According to Jason Powell at Prowrestling.net, a TNA performer is telling friends that Jeff Jarrett asked him not to WWE Hall of Fame ceremony, even though he purchased the ticket on his own in order to see Flair get recognized. Apparently, Jarrett’s point of view is that it will look bad if he’s caught on camera at a competitor’s event.
Powell has also reported some insight into WWE’s creative team with regards to suspended wrestlers and the Ric Flair storyline originally pitched to Vince McMahon by Steve Austin…
Apparently, when the Wellness Program is violated, Stephanie McMahon will tell the team how long a wrestler is suspended without getting into details. At times, writers have heard about suspensions on the Internet before being told officially by the company, and aside from the Benoit tragedy, scandals in the news (such as the time Vince was accused of inappropriate conduct in a tanning salon a while back) usually get ignored.
After Austin pitched the Flair retirement storyline, and Raw head writer Brian Gewirtz didn’t put it in motion, the Smackdown writing team led by Michael Hayes got the assignment, with Hayes having Court Bauer (no longer with WWE) write the story. As outlined by Bauer, the storyline would have included Flair facing Finlay, MVP, Mick Foley, Vader, Terry Funk, Ricky Steamboat and Sting (assuming he was available), as well as a Four Horsemen reunion at Survivor Series vs. Flair’s former opponents. Flair’s hiatus from WWE didn’t help matters, of course, and the storyline didn’t start until he and WWE were back on good terms. (One of Powell’s sources even told him that a writer asked to call Flair for his input, but creative has a policy about most writers not contacting wrestlers directly.)
According to Powell, one potential ending of the angle would have included Flair winning Money in the Bank and challenging for the WWE or World Heavyweight title at Mania. While he’d lose that match, Mania would end with Flair removing his boots and leaving them in the middle of the ring, with a spotlight on them and his famous robe.
