Ric Flair Explains Why He Signed With AEW
Ric Flair has explained why he chose to sign a contract with AEW.
The October 25th edition of AEW Dynamite is when Ric Flair became All Elite. That was the night when AEW’s Owner Tony Khan teased a big surprise for Sting, who had previously announced that he was going to retire at the AEW Revolution PPV on March 3rd, 2024 in Greensboro, NC.
It was a surprise to see “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair in AEW after spending most of the last 20+ years associated with WWE. However, Flair wasn’t signed to WWE at the time, so AEW signed him up.
During his first appearance on AEW Dynamite, Flair made it clear he would be there with his good friend Sting for The Stinger’s final few months in pro wrestling and at Sting’s last match at Revolution.
In an interview with The Wrestling Classic, the 74-year-old Ric Flair spoke about signing with AEW and why it happened when it did.
“I like working, period. I’ve known Tony [Khan] for a long time. We’ve been great friends, and the opportunity just presented itself probably because of Sting. But I’ll be there, you know, a couple of years after Sting is gone, too, so I don’t know what it leads to. I’d like to manage my son-in-law [Andrade], and I want to be a heel again somewhere.”
“My health is good. I’ve been cleared. I can get in the ring. I’m not [going] to wrestle. Let’s clarify that. Got that subject worn out. But I just really enjoy it. Tony is a great guy, and it’s a great atmosphere, and when I walked into the restroom the first time, I didn’t realize how many guys from the WWE are over there. They’ve got a tremendous crew and Edge coming over.”
“And I mean, they’ve got as much talent as they do with WWE.”
Andrade El Idolo is married to Ric Flair’s daughter Charlotte Flair. The couple got married in May 2022.
Tony Khan Says Ric Flair Has A Different Kind Of Contract
After Ric Flair became All Elite, Tony Khan made it clear that AEW wasn’t even paying Flair because they were getting paid by Flair’s energy drink.
“We’re not paying Ric Flair; Ric Flair is essentially paying us. We’re getting paid by Wooooo Energy for all of his appearances, so we’re collecting revenue from them.”
There is no word on if Ric Flair has any other role in AEW or if he’s simply just an on-air talent.