Vince McMahon fined WWE legend on his first day in the company for being late
WWE legend Ric Flair has disclosed that he was fined on his first day in the company for being late.
Flair debuted in WWE in 1991, joining the promotion after a few years in WCW. His first run in the company was short-lived, as he left and rejoined WCW two years later.
On his To Be The Man podcast, Ric Flair was asked by host Conrad Thompson if he appeared backstage before his debut to meet the new co-workers when he joined WWE (then known as WWF).
The Nature Boy recalled that he only appeared on his first night and was late on his first day on the job, which resulted in him being fined by Vince McMahon.
"No, I never got there till - I can't remember, it was Dayton TV, was my first night there. I met Sherri Martel at the hotel and we stayed out, drank all night and I was five minutes late for TV [on] my first day and my first day at TV, he called me aside and said, 'That's 500 bucks. This isn't WCW. You're here on time,'" said Flair. [From 16:02 to 16:34]
Flair debuted on the company's Prime Time Wrestling show in 1991 and was introduced by Bobby Heenan.
Ric Flair is grateful for having worked in WWE
After his last match as part of the Starrcast V convention, Flair thanked Vince McMahon and Triple H for their trust in him when he re-signed with the company in 2001.
"I wouldn’t have been there last night [at Starrcast V] if it wasn’t for WWE. By that I mean Vince [McMahon] and Hunter [Triple H] bringing me back in 2001 because [Eric] Bischoff and [Vince] Russo left me as flat as could possibly be, with a shaved head, shave razored head," said Flair.
You Can’t Hide From Being The Greatest! You Own It, And You’re The Greatest Part Of It! @VinceMcMahon @WWE https://t.co/mGXodNjg0b
The Nature Boy revealed that his confidence was shot at the end of his WCW run due to the way he was booked in the promotion. Vince McMahon and Co. helped him overcome his insecurities regarding in-ring abilities.
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If you use any of the above quotes, please credit To Be The Man and H/T Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.