — or even a legacy piece — it never fully capitalizes on its subject. For a figure as complex, controversial, and larger-than-life as Ric Flair, the result feels surprisingly safe and unambitious.

This isn’t a bad book, but it is a forgettable one. If you’re new to wrestling history, it may serve as a basic primer. For readers already familiar with Flair’s career, there’s very little here that can’t be gleaned elsewhere — and often more compellingly.

Good Biography not Great

I enjoy Tim's other books alot so when I heard he was making a Ric Flair biography I was excited. The book overall is good although me personally I wouldve prefered more stories about the backstage happenings and Ric Flairs life more so then just going thru his career match to match. Good book overall though.

Tremendous piece of business

Insightful, honest and even at times compelling even with the stories you already know about