ESPN’s “30 For 30” documentary on WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair will premiere tonight at 10pm EST. The documentary is set to run for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
“Chronicling wrestler Ric Flair and his wild ride as the “Nature Boy” inside and outside the ring. Interviews include fellow WWE stars Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels and Ricky Steamboat, plus Flair’s family, including his first wife. Directed by Rory Karpf.”
Below is video of The Nature Boy talking about what to expect from the film;
ESPN announced today at the Television Critics Association Press Tour (TCA) that its 30 for 30 documentary “Nature Boy,” on wrestling legend Ric Flair, will premiere on Tuesday, November 7th, at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN.
ESPN Films’ Ric Flair 30 for 30 “Nature Boy” Premieres November 7ESPN Films announced today at the Television Critics Association Press Tour (TCA) that its 30 for 30 documentary “Nature Boy,” on wrestling legend Ric Flair, will premiere on Tuesday, Nov. 7, at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN. Director Rory Karpf (“I Hate Christian Laettner,” “The Book of Manning”) will take an inside look at Flair’s story, including his triumphs, his tragedies, and his pivotal role in turning pro wrestling into mainstream sports entertainment.
Real or Fake? It’s a question that’s long shadowed professional wrestling. But for one of the industry’s most legendary performers, there’s never been any separation between the ring and the world around it. His story starts in the Midwest, when a young Richard Fliehr set his sights on rising to stardom in a unique world, and decided to do anything necessary to get to where he wanted. A character was born, along with a singular desire “to be the man,” and a drive that made him as popular and polarizing as any figure ever to step into the ring. The success took a considerable toll – on his body, and on his wives and children – and in 2013 came a tragic postscript. But today, Flair remains as defiant as ever, proud of his legacy, eager to remain in the spotlight. This is the story of a man, a character, and their unbreakable connection.
“This film was basically borne out of working with Rory Karpf on our ‘I Hate Christian Laettner’ documentary,” says 30 for 30 Executive Producer John Dahl. “Rory interviewed Ric for his take on sports villains and wanted to do a film on him next. After watching that interview for the Laettner film, we were convinced that Ric would be a fascinating subject to explore for our first feature-length 30 for 30 on a pro wrestler.”
“Nature Boy” features two in-depth conversations between Karpf and Flair over a 16-month span, surrounded by interviews with those closest to the man himself; including Triple H, Hulk Hogan, Ricky Steamboat, Baby Doll, Tully Blanchard, The Undertaker, Arn Anderson, Shawn Michaels, Sting and Road Warrior Animal as well as his first wife, Leslie Jacobs, and children along with others who know Flair best.
“I grew up a huge wrestling fan in the 1980s and I was captivated by Ric Flair,” says director Rory Karpf. “It’s been a personally rewarding experience to tell the story of arguably the greatest wrestler of all time. Ric’s story transcends the wrestling business, and my hope is that it will appeal to wrestling and non-wrestling fans alike.”
ESPN caused wrestling fans to shout “Woo” by teasing a first glimpse of the upcoming Ric Flair 30 for 30 documentary Nature Boy.
The wrestling legend retired four years ago as a record 16-time world champion. As detailed by Grantland’s Shane Ryan in 2011, the limousine-riding, jet-flying son of a gun had some tumultuous troubles outside of the squared circle.
According to Sports Illustrated‘s Richard Deitsch, the ESPN film will feature interviews from other WCW and WWE icons, including Triple H, The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley, Arn Anderson, Sting and Flair’s daughter, Ashley, who is currently the WWE Raw women’s champion using the ring name Charlotte Flair.
The brief trailer didn’t give much away, but it offered a taste of the highly anticipated documentary, set to air in 2017.
[ESPNFrontRow on Vimeo]
Source: Bleacher Report
Source: WrestlingINC
It was announced on RAW this past Monday night that The Wyatt Family would be appearing on last night’s Off The Top Rope segment on ESPN Sportscenter, however the segment was scrapped. Jonathan Coachman noted that it was cancelled this week because of the network’s coverage on the deaths of Pat Summitt and Buddy Ryan, however he noted that the segment would return next week. There was still a RAW recap segment last night on Sportscenter, which you can watch here.
John Cena will be hosting the 2016 ESPY Awards for ESPN on Wednesday, July 13th.
ESPN issued the following:
WWE® Superstar John Cena to Host The 2016 ESPYS on ABC on July 13The 2016 ESPYS Presented by Capital One will be hosted by WWE Superstar, actor and television host John Cena, who is best known as a 15-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion and record-setting Make-A-Wish granter. The ESPYS will be broadcast live on ABC Wednesday, July 13, at 8 p.m. ET from Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
Cena—who is the host and executive producer of American Grit, a new military-inspired competition series on FOX and has appeared in hit comedies Trainwreck and Sisters—will be joined by top athletes and celebrities to commemorate the past year in sports by recognizing major achievements, reliving unforgettable moments, and saluting the leading performers and performances. The ESPYS raise more than $1 million annually for The V Foundation, the charity founded by ESPN and the late basketball coach Jim Valvano to promote cancer research.
“It is truly an honor to be named host of The 2016 ESPYS,” said Cena. “Not only will the biggest names in sports and entertainment come together to recognize some of the most spectacular athletic performances of the year, but we’ll also raise funds for The V Foundation to further much-needed cancer research.”
As a WWE Superstar, actor, TV host and philanthropist, Cena devotes much of his time working on behalf of numerous charitable causes. He is Make-A-Wish’s most requested wish granter of all time and the only celebrity to grant 500 wishes. Cena is also committed to Susan G. Komen and its support of breast cancer research and awareness, and is a longtime supporter of the U.S. military, recently recognized by USO Metro as the recipient of their 2016 Legacy of Achievement Award.
“John is not only a superstar athlete and entertainer, but also a motivational force who inspires fans across the globe,” said executive producer Maura Mandt. “John approaches all of his endeavors with energy, enthusiasm and passion so we expect him to bring a new level of excitement to the night’s celebration.”
In addition to his work in the community, Cena is a powerhouse on social media with more than 41 million Facebook fans, making him the most popular active U.S. athlete on Facebook. He has recently appeared on Good Morning America, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Ellen, The Tonight Show and CONAN, among others. He also frequently co-hosts the 9 a.m. hour of TODAY.
The celebration of the best moments from the year in sports kicks off with The ESPYS Countdown Show Presented by Capital One airing from 5-6 p.m. ET, SportsCenter at The ESPYS from 6-7 p.m. ET, then another hour of The ESPYS Countdown Presented by Capital One from 7-8 p.m. ET on ESPN prior to the start of the awards. The ESPYS are executive produced by Maura Mandt and MaggieVision Productions.
The application site for media credentials for The 2016 ESPYS will open on June 6. Tickets are available for public purchase at AXS.com. For additional ESPYS news and information, please follow the official Twitter handle: @ESPYS.
The ESPYS
The ESPYS gather top celebrities from sports and entertainment to commemorate the past year in sports by recognizing major sports achievements, reliving unforgettable moments and saluting the leading performers and performances. The 2016 ESPYS will recognize both sport-specific achievements, such as “Best MLB Player” and “Best WNBA Player,” and best-in-sport winners, such as “Best Team” or “Best Female Athlete” that pit nominees from different sports against each other. Inspiring human stories are showcased through three pillar awards – the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, the Jimmy V Perseverance Award and the Pat Tillman Award for Service. The ESPYS support ESPN’s ongoing commitment to The V Foundation for Cancer Research, launched by ESPN with the late Jim Valvano in 1993.
Jonathan “Coach” Coachman returned to WWE RAW last night in Brooklyn and after giving props to WWE Tag Team Champions The New Day, announced that ESPN SportsCenter will be doing live coverage of WrestleMania 32 from Dallas on Sunday leading up to the big event.
Last night ex-WWE commentator, turned ESPN SportsCenter host Jonathan Coachman rolled out with SportsCenter’s new weekly WWE segment.
The weekly WWE segment on SportsCenter will feature top moments from RAW and interviews.
Rollins’s tweeted about his appearance, thanking Coachamn and ESPN for having the guts to step outside the box with WWE:
It was announced last night during RAW that WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins will appear along with Jonathan Coachman on SportsCenter tonight at 9pm ET.
There is speculation that Rollins and Coachman will make a announcement concerning SportsCenter covering WrestleMania 32 just like they did this past August with SummerSlam.
Brock Lesnar appeared this morning on ESPN Radio’s Mike and Mike Show and on ESPN’s SportsCenter. Below is a video of Lesnar on SportsCenter:
Lesnar also took time this morning to man the security post on ESPN’s campus.
Here is a picture of Lesnar on Mike and Mike:
Former WWE Commentator Jonathan Coachman, who now works for ESPN, indicated on Twitter that he will be in New York this week to cover WWE’s SummerSlam pay-per-view for SportsCenter.
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