WWE News: Ric Flair wants two-time ROH champion Jay Lethal in WWE
What’s the story?
The “Nature Boy” Ric Flair recently spoke to Sports Illustrated for their online “Extra Mustard” segment and discussed a multitude of topics. When asked by a panel who his favourite wrestling star was outside of the WWE, Flair singled out an old rival from his days in TNA Impact Wrestling - Jay Lethal.
In case you didn’t know…
In 2008, Flair was forced to close the door on a 35-year career in pro wrestling when WWE booked him into a retirement story that culminated in his final match with the company at WrestleMania XXIV, losing to a fellow legend and all-time great in the “Heart Break Kid” Shawn Michaels.
After his contract with WWE expired, he took some time off from wrestling before making occasional appearances for Ring of Honor. Flair didn’t wait very long before breaking his “retirement”, returning to the ring in late 2009 to wrestle Hulk Hogan at four events in Australia, dubbed the “Hulkamania: Let the Battle Begin” tour. Soon after, Flair signed a contract with TNA Wrestling, where he remained for two years.
During his run with TNA, the “Nature Boy” acted as a mentor for several big names including AJ Styles, Bobby Roode, James Storm and Desmond Wolfe (Nigel McGuiness) - three of which are now, somewhat ironically, on the WWE payroll.
Perhaps his greatest on-screen program during his time with the company was against Jay Lethal, who at the time was known for his impeccable impression of the late “Macho Man” Randy Savage. Dubbed “Black Machismo”, Lethal underwent a change in order to feud with Flair and his gang of TNA stars, dressing as the “Nature Boy” and cutting promos using Flair’s signature catchphrases.
The heart of the matter
In his interview with Sports Illustrated, Ric Flair revealed that his favourite performer outside of the WWE was none other than Jay Lethal.
“I do wish that Jay Lethal was in WWE. He’s an incredibly nice guy, and he’s a good talent, so I don’t know why Jay never made it to WWE.”
Lethal is currently under contract with Ring of Honor, where he is a two-time world champion and the longest reigning ROH World Champion in history. At the very start of 2017, he confirmed in an interview that he had signed a new two-year deal with the company and that he had had no contact with WWE due to his contract with ROH not expiring between deals.
Also read: Jay Lethal talks about not signing with WWE
What’s next?
Lethal has tremendous upside if WWE were interested in bringing him in when his contract expires at the end of 2018. At only 31-years-old, he already has more than 15 years in the business. When signing his new contract, however, Lethal stated that his dreams of becoming a WWE Superstar had changed and that he was extremely happy and content with his position in Ring of Honor.
Author's Take
There’s a long, long list of wrestlers that Ric Flair has come into contact with over his iconic career, and giving a shout-out to Jay Lethal as his favourite non-WWE performer has to be quite an honor.
I can see him making his way to NXT at some point, possibly even to work with younger stars and, in the long haul, as a trainer. There’s an endless amount of potential for Lethal no matter what he decides to do with his future. For what it’s worth, he has some history with Consequences Creed aka Xavier Woods, who he won the TNA Tag titles with during their time in TNA.
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