Wrestling icon Ric Flair gave world championship belt to ‘shocked’ retired baseball star
CORRECTION: A PREVIOUS VERSION OF THIS ARTICLE GAVE THE WRONG YEAR FOR A VIDEO AND RELATED DESCRIPTION OF RIC FLAIR SURPRISING DUSTIN PEDROIA. THE YEAR WAS 2011.
Wrestling icon Ric Flair presented a gold world championship wrestling belt to a “shocked” retired baseball star at Boston’s Fenway Park on Friday night — a star who has forever idolized the WWE Hall of Famer.
“I’m like, ‘Man, this is unbelievable,’ and then the 16-time champ shows up — or whatever he is,” Dustin Pedroia said during the New England Sports Network’s broadcast of the Red Sox-New York Yankees game after the ceremony that night.
“I’m like, ‘Wow, they’re taking it to a new level,’” the former 17-year Red Sox star said.
In 2011, Flair similarly shocked Pedroia in the Red Sox clubhouse., NESN and many national media outlets reported at the time.
“What’s going on, brother?” Flair blurted to Pedroia, who was sitting on a locker room bench with his back to Flair, according to a Major League Baseball YouTube video of the surprise visit.
When they looked at each other for the first time in the locker room, each let out one of Flair’s famous “Woo!”
Flair made the Woo cry famous during his long, Charlotte-rooted career.
He was a relatively unknown wrestler the day he said he arrived in Charlotte “with $150 in my pocket” in 1974.
Charlotte was a professional wrestling epicenter, home to the National Wrestling Alliance, then the second-largest wrestling operation in the U.S.
Tunnel surprise
The 2011 visit was Flair’s first to Fenway Park, he said at the time, although he’d passed the stadium “thousands of times.”
Flair and his wife, Wendy Barlowe, entered the locker room through a long tunnel, with Flair carrying the wrestling belt on his right shoulder.
“What the?” Pedroia responded after turning around and seeing Flair.
“What the hell, man?” Flair replied with a smile.
“Very honored to meet you,” Flair said, allowing Pedroia a moment to recover from the surprise..
“Nice to meet you , too,” Pedroia said.
‘Heavy’ wrestling belt
Flair then gave the wrestling belt to Pedroia.
“Heavy,” Pedroia reacted to the weight of the belt.
“I brought you a real one,” Flair said.. “No more toys.”
“Nature Boy!” Pedroia said aloud to Red Sox players preparing to play the New York Yankees, referring to Flair’s famous wrestling nickname.
The remark prompted applause from the players.
Flair championship belts
“He’s the champ, right here,” Pedroia said with the astonished look of a child meeting an idol.
“How many times, 17 times?” Pedroia asked, referring to the number of Flair’s championship belts.
“16,” Flair replied. “22, unofficially.”
“It’s yours, man,” Flair said, quickly turning the focus back onto Pedroia. “Thank you. Thank you for all the respect.”
They shook hands and hugged, both in the locker room and later on the field.
“Good luck to you,” Flair told Pedroia on the field. “Give the whole team my best.”
This story was originally published June 26, 2021 at 12:39 PM.