It's a shame -- I remember seeing him when I was in college, at the ECW Arena (I miss the Alhambra) during his first ECW run, and again in Pensacola, during a WCW run. He was one HECK of a performer. You always got the sense that he was giving it all to entertain the crowd.
Yeah he was a great performer!
I met and hung out with Kevin Sullivan and (then) wife Nancy at a pro wrestling convention in NYC area (an airport hotel, I think) in summer 1991, right before Flair arrived in the WWF. Kevin was an awesome guy and she was very nice. Better times - their marriage ended after Nancy & Benoit became romantically involved.
I was at a WCW show at the meadowlands where they had a Wargames and Flair no-showed and Sullivan subbed for him. Sullivan’s crazy violent antics ended up saving the show, who was hostile at not seeing Flair live. I mentioned to Kevin that “you know, I don’t know if you remember, but you single-handedly saved that card in the meadowlands a while back with your work in that Wargames.”
He smiled broadly and said (sincerely) “I know I did! Thank you very much for remembering that.” Nice guy.
Pre-ECW, around January 1992 I think, I attended a wrestling convention in Pennsylvania, where they were in attendance also. That evening had a show headlined by Terry Funk and Eddie Gilbert (RIP, also). I think it was under the older ECW banner, East Coast Wrestling.
Wrestling was cooler back then. Actually, it was the best back in 1970s. :-)