"He had to turn him down" – Dutch Mantell on WWE Legend rejecting offer to face Ric Flair (Exclusive)
It's 2022, and Ric Flair's returning for his final wrestling match. The 73-year-old astonishingly confirmed that he'd step into the ring for Jim Crockett Promotions on July 31 at The Nashville Fairgrounds.
Several prominent members of the wrestling world reacted to the surprising news, and a handful of people were against Flair's decision. It was recently reported that Ricky Steamboat turned down the offer to be Flair's opponent.
Dutch Mantell understood Steamboat's reluctance and voiced his concerns over Flair's in-ring comeback despite his health struggles. Here's what the legendary manager had to say on Sportskeeda's Smack Talk:
"He had to turn him down; hell, he might drop dead. What if both of them got into the match and both of them dropped dead." (from 20:42 to 21:12)
Details of Ric Flair's upcoming match
The 16-time world champion last wrestled for TNA in 2011. As noted above, Flair will compete for Jim Crockett Promotions in an event built around the WWE legend's match.
During his appearance on Vickie Guerrero's podcast, the WWE Hall of Famer confirmed he'd team up with Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler of FTR for a six-man tag team match. Flair and the AEW tag team will face The Rock 'n' Roll Express and a mystery partner.
Here's what The Nature Boy revealed about the plans for the match:
"That would be Monday [when the match is formally announced], A tag match. There are four people that I know are in it for sure: FTR and Rock' n' Roll Express, and myself, but the last person is working it out right now. Brand new robe, new tights, everything, one more time. Everything, yup." (H/T: Post Wrestling)
Ric Flair is one of the greatest wrestling superstars of all time, and we're sure many will be looking forward to seeing him perform soon. The veteran provided an update for those concerned about his physical condition, and you can read more on that here.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Sportskeeda Wrestling and embed the YouTube video.