Ric Flair is reportedly set to wrestle Hulk Hogan in Australia and end his retirement. Flair signed a three-year deal to wrestle Hogan several times internationally. Yes, Ric Flair will be wrestling at 63. Flair has officially made a mockery of himself, Shawn Michaels, his peers, the WWE, and his fans. Brett Favre’s got nothing on the Nature Boy. Wooo!
Flair will be coming out of retirement to wrestle Hulk Hogan in Australia. Hogan and Eric Bischoff are promoting an Australian pro wrestling tour featuring Hogan, Flair, Ken Anderson, Umaga, and others. The show is scheduled to take place in November. This will be Hogan’s first wrestling match since wrestling the Big Show in 2007. Hogan promoted the show himself which bombed miserably. Thus far Hogan is 0-1 in the rasslin promoting business.
[adinserter block=”1″]This will be Flair’s first match since his legendary WrestleMania 24 Retirement Match against Shawn Michaels. Flair has given one of the greatest sendoffs in pro wrestling history on WWE RAW the following night. Shortly thereafter Flair started making waves about wanting to wrestle again. Flair did have a Street Fight against Randy Orton on WWE RAW, but that was the closest he has gotten to putting on the boots.
Flair’s career post-WrestleMania has been an absolute joke. Flair started doing shows for Ring of Honor. ROH reportedly paid Flair upfront for several dates in excess of well over six-figures. Flair then reportedly backed out of the dates which were paid for. Some reports have indicated that Flair is all but broke following his divorce last year. For a guy who admittedly loves to live life like the Nature Boy, Ric Flair has not had the easiest time financially over the last few years.
Before you feel sorry for Ric Flair, let’s look deeper into this. Flair has been in tax trouble numerous times over his career. Flair took out an $800,000 loan from Vince McMahon a couple of years back. Flair turned down a job for an estimated $35,000 a month from the WWE to do public relations. Flair still loves to limousine ride and jet fly even with no steady pro wrestling income. Ric Flair is not someone you should be feeling sorry for.
Flair has talked about wrestling for over a year now. In Ric Flair’s convoluted world, Flair believes that by wrestling internationally that he is not going back on his word. Even Flair’s best friends like Triple H and Barry Windham have publicly criticized him for this. Barry Windham told me personally that the shame of it all is that Vince McMahon will never give a sendoff like the one Flair got on WWE RAW again. Why would he?
I also love the irony here of Flair coming back to wrestle for Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff. Flair trashed both of these guys in his book. Flair has accused Hogan of trying to shoot on his son and sabotaging him during their WCW run. Flair’s problems with Bischoff are well documented. Yet, Flair is happy to do business with two guys that he has had rocky relationships with over the years. Before talking about Bret Hart and his integrity, Ric Flair needs to take a hard look in the mirror. Maybe Bischoff can finally bankrupt Ric Flair?
The Australian tour and future shows are scheduled to tie into a reality TV series. Well, Flair finally got his wish to be on a reality show. I just think it is funny that after losing his marriage, his son’s troubles, and losing millions to Linda, that Hogan would want any part of a reality show. There is something a little off about like Hogan who continues to seek out these reality TV opportunities. I do hope they continue this venture for another five years. I’d love to see a 65-year old Ric Flair running around a hotel lobby in a robe, wooing, and cashing a social security check.
[adinserter block=”2″]The truth of the matter is that I loved Ric Flair when I was a kid. As an adult, I never missed a Flair moment on television. In the wrestling ring or behind a mic, he is my favorite of all-time. However, this news is just latest in the sad and disappointing tailspin of one of our wrestling heroes. Never has a wrestler had the endearing support of his fans and peers like Ric Flair had. Never has a wrestler done more to spit on all of them than Ric Flair has.
For the sake of Hulkamania, I hope Hogan and Bischoff didn’t pay Flair upfront.
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