Ric Flair reportedly contacted WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon to ask for his release.
As noted earlier, Wrestling Inc and Fightful reported that the WWE Hall of Famer is no longer with the company after requesting his release, and being granted the departure, effective today.
In an update, Fightful Select adds that Flair reportedly grew frustrated with certain booking decisions on WWE TV, and contacted McMahon directly to voice his issues. Flair also asked Vince for his release.
Flair was involved in a relationship storyline with Lacey Evans on RAW earlier this year, but that was nixed when Evans revealed her legitimate pregnancy. Flair has been away since then, but word is that the booking issues he didn’t like were fairly recent.
The Nature Boy was outspoken about his disdain of the Evans storyline. He spoke with Ariel Helwani back in May and admitted he was uncomfortable with the storyline, but said ultimately he did what he was told because Vince was sold that it would get Evans over in the program with Charlotte Flair.
“In this instance, I didn’t [feel comfortable],” Flair admitted. “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, Mr. 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. He just made up his mind, I think a lot of it was because [Lacey] was a marine. God only knows we cannot give enough back to the people that serve in the military and I think he wanted her to be successful and the way to get successful sometimes is to take two people that are doing really well and give them the rub.”
In that same interview, Flair wished Evans the best and noted how Vince still sees him the way he did back in the 1980s and 1990s.
“She’s a really nice girl and all that, but it didn’t fit this time,” Flair said. “We made the best of it but ultimately, she’s pregnant with her husband now. It was never anything personal, I barely know her and her whole life is her husband and her daughter. I didn’t like that one, to him I’m always going to be the ‘kiss stealin’, wheelin’ dealin’, yanno what I mean? Which is great because he likes that.
“Even though he hated it when I used to say it, he used to say ‘80’s heels don’t draw!’ I’m on the dark match [one night and I complained and he said], ‘I don’t care, you lead by example around here, these people look up to you.’ You’re not going to win the argument because he’s smarter and he’s the boss. He may be the smartest guy I ever met. He never stops being the best.”
Flair signed a new WWE contract in 2020 after his previous deal expired in late 2019. WWE has not commented on the departure as of this writing.
Stay tuned for updates.
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