WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair advertises return to the town he "built"
WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair is not only still active in the wrestling business; he's still cutting promos with a vigor that defies his age. The Nature Boy was recently featured in a promotional video advertising this week's AEW Collision in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Ric Flair is billed from Charlotte and has resided in the city for decades. His history in North Carolina runs deep, with the 16-time World Champion having received keys to the cities of Laurinburg and Greensboro, among others.
Charlotte, NC, will be hosting AEW Collision this week, which meant The Nature Boy will be returning to his historic NWA stomping grounds. Ahead of this Saturday's show, Flair cut a promo for the company's official social media channels:
"Woo! It's The Nature Boy, and I'm returning to the Carolinas! That's right, Charlotte, the town I built. It was just me and [NASCAR legend] Richard Petty. And guess what? I'll be on Collision – AEW Collision! Saturday, January 6, The Nature Boy returns with AEW!" said Flair.
Former WWE Superstar Tyrus told Ric Flair to never apologize for being himself
Tony Khan's signing of Ric Flair to All Elite Wrestling generated a large amount of backlash among the company's fanbase. After a controversial promo from Flair resulted in calls to remove him from television, The Nature Boy offered to step away from the promotion.
However, former WWE and NWA star Tyrus provided some words of support for the wrestling legend. Speaking on FOX News, the 50-year-old urged Flair to remember who he was:
"Let me remind you of who you are," Tyrus said. "You have forgotten more wrestling than most of us will ever know. You are one of the last greats that when you come out and walk that aisle, a grandfather can look at his grandson and say, 'I saw this guy wrestle and this is the reason why you're here.'"
Tyrus further asked The Nature Boy to never apologize:
"Don't you ever, and I don't comment on social media that much, but don't you ever apologize for Ric Flair coming out because when you come out, that pop is as loud as it's ever been. I have to remind you of two things. Diamonds are forever and so is Ric Flair. You need to remember that. Thank you for who you are, sir. You are welcome at any wrestling arena at any time because you just walking by the locker room, we're all going to get smarter."
Flair's contract with AEW is wrapped in a sponsorship deal for his Woooo! Energy brand. While he's been advertised as a part of Sting's final run leading up to Revolution 2024 in March, it's currently unknown if the 74-year-old will stay on with the company after that.
Are you a fan of Ric Flair? Do you think he's an important addition to Sting's retirement run? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!