In This Corner: Ric Flair Finance

Billed as “The Nature Boy” during his long and lively professional wrestling career, Ric Flair is now in the loan business, including direct auto financing.

The response to Ric Flair Finance's website, www.ricflairfinance.com, was reportedly so great, it was shut down for a period after it debuted. There are click links for mortgage, auto-loan and loan- refinancing applications.

A come-on on the homepage asks: “Tired of getting the runaround and turndown when trying to buy a car?”

The site features photos of Flair from his wrestling days as well as his voiceover saying: “Remember, we compete so you don't have to. Woooo!”

Flair says he has established many business relationships over the years and now, with Ric Flair Finance, he is leveraging some of those relationships through lending affiliates.

JJ Hornblass, chairman of the annual Auto Finance Summit, sees it differently. “It is a sign of the commodization of loan products,” he says.