Steve McMichael finally received proper recognition as one of the greatest players in NFL history. He will enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame later this year. The timing couldn’t be better, as his battle with ALS seems to be reaching its end. It is a bittersweet moment for one of the Chicago Bears’ most iconic players. Yet, for all his amazing exploits on the field, he might have an even greater reputation off it. Few people can testify to that more than legendary professional wrestler Ric Flair.
“The Nature Boy” carved out arguably the greatest career in wrestling history, winning world titles in every major promotion across over 40 years. Many view him as the gold standard of the business. He also happens to be one of McMichael’s best friends. They connected once the football legend retired and entered the world of wrestling. It didn’t take long to realize both were kindred spirits. They worked hard and played harder. During an interview with Dan Pompei of The Athletic, Flair made the tough admission that McMichael partied even harder than him, which he thought was impossible.
“When he came on board, his personality won me over in five seconds,” Flair says. “It’s bigger than life. He’s one of the greatest guys I’ve ever known.”
To Flair, McMichael was more than a wrestling partner.
“We hung out every night, partied and drank,” he says, laughing. “You kidding me? I spent New Year’s Eve one year with him and Lawrence Taylor in Las Vegas. Tell me about it. Steve can be something else. He gets away with it because he’s Steve.”
Not many could hang with the legendary “Nature Boy” after hours. But Flair claims to have struggled to keep pace with McMichael, who showed up every Monday for five days on the road with $15,000 in cash in his pocket, saying, “I’ve got more money than I’ve got time.”
In his prime, he admitted to consuming as many as 20 drinks per day, which worked out to around 3,700 to 4,000 calories. Keep in mind that a can of beer is around 150 calories. That works out to around 26 beers in a 24-hour span. Absolutely absurd. Flair is basically saying that McMichael outdid even that ridiculous pace. When you think about it, that isn’t a huge surprise. Flair was 6’1 and 250 lbs. McMichael was 6’2 and 270. He was considerably bigger. It is no wonder the two gravitated to each other.
Their friendship has endured for this long, a testament to the type of person Ric Flair is. For all the grief he gets for his lifestyle, nobody can dispute that he is loyal to the people he cares about. He’s visited McMichael regularly. The Bears legend chose his friends well. One can only hope the wrestling legend will be there in Canton when the Hall of Fame presents his bust.
