30 for 30 Director: “I Wanted to Explore What Made Ric Flair So Great”

– 30 for 30 director Rory Karpf spoke with SI about the upcoming feature on Ric Flair, which will feature interviews from Charlotte, Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley, Ricky Steamboat, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, Jim Ross, Eric Bischoff, and Flair’s first wife Leslie. Some highlights are below:

On his motivation for doing the feature: “In the wrestling world, the viewer isn’t sure what’s real or what isn’t, but ‘Nature Boy’ Ric Flair wasn’t just a character. He was real. The wrestler he portrayed in the ring was also the man he was outside the ring. I found that to be fascinating. He’s led a crazy life that’s a natural for a 30 for 30. Plus I just love pro wrestling.”

On his direction in the piece: “I wanted to explore what specifically made Ric so great and what specifically makes for a great pro wrestler. Why is he considered the greatest of all time? How is that determination made? Unlike the NFL or NBA there really aren’t stats and metrics we can use like touchdowns, points scored or championships to determine greatness. Wrestling is pre-determined. But it is very athletic and the performers are definitely athletes. I wanted to give wrestling its just due in comparison of other sports.”