"I threw myself under the bus" - WWE legend comments on refusing to wrestle Ric Flair (Exclusive)
WWE legend Ricky Steamboat recently discussed why he chose not to reveal the truth about declining an offer to wrestle Ric Flair in the latter's last match.
In the event of Ric Flair's Last Match on July 31st, The Nature wrestled the final bout of his illustrious career. He teamed up with his son-in-law and AEW star Andrade El Idolo to defeat Jeff Jarett and Jay Lethal. However, things could have shaped up differently had Ricky Steamboat accepted the offer to compete with Flair.
The WWE legend had refused to wrestle Ric Flair since the latter had a pacemaker in his heart. In a chat with Sportskeeda Wrestling's Bill Apter, Steamboat revealed why he chose not to tell the truth earlier.
The former WWE Intercontinental Champion explained that he didn't want Ric Flair and the match's promoter, Conrad Thompson, to be affected in any way. Steamboat cited his desire to remain retired as the reason for declining the offer.
"So I have done some interviews after they found out that I said no, but you know, first time I'm coming public with this. I didn't wanna throw Conrad or Flair under the bus. So I threw myself under the bus even when I was talking to you that I'm not the guy the fans remember me by. It's like one of those old-timer boxers. They get in the ring, and after about the third round, the legs are gone. Everything's sitting there and saying, 'man, you have remained retired.'" So I used myself as the reason," said Ricky Steamboat (2:45 - 3:24)
Check out the full video below:
Tony Khan had expressed interest in bringing WWE legend Ricky Steamboat to AEW.
It's no secret that AEW's roster is stacked with legendary veterans of the business, like Sting, Jake Roberts, Arn Anderson, and many more. Tony Khan wants WWE Hall of Famer Ricky Steamboat to join their ranks and sign with his company.
A few weeks ago on Busted Open Radio, Khan said Steamboat was one of his favorite wrestlers growing up and that he would love to see him join AEW.
"It's definitely something to keep in mind, I think it's amazing that Ricky Steamboat got back in the ring. One of my personal heroes, somebody [who] as a kid, and still to this day, was one of my all-time favorite wrestlers. I would love to have Ricky Steamboat back in AEW any time." said Tony Khan.
An underrated part of this week's Dynamite of how AEW handled the appearance of Ricky Steamboat. Timekeeper for two big matches on the show, a confrontation with Jericho and got to deck Angelo Parker in the process.
Contrary to how WWE used to/still treat legends on their show. https://t.co/BTqERFSJhK
Though he has appeared for AEW before, it remains to be seen whether Ricky Steamboat joining the company full-time becomes a possibility.
Are you excited about the prospect of seeing Ricky Steamboat back in either WWE or AEW? Sound off in the comments section below.
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