In this WrestleTalk News, Ric Flair’s backstage clash with Vince McMahon, two fired WWE stars
debut in AEW, Adam Cole’s contract status and more.
This is Jaxxon Ryker, the greatest babyface known to man.
He is telling you to subscribe to WrestleTalk and enable notifications to always on because
inside Jaxon Ryker is another smaller Jaxson Ryker telling you to also subscribe to WrestleTalk
for daily wrestling news videos because inside that Jaxson Ryker is me still dancing for
subs, you sickos.
After Raj Giri announced that yet another big name was getting released on Monday, who
I correctly predicted just by looking at people Randy Orton has feuded with recently, Fightful
and Wrestling Inc broke in a joint report that Ric Flair had been granted his freedom
from WWE.
Then the following day, WWE announced the news themselves on their website, with the
rather terse statement: “We have come to terms on the release of
Ric Flair as of today, 8/03/2021.”
A statement that doesn’t include the standard we just fired you line ‘we wish them well
in all their future endeavours’.
Which is the corporate equivalent of saying ***
and then I want you to take that turtle and- *** and then the BBQ was ruined.
Flair himself then put out his own statement on Twitter, handily capitalising every word.
“I Am Officially Able To Respond To All The Press Related To My Requested Release
From WWE, Which They Have Given Me.
I Want To Make It Really Clear With Everyone That I’m Not Upset With WWE At All.
They Solely Are Responsible For Putting Me In The Position Of Life That I’m In Right
Now, Where I’m Seen In The Brightest Light Ever.
We Have A Different Vision For My Future.
I Wish Them Nothing But Continued Success!
Thank You For Everything!
Nothing But Respect!”
Ric then gave more details in an interview with People magazine.
“We just didn't see eye to eye on some business opportunities that I wanted to pursue, so
I asked for my release.
There has been no animosity and everything has been on friendly terms…
It was a mutually agreed-upon decision and I will be moving forward to pursue other exciting
endeavors such as my own line of wine, my own network, as well as comic books.
I had to make this decision personally for my business and my brand."
But that isn’t quite what all the backstage reports say.
So what really was the issue that led to Ric leaving WWE: his own line of wine, or disagreements
with the way his daughter was being treated?
Fightful’s initial report said Ric had contacted Vince McMahon directly leading up to his release
as he “grew frustrated with certain booking decisions on the show.”
I speculated this could be about his last storyline in WWE, pairing with Lacey Evans
to feud with his daughter Charlotte, which had to be scrapped when Lacey got pregnant.
Ric himself had said in interviews he wasn’t “comfortable” with the storyline and got
“mad” over it.
But there’s now several conflicting reports over that too, which I’ll get into very
shortly - but first, here’s a quick message from this episode’s wonderful sponsor…
Ridge. which you can get 10% off now using our link
in the video description below!
The Ridge have redefined the wallet, creating a minimalist card holder for up to 12 cards,
plus room for all your money, money, money, in a compact design which easily fits in your
front pocket - unlike your current wallet, which is probably about as minimalist as a
hipster burger.
No-one can get that in their mouth.
Title of my sex tape.
Ridge wallets are available in 30 different colours and styles, has RFID blocking technology
to protect your cards from digital pickpockets, over 40,000 five star reviews, and a 45 day
trial period with lifetime warranty - meaning this could be the last wallet you ever have
to buy.
And wallets aren’t all they do, as I’ve just picked up their awesome weatherproof
commuter backpack which has.
SO.
MANY.
COMPARTMENTS!!!
So please support WrestleTalk and at least check out The Ridge wallets by using our link
Ridge.com/WrestleTalk below.
And if you like what you see, use the code WrestleTalk for 10% off.
Support WrestleTalk, support your wallet with The Ridge.
Dave Meltzer is reporting that Ric’s WWE release wasn’t actually him quitting, but
more being fired - saying he’s heard “from people who I know who are closer to this situation
than I am that say that it was Vince’s decision.”
Bryan Alvarez has expanded on this on Wrestling Observer Live, reporting that Ric Flair wasn’t
unhappy with his booking, he was unhappy with his daughter Charlotte’s.
So unhappy “he sent a text message to Vince and the text message essentially said, ‘you
either fix it or I quit.’”
Vince, of course, didn’t fix it, so Ric Flair quit - meaning both sides can lay claim
to who broke up with who.
Ric quit because Vince didn’t give into his demands, or Vince fired Ric because he
was being too demanding.
So he was both fired and quit in the same way the totem is still spinning at the end
of Inception.
But if you’ve watched Raw recently - in which case, I’m so sorry - you would’ve
seen Charlotte Flair become Women’s Champion, to lose it 24 hours later, but then main event
the following two weeks, and being all over the rest of the show.
Before then, she was feuding over the women’s title for months with Asuka and Rhea Ripley.
She’s currently as prominent as she ever was.
So what got Ric allegedly so disgruntled?
TMZ has added that the split has been in the works for awhile, so it could be traced back
to WrestleMania season and the months of uncertainty over Charlotte in WWE.
She was abruptly removed from this year’s Road to WrestleMania, missing an entire month
of Raws leading up to the show.
Initially, it was thought to be because she had tested positive for Covid - which she
announced on Twitter.
But then just several days later, her fiance Andrade was granted his release from the company,
where he then gave scathing shoot interview, alleging that a WWE doctor had told Charlotte
she had to be medically suspended because she was pregnant.
It emerged this was a false reading, as Charlotte’s own tests came back negative.
Despite seemingly being medically cleared, she was removed from the WrestleMania 37 poster,
Rhea Ripley replaced her in the Asuka Women’s Title feud, and Flair missed the biggest show
of the year.
That, to me, appears more substantial reasoning to quit a company rather than not liking a
romantic storyline with Lacey Evans that lasted little more than a month.
For what it’s worth, Ric denied to People in his recent interview that he had texted
Vince to release him about Charlotte’s booking.
Dave Meltzer has pointed out that Ric has been friends with AEW President Tony KHAAAAAN
for years, and that he was recently seen with Jim Ross in Florida and North Carolinaaaaa
last week.
Ric Flair to Ring of Honor confirmed.
Why do you think Ric Flair left WWE?
Let me know in the comments down below because I’ll be replying to as many people as I
can for the first 30 minutes after this video goes live FROM OUTTA NOWHERE WOOOOOOOO.
But the Nature Boy isn’t the only one who could leave WWE this month...
Somehow, WWE have let one of their top stars’ contracts accidentally expire, with NXT’s
Adam Cole becoming a free agent this month, rather than December like everyone backstage
apparently thought.
Several sites have pointed out how that oversight has come out the same time WWE fired their
Senior Director of Talent Development Canyon Ceyman, the guy who’s responsible for keeping
track of stuff like that.
PW Unlimited claim that WWE have actually offered Cole multiple contracts, but he’s
turned them all down.
Fightful Select refute that, though, reporting he hasn’t been formally offered a new deal
yet, but - quote - “it’s obviously planned.”
Obviously.
Like they would obviously not want
a guy’s contract to expire.
In this edition of CM Punk watch, it’s not just All Elite Wrestling he’s now being
teased for.
Because ever since the Forbidden Door was set up between two chairs and split in two
by Jon Moxley, he could wrestle for New Japan as well - with the first NJPW star to have
appeared in person on Dynamite KENTA tweeting: “Give me CM Punk”
Before clarifying: “I’M F**KN KENTA” with a photo of him giving the GTS to Jon
Moxley.
Punk has admitted in the past that he stole his GTS finisher from KENTA.
Ahead of tonight’s Homecoming edition of AEW Dynamite - whatever happened to just a
regular old Dynamite episode?
- Cody Rhodes took questions on a media call where he requested people don’t ask him
about CM Punk and Daniel Bryan.
So they asked him about Bray Wyatt instead.
Cody pointed out that Wyatt was actually Cody’s rookie in the second season of NXT, which
I had completely forgotten was a thing, and talked up the joint history of the Rotunda
and Rhodes families.
He put over how “incredibly creative” Bray is, but said: “I can’t comment on
if I see a spot for him when it comes to us.”
On the other end of the detailing with the public spectrum, Ronda Rousey has cut a you
people promo about Bray Wyatt’s release on Twitter:
“I’ve seen you same “fans” chanting #WeWantWyatt last night chanting “We want
beach balls” over @WWEBrayWyatt performing.
If the @wwe treated him like he was expendable it was because you ungrateful idiots did first”
Ronda you so heelish.
Do you agree with Rousey that consistently terrible booking from WWE hasn’t jaded fans
so much that they have to make their own fun at live events?
Let me know in the comments you ungrateful idiots.
They might not be the recently released WWE stars we’re all clamouring for in AEW, but
it’s always great to see talent wrestlers get another chance: as the former NXT tag
team Ever Rise has been announced for tonight’s episode of Dynamite.
The former Matt Martel and Chase Parker, now going by Matt Lee and Jeff Parker, and simply
called 2.0, were released by WWE on June 25th after just over two years with the company.
But because NXT contracts only have a 30 day non-compete clause, they can show up for other
promotions already.
They’ll team with Daniel Garcia to take on Jon Moxley, Darby Allin and Eddie Kingston
in a six man tag, which doesn’t sound like they’ll be getting the win.
This is probably more likely a tryout for the team, rather than a full time contract.
You better believe WWE will be watching, no matter what Vince McMahon says in investors
calls, because a video uploaded to Reddit from DIVA Insider claims to shown the production
team having a monitor dedicated to AEW Dynamite while broadcasting an episode of NXT.
Which makes total sense.
It’s fine to keep eyes on your competition, especially as this appears to be from an episode
when Dynamite and NXT were going head-to-head.
That way you can time going into adbreaks more effectively to hopefully pinch the others’
audience.
The results are in, and I can confirm I will have to make a music video punishment of Chris
Jericho’s entrance music Judas by Fozzy for losing the last season of WrestleLeague
- as suggested by our Pledgehammers on Patreon, and voted for by all you viewers.
I’ll start working on that to go live during our big return to the office party on SummerSlam
week, where we’ll have loads of live streams.
There’s never been a better time to join us on Patreon!
But now it’s time for Tempest’s review
of last night’s NXT… in about 5 minutes.