Ric Flair Lifts The Lid On Why He Asked For His WWE Release
On August 3rd, Ric Flair his latest stint with WWE to a close.
In a statement released at the time, Flair said that the decision to ask for his release was purely down to business and there was no ill feeling between himself and WWE.
Appearing at NWA 73, Flair gave an emotional speech thanking those who have helped him throughout his career, including Vince McMahon.
Appearing on the Oral Sessions podcast with Renee Paquette, Fair expanded further on his reasons for leaving WWE. The Hall of Famer explained that he had a number of opportunities he wanted to pursue, as well as wanting to work without being tied to one particular company.
“What happened was I had a bunch of pending opportunities. So I had a bunch of things I was doing currently at the time that I signed my contract. They allowed those. Wendy was allowed to keep her shop, these are big things, I got to keep Cameo. A couple of deals kept coming along and I got to the point where I was asking them, I think I probably exhausted them asking not to grandfather me, but to let me do them. And then of course the answer was you can do them, maybe. And I just sat there and thought of what I was going to say to you today and how I can handle this.
I just decided that I wanted to finally, which I did for 3 years, make a living not being under a wrestling table. I first worked for Vince’s father in 1976, I’ve known Vince since then, he saved me when I had a big to go around with WCW with a guy named Jim Heard. I went up there in 1991 and stayed there for a year and a half. My first WrestleMania with Randy Savage, I had the greatest run of my life. The worst mistake I made was going back to WCW. But there is no animosity whatsoever. It’s just business. I wanted to try something and they had a different vision.”
When asked what that vision was, Flair said that they wanted him to just get paid, adding that he wouldn’t have been able to appear at NWA 73 if he was still there.
“They just wanted me to get paid, a lot of money, nothing was wrong with that. Then there’s the NWA anniversary show, I wouldn’t have been able to do that. Not because Vince would have said no, it would have never got to him.”
Flair also discussed his daughter Charlotte and her role within WWE. The Nature Boy said that Charlotte is the “happiest she’s ever been” and that she will won’t be following him out of the company.
The 16-time World Champion also took time to discuss his final conversation with Vince McMahon before his departure. Flair again said that there was no bad blood between himself and McMahon, adding that he told the WWE Chairman that they would always be brothers, no matter where life took them.
H/t to Inside The Ropes for the transcription.