Listen up! Class is in session.

Today, I take a bit of a break, as we check out letters of praise for the great one, Ric Flair.

Last week, I went on a rant, contending WWE is showing little respect to Flair these days. Bottom line: he should be given some sort of championship, and retire -- a proper sendoff for the greatest grappler of all time. You can read that lecture right here.

Now it's your turn to speak on this subject. So sit back, relax, and read what my best students think about The Nature Boy.

First up, two negative letters (have to get them out of the way); the first from a guy named Mickey:

You need help bad, see a Doctor fast. You have brain damage. GET A LIFE.

Actually, Mickey, I have a life. I'm Professor Wrestling, and you're not. Get over it. Next, an anti-Flair missive from Bert Echevarria:

Please get a life. To state that Ric Flair is better that Hulk Hogan, you must be insane. Ric Flair has had his moments, but there is no comparison. Hulk still brings the crowd to their feet. Ric Flair is just as you see him: a loser and a has-been. Wake up and smell the coffee.

Uh, Bert, Hogan isn't fit to shine Flair's boots. Just thought you'd like to know. Speaking of the Hulkster, here's one from student Gregory McConnell:

To this day, the greatest wrestling match that I have EVER seen involved Flair and Vader for the NWA title. Flair took serious punishment from Vader but gave as well as he got and in the end defeated Vader with wrestling moves, not some cheesy leg drop. Are you telling me that today's buffed-up superstars are STILL succumbing to that tired old leg drop delivered by a past-his-prime champion? Don't get me wrong, I was as big a Hulkamaniac as the next guy, but enough is enough.

Enough is enough. But I bet you $5 Hogan will get a win against Shawn Michaels (who turned on Hogan on "Raw!" Monday night) if they meet each other at "SummerSlam." Despite their stormy past, Vince McMahon is simply in love with Hogan. But enough about him, back to THE MAN, Ric Flair. The next Nature Boy memory comes from Brandon Morris:

I was about eight years old in the '80s when Boutwell Auditorium in Birmingham, Ala., had live shows every Saturday night featuring the likes of Dusty Rhodes, Ted DiBiase, Junk Yard Dog, and the man himself, Ric Flair. I remember that after the shows Ric would always take time to sign as many autographs as possible. He would stay and chat with the fans. Dusty would pretty much blow everyone off, but Ric would stay because he knew that he was who he was -- because of the fans.

A guy named "J" is also a huge Flair fan. He was lucky enough to see him in his prime:

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I remember watching many matches between Ric Flair and Harley Race where they went non-stop to a 60-minute time limit draw. I was amazed they could keep that pace for that long. Even though I always knew it was all staged, these were great matches. I'm fan of the "old school," and am not really entertained by the junk I see today -- which is why I don't watch much anymore.

I can't blame you J, but let me throw out a few names that remind me of the old school: Carlito, JBL, Eddie Guerrero, Rey Mysterio and TNA's A.J. Styles. Focus on these guys, and you may become a fan again. Back to memory lane, and a letter from Larry Smith:

I saw Flair at a live show in Daytona, Fla. He came over to a nice looking, well-endowed lady in front of me in the first row. He almost wet his pants when her rather large boyfriend stood up and said he would break him in half.

Yikes!
Up next, Christopher Rowland:

One reason they (WWE writers) may have not wanted Angle to job (lose to Flair on "Raw!") could have been because he is new on "Raw!" and they may think it's more important to build momentum for him right now. I don't know. I would have loved to have seen Ric get the win too. And I totally agree that Hogan doesn't ever do jobs. But that's what separates he and Flair. Flair will always try to do what's best for the business.

Which brings us to John Smigliani's letter:

If it were not for the "stylin' and profilin'" of this true icon, wrestling may not have ever reached the heights that it has. Ric Flair is without a doubt the greatest performer the business has ever known! There have many before him and I am certain that there will be many after him, but no one will ever come close to being his equal! Flair should once again hold the title that he so richly deserves!

I saved the best for last. Here's Richard Arrington, a Navy engineer, who took time to check in from the U.S.S. Roosevelt:

While I'm at work, when I have a point to prove I end my statement with: "Woooooo!" But anyway, the one thing I remember the most about Ric is when I was a little boy, no more then 7 or 8 years old.

I remember my dad had this job at WRAL-TV in Raleigh, N.C. Well, we were spending time together and I was sitting in the lobby. When my dad returned, he asked me if I wanted to meet somebody. I thought it was going to be another one of dad's boring friends, but to my surprise, guess who walked through the door? THAT'S RIGHT, THE NATURE BOY HIMSELF!

He was there with Wahoo McDaniel, Ricky Steamboat and Arn Anderson. I watched my dad talk to them like they were friends for years. It was cool. When Flair shook my hand, I froze. But when Ric saw how scared I was he then gave me a hug and said it was alright. Then Ric -- smooth as he is -- reached into his pocket and pulled out a couple of tickets for me and pops. He then told us we were his guests and to meet him backstage after the show. To make a long story short, I had the time of my life and after that, FLAIR HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE MAN!

Can't top that. Safe journeys, Richard. Thanks for writing, and thanks for defending our country.

That's it. Get out of here! Class dismissed!

Wooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

(Professor Wrestling is a masked employee of Internet Broadcasting. He once again urges you to rush out and buy Ric Flair's autobiography, "To Be The Man," on sale everywhere.)