Ric Flair has once again stirred conversation on social media, this time by sharing a flashback to one of the more violent chapters of his storied career. The WWE Hall of Famer posted a short video from his 2006 Extreme Rules match against The Big Show, now known as Paul Wight, declaring himself “The Hardcore King.”

The tweet features a clip of the intense contest, in which Flair can be seen using a barbed wire baseball bat to slice open Big Show’s forehead. The blood-soaked moment was part of their July 11, 2006 match at the Target Center in Minneapolis. Despite Flair’s onslaught, Big Show walked out of the bout still ECW World Heavyweight Champion.

Flair’s caption read:
“You’re Looking At The Hardcore King! WOOOOO!”

While the post offers a glimpse into Flair’s willingness to go extreme, his self-appointed title comes with a layer of irony. For years, Flair publicly criticized the man widely regarded as the real “Hardcore Legend”, Mick Foley.

The animosity between the two legends became public after Flair called Foley a “glorified stuntman” in his autobiography. Foley fired back by questioning Flair’s abilities as a booker, and the personal tension soon became professional when WWE incorporated their real-life feud into a televised program in 2006.

What followed was a string of increasingly violent matches, culminating in their brutally underrated “I Quit” match at SummerSlam 2006, where Flair emerged victorious. Despite their differences, the two remained committed to delivering for the fans.

The rivalry concluded in TNA four years later, where Foley had the final word by defeating Flair in a Last Man Standing match. Though the war of words once dominated headlines, both Hall of Famers have since reconciled.