WWE veteran has figured out why AEW "dumped" Ric Flair
In mid-2023, Ric Flair joined hands with Carma HoldCo and LGNDS to launch a mushroom-infused energy drink called Wooooo! Energy. In October of last year, he showed up on AEW and eventually signed a multi-year contract with the company.
A month later, it was reported that Wooooo! Energy became AEW's official energy drink. However, this relationship has failed to stand the test of time. Earlier this month, wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer reported that the eight-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion was no longer with the Jacksonville promotion.
In a recent episode of Story Time With Dutch Mantell, former WWE manager Dutch Mantell stated that he believes AEW "dumped" Flair and his energy drink brand because they were not getting enough returns on their investment. Furthermore, the 74-year-old stated that employing the legend in AEW was pointless because wrestling is a "young man's game."
"I think the drink company is collapsing. How much competition do they have in the drink business? (it's saturated) So, I think they think it's not doing a bit of good. (They thought) We're throwing good money, and it's doing bad. So they thought 'We're going to dump it' and they dumped it. And Ric Flair is along with the dump. That's what I figured. If you don't see their ads on the screens, or on the billboards, I think it's pretty well over for Ric," said Mantell. [From 12:56 to 13:38]
Check out the video below:
Mantel was known as Zeb Colter in WWE, where he managed former World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger.
Ric Flair's last major role in WWE
Ric Flair's wrestling career is nothing short of spectacular. He has performed in various promotions across the globe including juggernauts such as WWE, WCW, NWA, TNA, and more. Additionally, he has won the World Championship a staggering 16 times and is considered one of the greatest in-ring performers of all time.
The 75-year-old's daughter, Charlotte Flair is currently signed to the WWE and is one of the most celebrated talents on the roster. However, when Charlotte was finding her footing, WWE decided to hire Ric Flair back and use him as an on-screen manager for his daughter.
Although the fans saw the father-daughter duo a couple of times on NXT, Ric accompanied Charlotte more frequently after she won the Divas Championship on the main roster. The Queen also started to show some villainous traits made famous by The Dirtiest Player in the Game. The Nature Boy played a role in Charlotte's iconic WrestleMania 32 Triple Threat Match when she became the inaugural RAW Women's Champion.
Their alliance ended on the May 23, 2016, episode of RAW when Charlotte Flair turned heel on her father.
While using any quotes from this article please credit Story Time With Dutch Mantell and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling.