Ric Flair has cut some of the greatest promos in the history of wrestling over his 35-year career, but there is no doubt which one is my all-time favorite. However, it’s probably one that very few besides me would even remember.

It was Dec. 29, 1997, and WCW Nitro was taking place at the Baltimore Arena. I had interviewed Flair over the phone about a week earlier for a story about him that I was writing for The Baltimore Sun. It ran the day Nitro was in town.

The piece was about how Flair, two months shy of his 49th birthday, had survived the poundings and politics of pro wrestling to become the oldest main-event wrestler in sports entertainment at that time.

As a longtime fan of both wrestling and Flair, it was a real pleasure to have the opportunity to interview him and write about him. What happened that Monday night at the arena, however, was surreal.

Flair – who was just beginning an angle with Bret Hart, who had recently signed with WCW after the infamous Montreal Survivor Series – came out to cut a promo with Gene Okerlund. I was there live at the arena with my future wife and a couple friends, listening intently to the “Nature Boy” talk the talk.

At that time, Hart was writing a column for The Calgary Sun, and he had written some unflattering things about Flair. Flair addressed Hart’s comments, and then reached inside his suit jacket to pull something out. It was a newspaper clipping.

“Bret Hart, let me introduce you to The Baltimore Sun,” Flair said.

My jaw hit the floor. How cool was this? “The Man” himself was using a story I had written to further an angle between himself and Hart.

Flair proceeded to read an excerpt from the article, which was a quote from The Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer saying basically that Flair was the greatest performer of all time. Flair punctuated the quote with a “Woooo!” and then tossed the clipping in the air and strutted off.

Fortunately, I was such a wrestling geek – and still am – that I taped the show even though I was there live, and I still watch the clip every so often. Needless to say, after witnessing Flair’s farewell weekend, I pulled that tape out and watched it again.

Fast-forward to April 2000. I had just left The Baltmore Sun to become the editor of WCW Magazine, and I was attending my first Nitro as a WCW employee. I ran into Flair backstage and introduced myself. He immediately referenced the story I had written about him more than two years earlier.

Flair told me that he had gotten a lot of heat from some of his peers – especially Hulk Hogan – for reading from the article on Nitro. He also told me that it was one of the best stories ever written about him, and he asked if I could get him another copy so he could have it framed.

As Flair reflects back on his incredible career, I’m sure the article and the promo in which he referenced it don’t even warrant a blip on the radar. When I reflect back on my career, however, there’s no doubt that it will be one of my fondest memories.

Here is the clip from Nitro: