By Eric Gall, Torch specialist

Hi, I'm Eric Gall, and this is "On the Contrary," where I tackle the conventional wisdom concerning a generally believed concept in the wrestling each week. I then offer the "flip side" of the argument, stating what I feel are reasons that the mainstream opinion may need re-examining. This column is all about discussion and a free exchange of ideas, preferably those well-thought out and logically written; send in you thoughts below or email me at ericgall@optimum.net.

Last week, I examined the relative merit of TNA's product. This week, I'll be talking about someone every wrestling fan knows, the 16 time Heavyweight Champion of the world, the limousine-ridin,' jet-flying, kiss-stealin,' wheelin'-dealin,' "Nature Boy" Ric Flair. Whooooo!

The prevailing thought: Ric Flair should not end his retirement to wrestle once again. Ric Flair, arguably the best wrestler of his generation, and some would say, ever, has mentioned that he would like to wrestle again. Triple H doesn't think this is a good idea, especially since Flair was given "the ultimate send-off" last year at WrestleMania Weekend and the following Monday Night Raw. Jim Ross was more measured in his disapproval, saying he was "generally not in favor" of Flair's returning for multiple matches.

As of this writing, 53 percent of the respondents in the Torch Poll felt that Flair should not return due to either avoiding potentially embarrassing himself and/or to avoid ruining the send-off he received last year. On Torch website and message board postings I've seen, it's clearly not a unanimous feeling, but the lion's share of the opinion lies with the feeling that Flair should stay retired.

On the contrary: Ric Flair should come back; the naysayers are unconvincing in their assertions that this is a bad idea. First of all, Ric Flair is a one of a kind. No one provides what he can bring to the business. On a main-event heavy, promo-driven show like Raw, someone like Flair can spice up an otherwise boring rivalry like the current Randy Orton-Batista program. Flair's presence on Raw would give a familiar face and voice to WWE's flagship show, which is still searching for the next star who will bring the masses back to Monday nights.

Secondly, a return to wrestling will not tarnish Flair's legacy. I don't know where this line of thinking comes from, but it is largely erroneous. Did Muhammad Ali's late career losses ruin his reputation? Not in my eyes. Did Joe Montana's last years with the Chiefs really affect his status as one of the all-time greats? Nah. I am hearing the same sort of talk from sportscasters about Brett Favre, and I've always felt it was just one of those topics that sports writers cringe about that has no real bearing on the sport.

Really, fans of Ric Flair know he's past his prime and know he's not going to bring the same level of performance that made him so respected. Let's give Flair some benefit of the doubt that he'll know how many matches he's still capable of, how many bumps he should be taking, and so forth. It's almost expected that a wrestler who voluntarily retires never stays retired. Why should it be any different with the Naitch?

Flair said that "I haven't retired; they retired me." Flair still has that hunger for the ring, and after seeing Flair all these years, I don't think he will ever truly retire, or at least want to. Shouldn't Flair be the one who decides when he's had enough? Would you tell someone in any other field that they shouldn't be able to go out and work even though they feel they can and still be in high demand? Flair's "they" he alluded to would be WWE, and according to Triple H, the "ultimate send-off" given to Flair was obviously expected to be the official period on the chapter of Ric Flair's in-ring career. The truth of the matter is that Flair's greatness was birthed and blossomed, for the most part, outside of the WWF/E, and the end of it should not need to be authored by it, either.

I would go so far as to say Flair's send-off was not, in fact, as cherished as many are claiming it to be. Perhaps it was the great match with Michaels at WrestleMania with Michaels's "I'm sorry, I love you" statement right before the career-ending superkick that colors the recollection. The fact of the matter is that Flair's final match and treatment in the months leading up to WrestleMania was not commensurate to the treatment a retiring legend as Flair really should have been given. I think a brief title run would have been acceptable, or a placement in one of the main events. Flair was not given this, and while his send-off was indeed notable, how could his retirement justifiably not be?

Lastly, the issue of credibility has come up. Some say they would not be able to believe Ric Flair being 60 years old as being a credible competitor in the ring. I say that the wrestling business is all about suspension of disbelief. Look at Rey Mysterio's career in WWE; he's been billed as "the ultimate underdog," yet routinely defeats men twice his size, and no one blinks an eye. Look at Hulk Hogan's career; just about every match was seven minutes ling with little more than paper-light punches, kicks, clotheslines and leg drops, and he became arguably the most marketable wrestler ever. In reality, the argument of Flair's returning posing a credibility situation is a straw man; Flair's legacy would and should cover concerns regarding his status in the ring should he decide to return.

My take: Ric Flair has earned the right to end his retirement, and he alone is the sole arbiter of the validity of this decision. I don't care whether it's overseas, as it probably will initially be, or whether it's on a WWE PPV, which I guarantee it will be by the end of the year, Ric Flair will and should return to wrestling. He wants to, and that's good enough for me. He is a unique talent who, as the greatest wrestler ever, brings instant magic to any event he's a part of.

Let's not worry about tarnished legacies or whether or not his arm drags will be deep enough to get a passing grade on some smart mark's checklist; Ric Flair is probably the biggest reason why I, and I'm sure many, many others, became wrestling fans in the first place. If he wants to stick around just a little bit longer, what's wrong with that?

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