Richard Morgan Fliehr (born 25 February 1949), better known by his ring name Ric Flair, was an American professional wrestling manager and professional wrestler. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, he wrestled from 1972 to 2012, and he was regarded as the greatest professional wrestler of all time and the best American performer of the 1980s, becoming a 16-time world champion. Flair was a longtime supporter of the Republican Party, supporting many Republican candidates in North Carolina and even considering running for Governor in 2000.