The Return of Wrestling Wednesday - Ric Flair's Return to WWE

Wrestling Wednesday…

World Wrestling Entertainment – The Incredibly Sad Saga of “Nature Boy” Ric Flair a.k.a. Flair Returns to the WWE



I was suffering through the New York Jets – Tennessee Titans match-up on Monday Night Football this week when I saw social media explode with talk of “Nature Boy” Ric Flair on WWE RAW. As I read the comments celebrating the return of Ric Flair to World Wrestling Entertainment, I could not help but sigh and feel bad. I knew it was inevitable. Still, I did not want to hear it happen. Ric Flair finally crawled back to Vince McMahon and World Wrestling Entertainment.

Coming off the announcement of his upcoming divorce (his fourth) and more troubles with the IRS (not Mike Rotunda), I knew it was only a matter of time before Ric Flair sucked up what little bit of pride he had left and rejoined World Wrestling Entertainment – the company that cast him aside in 2008. What? You don’t remember it that way? Let’s take a little stroll down memory lane, shall we?

In 2007, Ric Flair was one of the top faces in World Wrestling Entertainment. Despite being a 58-year-old well past his prime, Flair still brought out emotions unlike 95% of the roster. However, Ric Flair was not physically appealing to look at as he worked matches on television. In November 2007, Flair vowed he would never retire, only to have Vince McMahon announce that Flair would retire the next time he lost a match. This culminated at WrestleMania XXIV with a classic match where Flair lost to Shawn Michaels and subsequently retired from in-ring competition. Flair received an amazing send-off the following night on RAW and went off into the sunset. However, Vince McMahon still wanted to cash in on everything Ric Flair did. Therefore, Flair lost endorsement deals and public speaking engagements when the terms agreed upon by Flair and those companies were nullified by Vince McMahon and WWE. You see, Ric Flair was not good enough to wrestle on television or appear on television anymore. However, he was still important enough to Vince McMahon that McMahon had to get a cut of every check Flair earned. This ultimately led to Flair severing ties with WWE. Flair resumed wrestling again, including a stint in TNA Wrestling that ended when TNA released Flair after countless no-shows and other examples of unprofessional behavior. 

When I look back on Ric Flair’s retirement in 2008, I see a celebration of an amazing career. I also see a man forced into retirement against his will. As I said earlier, Vince McMahon looked at Ric Flair and saw an ugly old man performing in his ring. Flair, unlike Jerry Lawler – another legend performing well past his prime before his unexpected heart attack earlier this year, performed wearing less ring attire and did not have the many cosmetic procedures under his belt either to appear younger like Lawler. McMahon forced Flair out because of appearance during the same period when he moved Jim Ross from RAW to SmackDown because Ross did not have to facial appearance McMahon wanted the top broadcaster on the main show to have and McMahon himself limited his own appearances on television because he felt “too old” to appear on television. Ric Flair did not want to retire. That became more evident to me when Flair quickly jumped at the chances to work with Ring of Honor, perform on the Hulkamania Farewell Tour in late 2009, and join TNA Wrestling in 2010.

Vince McMahon and World Wrestling Entertainment may have saved Ric Flair after the final years of World Championship Wrestling tried to kill him. However, this same company also tried to kill Ric Flair with the retirement forced upon Flair. I was happy to watch Flair in 2010 and 2011 wrestle a handful of matches. Flair had an outstanding program with Mick Foley. Flair helped establish new talent like Jay Lethal and Douglas Williams and mentored guys like AJ Styles, James Storm, Robert Roode, and Gunner in TNA Wrestling. Flair may never say it while under contract to WWE again but TNA Wrestling saved Flair in 2010 the way WWE saved Flair in 2002.

Unprofessional behavior, a lot of which steamed from Flair’s drinking problems and issues with money, ultimately led to Flair’s termination from TNA Wrestling. His most recent separation and divorce from fourth wife Jackie added another major financial burden on Flair that only one thing could solve – a return to World Wrestling Entertainment. 

Ric Flair is back in WWE to make some money. I cannot blame him. I cannot hate on him for it. He has many financial burdens and a payday from WWE can help with that. It is the reason why Mick Foley prostitutes him to WWE repeatedly or why men like Matt Bloom and Shelton Benjamin leave the comforts and respectability of Japan and Ring of Honor respectively for goofy characters like Tensai and perpetual jobber duties within World Wrestling Entertainment. However, just like when I hear about the roles of these performers within the Vince McMahon cash machine, I feel the same way about Ric Flair as he returns to the machine – sadness.

I wish Ric Flair had the sense earlier in life not to waste as much money as he did. I wish Flair could have stopped with marriage at one or even two tries. Most of all, I wish Ric Flair, the man, had the same amount of self-respect as Ric Flair, the in-ring performer. Ric Flair, the in-ring performer, would never crawl back to the company that forced him into retirement because of his age regardless of how desperate for money he became because that Ric Flair had more respect for himself.

I know many who say they lost respect for Ric Flair when he tarnished the WrestleMania XXIV send-off by performing again. I never lost respect for Flair or felt that moment tarnished because Flair never wanted to retire in the first place. However, I lost respect for Ric Flair on Monday night. The legendary “Nature Boy” crawled back to the WWE because of financial desperation. It was the beginning entry on what will be a sad final chapter for a legendary career.