Key Takeaways
- At the National Sports Collectors Convention, Luxury Bazaar CEO Roman Sharf surprised Ric Flair with a custom gold Rolex President recreated to match the sentimental watch Shawn Michaels gifted him after their WrestleMania 24 retirement match.
- Knowing Flair had lost the original timepiece, Sharf used a fake autograph request as a setup before revealing the replica, complete with the WrestleMania 24 dial, telling Flair he felt it was only right he "have that watch back."
- Flair, long associated with Rolexes and a lavish persona, was brought to tears by the gesture, later sharing the clip on social media and calling the gift deeply emotional for him and fans who remember the iconic match.
Ric Flair was brought to tears this week after receiving a surprise from Luxury Bazaar CEO Roman Sharf.
The heartfelt moment took place at The National Sports Collectors Convention, which began on Wednesday (July 29), where Sharf approached the 16-time world champion under the guise of asking him to sign a watch box. Instead, he handed Flair a gift that left the WWE Hall of Famer visibly stunned.
Sharf explained that he had recreated the Rolex President Flair received from Shawn Michaels following their iconic retirement match at WrestleMania 24 in 2008. According to Sharf, he learned that Flair had eventually lost the original timepiece. Wanting to restore a piece of wrestling history, he commissioned an almost identical version, complete with the custom dial commemorating WrestleMania 24.
"I felt it was right for you to have that watch back," Sharf told Flair as he opened the green Rolex-style presentation box.
The surprise caught the Nature Boy completely off guard. As he looked over the watch, Flair appeared overwhelmed with emotion, pausing, with tears in his eyes, to take in the moment before thanking Sharf for the thoughtful gesture.
The watch recreated one of the most sentimental gifts in Flair's collection. After defeating Flair in the legendary "Career Threatening" match at WrestleMania 24, the Heartbreak Kid presented his longtime rival with a customized Rolex President as a tribute to one of professional wrestling's greatest careers. Although Flair later misplaced the original, its significance never faded among wrestling fans.
For decades, Rolex watches have been inseparable from Flair's larger-than-life persona. Throughout his Hall of Fame career, the Nature Boy built an image around designer suits, expensive jewelry, and his signature catchphrases, often bragging about his luxury lifestyle during promos.
Flair has also openly shared stories about losing multiple Rolex watches during his infamous partying years, making the disappearance of the WrestleMania gift one of the more painful losses in his collection.
