One Last Time.
Fictious encounter starring wrestler Ric Flair.
(Contest winner with themayhem.com)

"You gonna make sure to put him over, Ric?"

"Dammit Vince, it's me, do you actually have to ask that question. All my life, I played by the bookers plans, this won't be any different. Just one last time."
Ric Flair had stared across from Vincent K McMahon Jr.'s desk that day and wondered how the fans would react. Charlotte had been jaded since his last triumphant return, almost 8 years before at Starrcade 93. Then his opponent had been Vader, never even seeing the immenant arrival of Hulk Hogan. Now his opponent was time.

Here in Charlotte, Ric Flair would challenge none other than The Rock for the Unified World Title. Sure Vince called it the 'WWF Championship' but the unified belt was really what it was. Harley Race never held a belt like that. Ricky Steamboat never held a belt like that. Hell, no one since Lou Thez had the honor of a belt like that. But here, The Rock did, and Ric Flair had the honor of making sure he was respected with it.

The last of the Old Timers.

The Old Gaurd.

But was he still The Legend?

These were WWF fans. Fans of high spots, fans of tables and ladders and Mick Foley. Even if they <i>did</i> remember him, would they care? Would they see him as anything more than the man who bumped like a pinball for Animal and Vince Russo?

"5 minutes, Mr. Flair" a stagehand said.

Ric stood, caped in his legendary robe, his hair grown back out to its fullness of white-blonde, his fingers taped, a small blade hiding between his middle and ring finger inside. Not since the very first Starrcade was Ric ever nervous before entering a ring. Yet here it was. His stomach quibbled, his arms a forrest of goosebumps, his body sweating already. He twisted his neck to the sides and became readily aware that many eyes were already upon him. He could see Edge in one corner, drinking a bottled water. Near him stood Jim Cornette, a mastermind behind the two getting together in the first place. Jim was listening intently to a headset that he could hear the announcers from.

Slowly he looked up and smiled, pointing his hand like a gun at the Nature Boy. Arrogant prick. But hey, at least he was a likeable arrogant prick.

"Hey, Ric, just wanted to say again that it is an honor to work with you. Let's go out there and pop that crowd like a pimple."

Dwanye Johnson was one of Ric's favorite younger guys. Ever since he was just a young boy, Ric had known him and all that time he knew there was something special about him. Now fate crossed again and Ric retired in his hometown, putting over the young man who he once hugged and told that 'you ought to gain some weight before he can get in a ring, or else you'll get crushed, kid.'

Ric shook his hand and Dwayne shifted the belt on his shoulder, pushing back his sunglasses and walking to the curtain. With a nod, the man on a headset told the man working the music to smell what he was cooking. The audeince loved him. Every fan was on thier feet cheering, holding up signs and flashing pictures. Between the handshake and the nod to the man with the headset, The Rock had been turned on like a switch in Dwaynes head and now, the audience was eating his show up.

The lights changed and went out. A spotlight hit the curtain and the theme song to '2001: A space Oddesy' began.
Ric never would have been able to suppress his emotion at the utter dominance of sound that eminated from the arena. There was no chant, or sing-a-long with music. It was sheer emotion pouring from every heart of every fan in the audience. When Ric stepped through, it got even louder, almost deafining the ears. Pyro went off as Flair strutted down the ramp, eyes pouring with tears. He turned and let the camera catch the written words of 'Nature Boy' across his back as he wailed a huge, classic, 'WOO!!'

The audeince responded in spades.

That night Ric Flair did all his classic spots and allowed the Rock to hit his. The Flair flop followed the spit-into-the-hand punch. The sharpshooter was reversed into the figure four. And in the end, The Rock pulled out a narrow victory using, nothing else but a simple backslide.
And Flair was out in a ring, for a title, in Charlotte for

One Last Time.