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Jacques Rougeau (fka The Mountie in WWE) spoke to SK Wrestling’s Dr. Chris Featherstone on the latest edition of Inside SKoop. The former WWE Intercontinental Champion discussed Ric Flair’s career, including The Nature Boy’s short WWE run from September 1991 to February 1993.
On the reason why Ric Flair only lasted 18 months in WWE, Jacques Rougeau mentioned that Flair had lots of success before he joined WWE. He speculated that the 16-time World Champion might have wanted the same treatment in Vince McMahon’s company that he had elsewhere.
“He expected a lot out of the business but he gave a lot to the business. Everywhere in his younger career before he got to the WWF [WWE], he was a Superstar in every territory he went, so he was used to that treatment. He was used to having that main spot on top when he went to those small territories, so I assume in WWE he thought he had that kind of position in the business… that he would be a main, main, main top guy.”
Rougeau added that, based on his own experiences, he knows how difficult it can be to win matches against WWE’s top Superstars. Bret Hart and Roddy Piper were among Vince McMahon’s high-profile names around the time of Ric Flair’s WWE run. Rougeau, who faced both of those Superstars, also implied that it was tough for Flair to instantly become a top guy in McMahon’s eyes.
Please credit SK Wrestling and embed the video interview if you use quotes from this article.
Ric Flair’s 1991-1993 WWE run
Although Ric Flair did not last very long in WWE, one of his main career highlights took place during that period of time. The Dirtiest Player in the Game outlasted 29 other Superstars to win the vacant WWE Championship in the 1992 Royal Rumble.
Ric Flair lost the WWE Championship 77 days later against Randy Savage at WrestleMania VIII. He went on to regain it from the same opponent later in the year. However, his second WWE Championship reign only lasted 41 days before he lost the title to Bret Hart.
Mr. Perfect defeated Ric Flair in a Loser Leaves WWE match on the post-Royal Rumble 1993 episode of RAW. Flair then left the company and returned to WCW.
