Can you smell that?   It’s not what the Rock is cooking, it’s the age of Fartin’ Randy Orton. And you know what?  I’m going to dig it. The six pack-abed bastard is growing on me.   Wait, it’s Matt Hardy, Matt Hardy is back . . . and scratch that, Matt loses again. Next time let’s try the age of La Parka.

Mostly, however, I liked this week’s RAW. There have only been a few wrestling moments that have actually brought a tear to my eye.   There is the Benoit/Guerrero title wins at Wrestlemania, Ric Flair returning to WCW with the Four Horseman after his legal trouble with Eric Bischoff (still my favorite wrestling moment of all time),  and Flair’s retirement on this week’s RAW.   Well, there was also that time Koko B. Ware lost by trying his version of the Stinger Splash only to have his opponent to move out of the way, costing him the match. I know Koko lost that way every week, but it never failed to tear me up. It was always worse than when Spock died in Star Trek II.

Flair’s retirement was classy, a word you don’t often hear associated with WWE. Ric didn’t need to give a huge speech, he just said a few heartfelt words and let HHH do the rest. Then, having the Four Horseman come out and thank Flair for all that he’s done was perfect—it gave me chills. Evolution, Greg Valentine, Harley Race, all helped make the night special.   The problem is, it looked like WWE’s backup plan, just in case they   needed to fill more time, was to start individually calling out random wrestlers. What started as a bang, ended in a whimper.

HHH: Ladies and gentleman, Rusty Brooks.   Rusty would like to thank you for everything you’ve done for wrestling, Ric.   You know who else wants to thank you, Ric? Gilberg. Gilberg is here and he’d like to thank you for everything you’ve done. Glacier, Come on down here, Glacier, tell Ric what he means to wrestling.

I’m just saying it was a little anti-climactic.   Well, I’m saying that and that David Flair is fat. I don’t like to judge people, far be it from me, but David Flair has had a few too many barbecued ribs is all I’m saying. He looks like he ate another David Flair. Not that I mind, but when you show up on television looking like Liza Minnelli it has to be pointed out. I’m not saying it to be mean, David, I’m just saying you’ve got a problem, and I’m here for you.

There are a few people I wish could have been there when Flair retired that weren’t. How about Terry Funk?   Sting?   I’m being overly picky, of course. Like I’ve already said, the segment was done very well—much better than the angle leading up to the retirment—and it will go down as one of my all time moments in wrestling.