North Carolina Senate introduces ‘Ric Flair Act’ to study possible wrestling hall of fame

A bill introduced in North Carolina could pave the way for a new professional wrestling hall of fame museum.

WRAL is reporting that the Ric Flair Act introduced Monday in the state’s senate would earmark $500,000 to study the possibility of creating a professional wrestling hall of fame. The bill would direct the money to go the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources to study the possibility. The agency would need to report its findings to lawmakers by the summer of 2026.

Senate bill 404 is officially named “An Act to Remember Iconic Combatants through Fostering Learning Awareness and Interest In Rassling.”

“Our shared cultured heritage in this state is college basketball, NASCAR and professional wrestling,” Jay Chaudhuri, one of the co-sponsors of the bill, told WRAL. “Professional wrestling still hasn’t gotten the recognition it deserves.”

Ric Flair at one point was the biggest star in the Mid-Atlantic territory of the National Wrestling Alliance, wrestling frequently in North Carolina as the NWA World Heavyweight Champion.

Two notable pro wrestling museums are the International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in Albany, New York and the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in Waterloo, Iowa.