Ric Flair reportedly regrets making his return to the ring following WWE WrestleMania 24
Ric Flair put his WWE career on the line against Shawn Michaels in a now-legendary match at WrestleMania 24.
The match lasted over 20 minutes and it looked like The Nature Boy had it won several times. However, The Heartbreak Kid broke the WWE Universe's collective hearts that night when he defeated Ric with Sweet Chin Music. Shawn famously said, "I'm sorry. I love you," before putting an end to Ric's career in WWE.
Unfortunately, The Nature Boy's retirement only lasted a year and a half. In 2009, Flair embarked on an Australian tour with Hulk Hogan. He then signed with TNA (now IMPACT) in 2010, where he wrestled several more matches.
Conrad Thompson joined a conference call today to promote Ric Flair's Last Match this Sunday under the Starrcast V banner. During the call, Thompson claimed that the 73-year-old regrets returning to the ring following WrestleMania 24:
"He regrets wrestling after WrestleMania 24. What a perfect sendoff WWE gave him with that Shawn Michaels match, and then the next night on Monday Night RAW. I mean, that's a sendoff that nobody, not just in wrestling but in sports gets, so it was really special. But for a variety of reasons, he did wrestle after that." (15:41 - 16:00)
As of now, Flair's last match took place on a soundstage in Orlando. Ric lost to Sting on September 12, 2011 during a TNA Impact taping. Conrad Thompson believes that it was an unfortunate ending, but hopes to give The Nature Boy a proper sendoff this weekend:
"Unfortunately, his last match was on a soundstage in Orlando, and that is not to disparage anything, but it was just a random TV show. It wasn't a celebration that could anywhere mirror or rival what happened in 2008. I'm not saying that we are going to be able to either, but it does feel like there will be more of an effort to celebrate his legacy." (16:00 - 16:19)
Who is Ric Flair facing in his final match?
Ric Flair's Last Match will air this Sunday night from the Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. WWE SummerSlam will air the night before from Nissan Stadium in Nashville.
At the event, the 73-year-old will team up with his son-in-law, AEW star Andrade El Idolo. They will be battling AEW/ROH star Jay Lethal and WWE producer Jeff Jarrett.
Double J will be pulling double duty this weekend as he is also scheduled to be the special guest referee for the Undisputed Tag Team Championship match between The Usos and The Street Profits at WWE SummerSlam.
Do you think Ric Flair will win his final match this Sunday? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.