Jason Smith/Getty Images

I never thought I would say this, but Ric Flair needs to leave the squared circle.

As a man soon to be 40, I am saddened by what one of my heroes growing up has become and the mere thought of his image being tarnished is turning me off to the concept of wrestling in general. So, as a favor to me, Ric Flair, please hang up your boots and put the sequined robe away for good.

Growing up in the south, I remember the days of Gordon Solie and Florida Championship Wrestling. I remember the excitement and the thrill and the edge-of-your-seat yo-yo I became when I sat with my brother and dad to watch the likes of Flair, Eddie Graham and the Briscos each weekend.

But now, sadly, those days of “real” wrestling have become a faded memory and for every Dory Funk Jr. spinning toe hold and Mike Graham arm bar, there are five wrestlers in the WWE who don’t know what it is like to stay in the ring five minutes.

Oh, to see the Masked Assassins (Jody Hamilton, where are you) again or maybe a young Barry Windham or the NWA version of Harley Race.

While TNA Impact on Spike is trying to bring back that version of the old scene where wrestlers wrestled and tag teams meant something and the smaller wrestlers had their own division (Jerry Brisco would have loved the X-Division), I still have a hard time with the concept of watered-down storylines where Jerry Lawler is on USA Network every Monday getting man-handled by a guy who could be his grandchild.

Video Play Button Videos you might like

Make it stop!

As far as Flair is concerned, I ask in the name of why you made wrestling great to stop what you are doing.

First, and foremost, you are a shell of your old self. The hair is not golden anymore. You cannot style and profile like you used to and when you get in the ring, it is downright embarrassing to watch.

You are the reason many of your colleagues are in the business. But now, you cannot keep up and for a man in your 60s, you are holding on to a memory of what once was.

Others need to let it go as well, but for some reason, you just make it look impossible to watch. I don’t think Wahoo McDaniel or Rick Steamboat or even Race had an idea of you being in your tights this long.

While it appears that the TNA brand has some stroke and can compete with the WWE in terms of brand and style since it is completely different and name recognition, no one will be able to unseat the WWE machine.

But bringing back older National Wrestling Alliance-type skits, scripts and scenarios adds some excitement to Thursday nights and allows me to skip over the other brand on the USA Network from time to time.

The WWE is trying to cash in on John Cena and The Rock for a WrestleMania card that is still a year in the making. And now is when TNA needs to strike while things are a little off up north.

Use the resources you have with new wrestlers in Crimson and Matt Morgan and older wrestlers in Kurt Angle and Ken Anderson. Use Flair in a smaller role, maybe like he was when he came over to the WWE after WCW was bought by McMahon when the Fuscient deal was ditched.

Make the storylines more believable and try to capture some of the zeal from Mick Foley when he explained changes were being made.

I still want to be a fan, but I don’t want to be lulled to sleep while doing it.

Wooooo!