Why should the WWE take Flair back? Really?

[CM Steel]

There has been talk for months now that WWE hall of famer Ric Flair would be returning to the company in the near future. But with TNA/Impact Wrestling hitting the WWE with a lawsuit recently, the future isn't near for Flair & the E. But why should Vince McMahon take Ric Flair back? How can anyone forget that sendoff for Ric after that Wrestlemania weekend in Orlando, FL? That whole weekend all eye's were on him upon monday night RAW.

But many months later Ric Flair is in TNA/Impact Wrestling. Wasn't he suppose to be retired? Not only did Flair go back on his word to Vince McMahon and the wrestling world about his "retirement". But he signed to wrestle in a rival (or just another) wrestling promotion! Some would say that the WWE re-hiring Ric Flair would be good for the E & Flair if they just put water under the bridge. And having Flair back would mean alot for the WWE (mainly Vince & HHH) and just make for a good business move between the two.

If Vince McMahon did re-sign Flair, could he really trust Flair again? I mean how can you employ someone with a high profile in marketing when there's no trust? And Flair doing what he did was egg in the WWE's face.


So really, why should the WWE take Flair back? Really?

 

[Sid Schmid]

There can't be that much bad blood between Flair and Vince as Flair appeared at wrestlemania with the Horsemen. I think if Flair re-signs with WWE it will be in a non-wrestling capacity

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Because Flair as a manager, GM, Ambassador is worth having... as a wrestler, there is no value in him at all, which is why WWE did the angle with Shawn and the send off. They all knew/suspected he would end up wrestling again I am sure cos guys like Funk did, hell Vince sent Bret for his "retirement show" in 97 only for Funk to be on Mania the following year!... His WWE/WCW career got closure at that point, I would imagine most in WWE would feel that he more embarrased himself in TNA than insulted them.

 

[IT Factor]

In the end, Vince McMahon will do what will make him money. And whether wrestling fans love, hate, or are indifferent to Flair, he's a legend who will shake things up and most likely bring some old school fans in by appearing. I just hope they keep him as an on-screen personality because I'm tired of seeing saggy old man boobs.

 

[MTL722]

I refuse to believe that jumping ship to TNA matters in getting re-signed to WWE. Look at the track record of guys that left for TNA and came back. Booker T (now Smackdown GM), Christian (2 time World champion), Kevin Nash (got involved in a major storyline), Jeffy Hardy (3 championship reigns). I'm sure there are others I'm missing but why should Flair get different treatment?

Flair didn't go to TNA to spite the WWE. I'm assuming he went due to his constant money issues. His stylin and profilin gimmick isnt really a gimmick. The guy is a big spender and he's gonna milk the cow until it stops producing milk. If there was any ill will towards Flair on Vinces behalf, Ric wouldn't have been involved in the 4 Horseman induction ceremony.

Why should the WWE take him back? I dont know. Probably because his name is Ric Flair and he's one of the most entertaining guys in the history of the business. I hope to God he stays in a suit for the duration of his run because the guy doesn't look like he has anything left to offer in the ring. Hopefully Vince sees that too

 

[Wally Dangerously]

I wish Flair had really retired from the ring after WM 24 as well, but as an 80's child who grew up with the Nature Boy, I would always welcome seeing him back in the WWE in a non-wrestling role as well. He simply has too much charisma and popularity for the WWE to pass up, as long as he's not drunk on the job.

I, like many others, would love to see him manage Dolph Ziggler if Ziggler is going to continue with his cocky heel character. Flair comes in, Ziggler ditches Vickie and jumps ship to become the new Nature Boy, Vickie picks up some other wrestlers for her stable and, voila, you have a good feud.

 

[Syborgg]

I, like many others, would love to see him manage Dolph Ziggler if Ziggler is going to continue with his cocky heel character. Flair comes in, Ziggler ditches Vickie and jumps ship to become the new Nature Boy, Vickie picks up some other wrestlers for her stable and, voila, you have a good feud.

Yeah cuz that worked so well with AJ Styles. Ok it did work for a short-time, but AJ looked totally out of character. Perhaps it would work for Ziggy, who knows.

I'm an old school fan too, but I grew up with WWF and the Hulkamania era so I never really got the hype about Ric Flair. His first run in WWF with his fued with Savage was pretty good, but in hindsight, he probably should have retired shortly after that in order to save face. Problem is, as was stated above, he spent his money like there was no tomorrow. If I was Vince I would sign him to a legends deal and use him sparingly on t.v. But that's just me.

 

[The Dragon Saga]

Vince took back Hogan after he testified against him in a court of law, and you think he'll care that Flair joined TNA, when Vince probably knows full well Ric is in debt, considering every wrestling fan on the fucking Internet knows?

Ric Flair is a legend, he's a two time Hall of Famer, WWE did business with their nearest rival in-order to get Flair to appear for a total of fifteen minutes at a ceremony and then the next night for two minutes, and you think there needs to be a discussion on whether they want him back or not?

Mack_Swagger, when you think all the stupid questions have been asked, produces another homerun.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

You guys kill me with all of the talk about pride and honor. This is wrestling.

Let's get the obvious out the way:

1. Flair can still bring in money
2. Flair still wants/needs to work

While Vince is clearly a proud man, did he really expect Flair to stay out of the ring? Did he really care after all of the extra buys he got from Flair's Retirement "angle" from WM24? Did Vince really want to honor Flair the night after WM24 or did he also have ratings on his mind? Did Flair just work Vince and the fans or did the WWE work the fans as well? Is Vince too proud to take an opportunity to turn this story in to another angle the same way he did the Montreal Screwjob?

Don't act like Vince or the WWE were innocent victims in all of this. They reaped the benefits of the retirement angle and now they have an opportunity to reap more benefits.

 

[HBKistheHOF]

I think it's obvious that bringing Ric Flair back (if only for a couple spots) would be profitable for WWE in several ways.

The Man is the only 2-time WWE Hall of Famer & could clearly get talent over, if not also get himself over again & make WWE some money.

My biggest problem is that Vince would need to sit Flair down & be very clear with Flair about 2 things:
1.) The Man rambles & is getting alot harder to understand. He can't have a mic often & when he does, he will ALWAYS have a time limit.
2.) After the huge send off, he my no means, get's inside the ring for a match. I wouldn't even have him take a bump, he doesn't need to & for the sake of his health & after the Lawler inccident, it wouldn't be worth it.

If Flair agreed to those conditions then I don't see why Flair shouldn't come back for a few appearences or he could even be a FANTASTIC manager today. Also I could easily see him doing some DVD, On-Demand, WWE.com Exclusive, etc. work.

 

[RicSpade]

Yes Flair wrestled in TNA, but its not necessarily a bad thing, I met Ric Flair at the TNA house show in Battle Creek last year, and he said his whole reason for wrestling in TNA was to help make the business better, now take that for what its worth because shortly after that Flair went into business for himself with the whole Gutcheck thing, and then they let him run out his contract, but you have to think about it from an old school standard, "to be the man you have to beat the man" you had a lot of talent, that TNA wanted to get over as being the next big thing, Abyss, AJ Styles, Bobby Roode, James Storm and they have kind of done that, but you needed someone to make them look good, and really that is what a vet of the business should do. Angle does it,Sting does it, Cena does it, Triple H does it,Jericho does it and every HOFer that does a small cameo from time to time does it. You can't make stars without beating someone with notoriety

 

[thebarber]

Flair is returning to WWE, once their court issues are over and done with. In WWE's eyes, Flair wrestled his last match at Mania 24. Flair will return as either a heel manageror as a General Manager of Raw.
He does not need to wrestle another match, he is a 2 x Hall of Famer. Flair still has name value, and used and booked correctly still can add to their on screen product

 

[sTyLnK]

People act like you should only ever wrestle for one company your entire career. To me that's complete BS. Wrestlers IMO can go to any organization they want. You only have one life. Why not experience other promotions while you can? It doesn't make me think any less of them. What does make me think less of someone is a person who lies and continues to lie to boost himself up and make himself look better or the "good guy" in everything.

Flair will return to the WWE eventually and when he does, I'm glad. It'll be great to see him back and when he does return, I hope he gets a great reception. He belongs in the WWE for his remaining years.

 

[Mustang Sally]

If Vince McMahon did re-sign Flair, could he really trust Flair again?

That's the most important question in considering whether or not to re-hire Flair. Surely, McMahon would be smart enough to build some clauses into the contract that protect the company, such as guarding against no-shows by Nature Boy. If his personality is that off-the-wall, they'd have to make sure he can't mess up storylines with his unpredictable behavior. Write his parts so that his presence is beneficial to the show, but not vital so that the production won't be hurt if he screws up.

Of course, if protections like that have to be considered, why hire him in the first place? If the company insists on button-down attitudes on the part of it's employees, why throw Ric Flair into the mix? Is he valuable enough to warrant the risk?

He's a strange man to figure, huh? He has a multitude of ex-wives to satisfy financially, yet still seems to be roaming the landscape, searching for the next ex-Mrs. Flair. Too, at a time an adult should be settling into peaceful old age, this guy is still looking to close bars in the wee hours of the morning (or so it's reported). Does WWE need this? Even with TNA's love of washed-up legends, they decided to let him go.

On the other hand, he's Ric Flair. Everyone who's ever watched wrestling on their TV knows who he is; the man's fame precedes him wherever he goes. As long as we're not forced to watch the guy wrestle anymore (Keep your shirt on, Ric.....please) I would gladly watch his on-screen histrionics week after week.

I'd hire him again......and keep him on a short leash. This may be his last shot at the big time. Hopefully, he'd realize it and act accordingly.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

Ric Flair is still one of the biggest names in the business. That is why WWE will bring him back. The fans still love him.

Flair has more experience and more knowledge to pass on to the young WWE superstars today than pretty much anyone else in wrestling, his tutoring could be invaluable to some of the new up-and-coming talents. Who better to learn from than the most successful world champion of all time?

There are plenty of things to do with him if he resigned. Flair would be a great manager in WWE, he would be entertaining as a GM and could do alot of work at public events or on the WWE Network when that launches. Having Flair on board would only be a good thing for WWE.

However, as other posters have said I would hope that he wouldn't wrestle again. He looks awful these days, and its time he stayed out of the ring and passed on his knowledge to younger wrestlers, rather than keeping the spotlight on himself like he has done for so many years.

 

[jacdnwarrior]

The Nature Boy. Ah, man he just won't stay retired will he ?

Why should WWE take back Flair ?

Flair brings name recognition. Fans love him and/or they pity him. Take your pick.
He can be a great manager, commentator, do wwe home videos or something.
That being said, WWE doesn't need him. He won't make WWE if they get him or break them if they don't sign him. Add to that, how much money will he want and will he be satisfied doing what they want from him ? Does he want to be in the ring again ?

It's a decision that brings benefits and drawbacks, I'd take him back only if he understands that he's out of the ring except for occasional very rare circumstances and he needs to get his drinking undercontrol and any no shows will be swiftly and severely dealt with.

 

[J.J.]

Flair is a well known name, not just within wrestling. This would be a good business move....some of you would make TERRIBLE owners it is about....RATINGS...RATINGS....RATINGS! I'm not saying he would send the ratings through the roof, but regardless of age and his inability to compete like he did in the 80s and early 90s when I was growing up he is still entertaining on the microphone. Him in a GM role or managing someone, or even behind the commentators desk would be gold and a brilliant business move. I'm sure the majority of wrestling fans would welcome a Ric Flair return.

 

[stonecoldstv86]

Vince wants Flair back because he is one of the few people that could sit next to Vince and Vince would be the sane one of the two. So it will keep Vince out of a home for a litte bit longger.

Ok, no really, Flair will most likely be back with WWE in one form or another. He is a name, which WWE could put on DVDs, Video Games, Shirts, among other things. He also sells tickets. People love him. Plus with what happend over in TNA, some people will be tuneing in to see if he starts just saying stuff off the cuff. Which even without that facter he is entertaining. But as most said, hopefully he will not get back in the ring. Especailly after what happend to Jerry Lawler. Plus it was getting to the point that Flair was was the male version of mae young. Where the matches just looked stupid. So hopefully we will just be brought into be the GM or a manager.

Another reason he will most likely be back is HHH is getting more power and he is a Flair guy. He has looked up to Flair for years.

Which everyone is asking why should Vince trust Flair after he ran to TNA. Except he didnt just leave WWE and go to TNA. I thought he signed a contract with Hogan for the Hulkamania Australian Tour. Which that contract was sapost to be for a couple years and basicly handcuffed Flair to Hogan. Which when Hogan went to TNA Flair basically had to go along. Which IF that was the case, I don't think Vince will hold it agenst Flair as much as if Flair would of went to TNA right out of WWE.

But the bottomline is it would be good for buisness to bring Flair back. He puts butts in the seats and WWE can use the sales rights to his name.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

From what I understand, there is no bad blood between Flair and WWE. One reason why Flair signed with TNA is that TNA was willing to allow Flair to wrestle sometimes, no matter how ill advised it might've been. According to reports, WWE has no interest in utilizing Flair as an in-ring talent.

So here we are, nearly three years later since Ric Flair made his debut in TNA. During Flair's matches in TNA, for the most part, I was embarassed in some ways. Flair was out there running around, sometimes, in just his underwear literally. He suffered some pretty significant injuries to his shoulder while wrestling in TNA and, I believe, his last match was against Doug Williams at a house show while on a tour of Europe a while back. In that match, it was reported that he hurt his shoulder badly.

In all the time Flair has been in TNA, I've never heard him say anything negative about WWE whatsoever. He's said to still be very close with Triple H and Vince McMahon. Hell, if anything, it seems that Flair has had issues with TNA in one way or another, usually over money, during his time with the company. If the reports are true, there've been times that TNA hasn't paid Flair on time and there've been some sort of behavior problems on Flair's part.

Ric Flair is still Ric Flair. He's loaded with charisma and his mic skills are every bit as good as they ever were. If WWE brings Flair back as a non-wrestler, then I'm all for it. I've got no problem with older veterans having high profile spots if they've actually got the ability to warrant being in those spots.

 

[XXJJ]

Flair is still on good terms with the WWE. Vince is about making money. If he thinks Flair can add something to the WWE he will be back.

Flair would work well as a GM or manager. I could see him eventually replacing Vickie as Raw GM. I will have no interest in seeing him attempt to wrestle in the WWE anymore. Hopefully, that will not happen.

 

[Peoples_Champ]

Flair should be the new Classy Freddie Blassie. Not sure how many of you remember Blassie back in the 80s, but Blassie was fantastic at getting heels over and giving faces a storyline reason to start a new feud (Blassie would use his 'stable' to get after the main event faces). I remember Blassie managing Hogan when he was a heel, and that was one of the main reasons I had my eye on Hogan to begin with.

Flair has a great mind for the business and he's seen it all. I'm sure he can provide an impact behind the scenes as well, assisting agents and working on storylines. Does Flair take this logical step? Nobody really knows. But I sure as hell wouldn't mind seeing Ric Flair manage some of the up-and-coming heels, like Dolph Ziggler or even Antonio Cesaro. Not a bad idea at all.

 

[FlairFan2003]

Flair reportedly never had problems with WWE in either stint with the company. Certainly when it came to no shows Flair was as reliable as they come and certainly has shown he'll "take one for the team" storyline wise, both in WWE & WCW. As far as non wrestlers, IE guys who cant wrestle regular matches but are well known personalities, its hard to think of anyone who would excite fans more in a return than Flair except Austin.

Flair reportedly got along well with younger talent in WWE as well as veterans like Taker. Being a money maker, good past with the company, respected by guys like Taker, not too mention Triple H, Cena, & HBK, there is no doubt WWE would have taken Flair back already if not for TNA lawsuit.

In retrospect, Flair never should have left. He turned down a $500,000 per year contract extension a few months after WM24 because he wanted more freedom to make outside appearances (WWE had prevented Flair from appearing at a wrestling convention because they didnt want Flair's appearance being filmed and marketed on DVD). WWE wanted Flair available for "on screen" work as storylines became available, using him for PR functions like autograph signings, television conventions, etc in the mean time. It was a great deal, especially since WWE likely would not have stopped Flair from working for the NC State Lottery or promoting energy drinks for Coke (the only major endorsement work he's had since leaving the WWE Universe). I doubt Flair as an on air character would have significantly helped stop the current ratings slide, although if used properly he certainly would help.

Finally, while die hard wrestling fans online may know Flair was in TNA, average wrestling fans dont. TNA does not have half the audience WCW had in its worst days, when Flair was in WWE circa 91-92. To average fans, most barely know TNA exists let alone Flair briefly appeared there. It wouldnt hinder WWE's willingness to bring him back. I know watching WM this past year everyone I was with asked where Flair had been when he appeared during the broadcast with other HOF Inductees. No one remembered seeing him since he returned for WM25. TNA just doesnt matter.

 

[Max_Power]

As mentioned above, Flair is a respected and iconic member of the wrestling industry. He has a great history with the WWE and is, as far as many are aware, on good terms with the company and is admired and respected by other veterans like Taker, Triple H, HBK and Austin as well as guys like Cena and Orton. He is a great personality and someone who would be extremely over with the crowd. He's also very versatile and, as mentioned by FlairFan2003, is willing to 'take one for the team'.

He could be used in many ways by the WWE. Off air roles such as in WWE home movies, public appearances or as an ambassador. He would definitely be a very good General Manager because he is someone with personality, swagger, good mic skills, ability to connect with fans and, most importantly, a history with many wrestlers. I honestly believe Vickie is being used while they wait for the lawsuit from TNA to be over. Finally, use him as a manager. Most people want him to manage Ziggler and, when you think about, it would make perfect sense if they wanted to kick start his face/World Title run. No better way to get over as a face than to (a) ditch Vickie Guerrero and (b) align yourself with the Nature Boy. It would also make sense if they feud him with Orton seeing as though Orton and Flair have plenty of history.

So basically I think Ric Flair returning would be of a massive benefit to the WWE. No matter what role he would be placed in, he would make an impact and create a buzz.

 

[Upgrayedd]

He'd be awesome as the GM again or a manager for Dolph Ziggler. I'd love to see him paired with Dolph. They could take a page out of TNA's book and have Ziggler dress like him and party with him only it would be a thousand times more believable than AJ Styles trying to act like the Nature Boy.

Flair was entertaining as a GM for the WWE in 2001/2002. That would be fun seeing him back in that role too. Just as long as he doesn't wrestle again. But he's too good not to have him return in a GM or manager role. He can still cut great promos and help out.