"Literally horrible" - Former WWE star buries Ric Flair's last match
Former WWE manager Dutch Mantell has heavily criticized Ric Flair's last match.
On July 31, 2022, The Nature Boy returned for one last match. The Hall of Famer and Andrade El Idolo came out victorious defeating Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal.
On the latest episode of Story Time with Dutch Mantell, the wrestling personality shared that he disagreed with Flair thinking the bout was good. He added that fans would've been satisfied to watch him walk out of the ring and do small things.
"If he says it's good, brother I mean, the match was not good. And I think the people would have been happy just to see him walk to the ring, do a little bit, get out, and do the finish. Because it was a tribute to Ric Flair's 50 years, or whatever he contributed to the business. The match was literally horrible." (1:20-1:48)
Dutch continued that Ric didn't look good during the match and thought he was about to pass away. He added that Bret Hart, The Undertaker, and Mick Foley, who were in attendance, looked worried for the 16-time World Champion.
"I mean, you could tell he was blown. You thought he was going to die at one point. You looked at him and he looked out. And it wasn't a flattering look at all. And I think even Undertaker, and Foley, and Bret Hart, I think they were concerned about his health. They were concerned whether he was going to make it out of that ring alive." (1:49-2:11)
After the event, the 73 years old revealed he passed out twice due to dehydration. He also later confessed in a podcast that he wished he hadn't declared it to be his last.
Dutch Mantell says fans didn't want to see the version of Ric Flair during his final match
Fans were quick to express their emotions right after Flair's final match concluded. Though some congratulated the wrestling legend, others had more negative things to say.
In the same interview, Mantell expressed that fans probably didn't enjoy watching Ric Flair wrestling in his state. He remarked that it wasn't a good picture to leave, especially after he passed out.
"I didn't like the match, I didn't like the finish. Him passing out was not a flattering look. And I don't think the people wanted, the fans wanted to see him that way either. Because that's not a good picture to leave of a man, who's contributed so much to professional wrestling." (2:16-2:35)
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For now, it looks like Ric Flair is keeping his word and won't return inside the ring. Still, recent events have shown the two-time Hall of Famer may not be completely done with the industry just yet.
If using any of the quotes, please credit Story Time with Dutch Mantell with an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.