Entertainment
WWE legend Ric Flair released after ‘asking Vince McMahon to end current deal’
The Nature Boy has left the building (Photo: WWE)
Ric Flair has reportedly left WWE after requesting his release.
The legendary Nature Boy, whose daughter Charlotte Flair is battling Rhea Ripley and Raw Women’s Champion Nikki A.S.H. for the gold at SummerSlam later this month, is said to have asked Vince McMahon directly to let him out of his current deal.
As reported by both Wrestling Inc and Fightful, the Hall of Famer has been granted his release on Monday after he re-signed last year following a long run on a legends contract.
WWE is yet to officially announce his departure, but already more details appear to be emerging.
According to Fightful Select, sources suggest Flair was disappointed with certain creative decisions by the company, which he voiced to Vince while asking for his release.
Although his issues are said to have been about recent booking choices, he was most recently seen on screen in a storyline with Charlotte and her then-rival Lacey Evans.
The 16-time world champion was publicly very vocal about his disdain for that particular storyline, when it was heavily implied he was romantically involved with Evans before the Sassy Southern Bell announced her real life pregnancy.
He previously said: ‘In this instance, I didn’t [feel comfortable]. The one thing I’ve learned is you’re not going to win a war when someone’s got their mind made up.
‘She most definitely didn’t like it, but the one thing that I can say about me is I always said yes. I didn’t want to be that guy that was always going, “Oh, that isn’t perfect for me.”
‘When that was all over, I was mad but now I just look back and say it wasn’t it. This was something that when I got to TV, [Vince] McMahon wasn’t there to argue the point with and he had stuff going on, I don’t like to put the pressure on someone if I can’t talk to him.’
The Nature Boy is one of the most beloved figures in wrestling history, having become a legend in NWA and WCW before jumping to WWE from 2001, including a fantastic run alongside Triple H, Batista and Randy Orton in Evolution.
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He retired after an all-time classic against Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 24, although he spent some time in TNA Wrestling after leaving and did return to the ring.
Now, Flair’s most recent chapter with WWE appears to be closed, and AEW would seem like a perfect fit considering his old rival Sting has fit in perfectly there.
There’s also the small matter of his son-in-law Andrade El Idolo, who recently debuted for the rival company, making this a very interesting situation.
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