Earlier this week, PWInsider.com’s Mike Johnson release an in-depth report about the backstage heat 2-time WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair has been receiving recently.
Here is an excerpt:
Sources close to Flair and TNA have confirmed that the two sides are at a major impasse as there is a ton of heat on Flair for conduct outside the ring. It was described to me by one TNA source as, “being at the point it’s not worth keeping Flair around.”
There have been a number of incidents involving Flair at local establishments and bars in Orlando since coming to the company. At one point, sources indicate Flair was banned from drinking at the Hard Rock Cafe in Citiwalk due to an incident with him “acting inappropriate”, according to one source, leading to venue management banishing him.
There are also stories aplenty within the company of Flair not being able to cover bar tabs and company management getting a call from the hotel and/or bar seeking payment. Most recently something similar went down at the hotel TNA utilizes for their wrestlers and staff, which the company has had a great relationship with for years, that was the final tipping point. At that point, Flair was pulled from several Louisiana house shows and the final TV Tapings before Impact Wrestling goes live on 5/31.
Wrestlezone.com also reported that according to a source within TNA, a major issue which lead to tension between Ric Flair and TNA, and could potentially be one reason why Flair left the company, was the handling of the Gut Check segment on Impact featuring Alex Silva.
WZ has learned that Flair went off the script when he chose Silva as the winner, which is now causing issues for TNA as not only did Flair go into business for himself, but Silva is from Quebec, requiring TNA to spend more time and money getting him a U.S. Visa if they want to use him with any amount of regularity.
And now in an update on the original story, The Wrestling Observer is reporting Ric Flair is completely done with TNA wrestling. One source in TNA was quoted as saying Flair quit TNA but the company is trying to make it look like they got rid of him.
Many feel Flair will be brought back to WWE because of his relationship with Triple H and the WWE Networks launch approaching. Nobody is expecting Flair to ever wrestle again for WWE.
Reportedly Flair’s financial deal with Coca Cola’s new energy booster is enough money that Flair wouldn’t ever have to work in wrestling again if he didn’t want.
Quick Quip: What an absolute mess. It’s sad to see one of the greatest of all time in the middle of all of this controversy but it’s not like he didn’t bring it on himself. Hopefully a return to the WWE and a quiet retirement is in Flair future.
