Ric Flair spent half an hour backstage with Powerhouse Hobbs after their AEW segment
WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair spent an hour backstage with Powerhouse Hobbs of the Don Callis Family after their segment on AEW Dynamite.
In an interview with Busted Open Radio, Ric Flair opened up on providing his opinions and suggestions to Hobbs. The 16-time World Champion revealed that the latter had asked him for his thoughts after the tornado tag match pitting the former AEW TNT Champion and Konosuke Takeshita against Sting and Darby Allin, and Flair, in response, had shared some helpful tips with the rising star.
Flair stated that while athletes of Hobbs' caliber are capable of very impressive feats, they often lack a better grasp of fundamentals. The Nature Boy's advice focused on fine-tuning the basics of wrestling, such as throwing believable punches or balancing oneself with the ropes while delivering a kick to a grounded opponent.
"Hobbs is the guy I poked in the eye, right? He asked me what I thought, and I said, 'Do you really want me to tell you?' I spent a half hour with him after, showing him stuff that will make him better. Just little detail things. He's got an incredible amount of talent, but sometimes the guys come along and they miss the difference between good and great. They learn how to do something spectacular, but they are fundamentally weak," said Flair.
The WWE Hall of Famer continued:
"I was just showing him [Powerhouse Hobbs], like an example, a better way to kick a guy that is down. Get him close to the ropes, grab the top rope where you help balance yourself, rather than trying to free kick somebody. If you can balance yourself, it looks like you're stomping a mudhole in them, and they won't feel it if you know what you're doing. He's too big of a guy and too impressive to be able to press slam and throw guys around and then throw a punch that wouldn't break an egg, which wasn't the case with the punch we're talking about, I'm just giving an example." [H/T: Fightful]
Flair, who, according to reports, had been urging to take part in more physical spots in AEW, delivered multiple chops and an eye-poke to Hobbs at one point during the tag team bout.
Allin and Sting secured the win after the Icon delivered a Scorpion Death Drop on Hobbs off a balcony and through multiple tables.
AEW President Tony Khan makes big announcement
All Elite Wrestling's President and chief booker, Tony Khan, has made a major announcement following the recent episode of Collision.
Taking to X on Sunday, Tony Khan revealed that the ranking system will be reintroduced in AEW. A staple of the early years of the company's presentation, the ranking system would monitor the win/loss records of performers in various divisions, providing a framework for building matches and creating storylines with a sports-based orientation.
In his tweet, Khan thanked the fans for watching and supporting the product and promised an exciting year for the company.
The return of the ranking system follows on the heels of Samoa Joe's new championship protocol, which will supposedly prioritize the statistics of wrestlers when deciding whether they are worthy of challenging for the AEW World Championship.
Fans have received the announcement with enthusiasm, and it remains to be seen how the rankings will be utilized in 2024.
Who will challenge Samoa Joe next for the AEW World Championship? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!