Ric Flair was All Elite: Not any more.

[raymondo316]

People forget that Tony & Ric have been friends for years, even before AEW existed, so sadly this is just Tony wanting to help a friend out.

It was going to happen no matter who told him it was a bad idea.

[Jedi-El of Tomorrow]

Nov 3, 2023 8:09:40 GMT -5 Confused Mark Wahlberg said:

After 16 pages, is there literally anyone who likes this idea?

Tony K and Ric F, no that's too obvious, Tony Flair and Ric Khan.

[Kalmia]

If I had a gun to my head and had to make a choice, I'd take Punk punching people over hiring a sex pest like Flair. At least Punk's nonsense can be funny, Flair is just depressing and rage inducing.

[markymark]

Nov 3, 2023 8:00:11 GMT -5 cornettesracket said:

Ah for f*** sake Tony. Why ? Is the energy drink even any good ? This is a very bad move, because flair still thinks he can go in the ring, when he clearly can’t. It’s 2023, not 1983 ric. I hope that Tony Kahn has the balls to say no to ric wanting to get in the ring again.

Ric already said AEW wont let him wrestle.

Nov 3, 2023 8:10:11 GMT -5 polarbearpete said:

Nov 3, 2023 7:53:48 GMT -5 markymark said:

They will if Flair causes trouble, they did it with Punk....

The problem with Flair isn’t that he’ll cause locker room trouble like Punk so that if he doesn’t then the signing was fine. The problem with Flair is that he’s a sex pest and shouldn’t have been hired at all. The signing doesn’t become okay if there are no new issues that come up.

Guess what, the locker room doesnt care about it and they dont care about fans online think of it according to SRS.

Who knows how much tv time he will get, he could get as much screen time as Arn or Jake, one notable weakness with TK is that he is just too kind with old people like Jake the Snake Roberts or Jim Ross.

[pinja]

Nov 3, 2023 6:25:19 GMT -5 Jedi-El of Tomorrow said:

Nov 3, 2023 5:15:34 GMT -5 Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-] said:

One of the only times it doesn't happen is Hulk Hogan

People seem completely done with Hulk Hogan and what he did reached the broad corners of the wrestling fandom at large whether they're current, old, or even barely fans, and they aren't going to let him forget it. Especially given how much he hasn't really apologized, he was sorry he got caught.

It was weird to see Ric blackballed for a hot minute and then just brought back like nothing ever happened. In WWE he showed up a few times but never showed up to a full deal, and I think the same tepid reaction would be the same for him being in AEW until Sting retired

But PAST it? A MULTI-YEAR deal for 74 year old Ric Flair? Even if he didn't have the baggage that he did, didn't he show everyone during his TNA run like TWELVE YEARS AGO that he is completely tapped as an act?

Hogan gets blackballed for his racist rant, and non-apology, completely understandable. Flair is a sex pest and has allegations of racism, and that shit is forgotten by too many people.

What the f*** is it about Flair that he gets so little blowback? Stephanie's gotten more shit for her dumbass 9/11 comments than Flair has seemingly gotten for, well, everything.

Because Ric is considered the type of role model that corrupts hordes of young, impressionable men, I suppose. His promos are quoted to this day, he is seen with music stars, people like Bill Burr praise him like he's a man's man. He isn't and never was the comic style character that is Hogan. Fliehr acts as is expected from him and therefore he is teflon. If Andrew Tate survives not despite but due to his deeds, so can Ric Flair.

[Magic knows Black Lives Matter]

It’s ok, TK just needed to be close to his new plug.

[Final Countdown Jones]

Nov 3, 2023 7:22:32 GMT -5 SneakMan said:

Nov 3, 2023 6:43:10 GMT -5 Texas Tornado said:

Yeah, Cody would've wanted to be the old man's first feud out the gate lol.

This all sucks. No other way to put it. I hope all this backlash is some sort of wake up call to Tony that AEW has stopped paying attention to its fanbase. I'm not gonna call the guy Dixie Carter or anything, but he's doing things that feel so far away from the company he started, that's what's most disappointing.

That’s the thing, unless this backlash actually manifests in the real world, nothing is going to change.

Hogan was “banned from AEW” but it was easy for TK to do that when Hogan was getting booed even just making brief appearances at Mania. Flair got a pop when he showed up on Dynamite. Hell, Vince McMahon’s alleged monstrous behavior is well known and the last time he showed up the crowds still did the “we’re not worthy” bow to him. Wrestling crowds in general have no problem supporting scum.

Unless all this online outrage over Flair’s signing results in pissed off live crowds and a ratings death spiral whenever he’s on TV, nothing will change.

Wrestling crowds on the whole adamantly do not give a shit. I think Hogan being caught literally on camera saying the n word in what made for an actual mainstream news story is the only reason reception to him is negative enough not to truck him out for every nostalgia episode they can offer him. And even in online spaces where this stuff does get more traction think about how many people will still go "Don't care he was my childhood", let alone the defenses of him he's received. There's so much of the fanbase that will loudly, proudly not care. Nothing's going to change so long as that's the case, it's just how it is.

[polarbearpete]

More details from the Observer and it seems like the sponsorship and the Ric Flair performer deal happened separately, which may make this even worse:

Ric Flair signed a two-year deal with AEW, which was actually two different deals. The original deal was a sponsorship deal for his “Whooooo!” energy drink as the official energy drink of AEW. They had attempted to make a deal with WWE for the drink but WWE already had an energy drink deal in place, so they went to AEW and got the deal done. So they are going to be an AEW sponsor. After making the deal, Tony Khan talked with Flair and his people very late in the game about the Sting idea and being a television character. The second deal which actually closed on 10/24, was a two-year performer deal to appear on television which the company then announced on 11/2. I believe that the Flair deal was kept secret from almost everyone backstage. Sting did know even though he did a great job acting like he didn’t. Almost nobody else knew. I’m not exactly sure how you can use Flair for two more years.

[Mochi Lone Wolf]

This has been a year with a few unforced errors on AEW’s part. Decisions that really aren’t necessary, either. The product is very cold compared to what it was in 2022 but it’s not like they’re in desperate need of what little name value Flair still brings in 2023-2024.

I’m guessing Flair saw that Sting is retiring and figured that was something he could piggyback off to keep whatever career he stiill has going.

[Denny Zen is Cooking™]

Nov 3, 2023 8:40:14 GMT -5 Final Countdown Jones said:

Nov 3, 2023 7:22:32 GMT -5 SneakMan said:

That’s the thing, unless this backlash actually manifests in the real world, nothing is going to change.

Hogan was “banned from AEW” but it was easy for TK to do that when Hogan was getting booed even just making brief appearances at Mania. Flair got a pop when he showed up on Dynamite. Hell, Vince McMahon’s alleged monstrous behavior is well known and the last time he showed up the crowds still did the “we’re not worthy” bow to him. Wrestling crowds in general have no problem supporting scum.

Unless all this online outrage over Flair’s signing results in pissed off live crowds and a ratings death spiral whenever he’s on TV, nothing will change.

Wrestling crowds on the whole adamantly do not give a shit. I think Hogan being caught literally on camera saying the n word in what made for an actual mainstream news story is the only reason reception to him is negative enough not to truck him out for every nostalgia episode they can offer him. And even in online spaces where this stuff does get more traction think about how many people will still go "Don't care he was my childhood", let alone the defenses of him he's received. There's so much of the fanbase that will loudly, proudly not care. Nothing's going to change so long as that's the case, it's just how it is.

Yeah, and I also think there's a 50+ crowd of wrestling fans that isn't chronically online that just sincerely doesn't know or is only vaguely aware of Flair's issues. My dad (who grew up a Crockett fan) heard about Flair coming back and texted me and when I responded that I wasn't particularly excited about him being a part of AEW and why, he was shocked. 

I think with Hogan, at least part of it is that his stuff led to a highly publicized multimillion dollar lawsuit so it got actual mainstream news coverage and more people are aware of it. Flair's stuff didn't get anywhere near the coverage. 

None of which makes it, somehow, acceptable to do business with Flair but condemn Hogan. But that's part of what's at play, I think. 

[Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]]

Nov 3, 2023 8:54:55 GMT -5 Mochi Lone Wolf said:

This has been a year with a few unforced errors on AEW’s part. Decisions that really aren’t necessary, either. The product is very cold compared to what it was in 2022 but it’s not like they’re in desperate need of what little name value Flair still brings in 2023-2024.

I’m guessing Flair saw that Sting is retiring and figured that was something he could piggyback off to keep whatever career he stiill has going.

I'd say in some regards there's a bit of a lull or there has been in parts of the year, but it's not "very cold", I'd say more than being cold it's had to deal with the aftermath of injuries and CM Punk, and it's caused a lot of things to shift in short order

I don't see Ric adding to this pile in that way because I can't see him appearing all that often for any reason but it definitely isn't the PR they were hoping for. It's essentially not what they needed right now, especially with how much Tony is being criticized right now, mainly off the recent NXT Tweet spree.

[WatchersDigitalNetwork]

I am torn on this. I hope he can be a great manager or personality. The accusations aren't new, that doesn't discredit them by any means, but before the episode of Dark Side aired we already knew he was a drunk womanizer. With his son in law needing something to get him to the next level, and perhaps possibility his daughter shows up some day. Having him there has some value.

[Finish Uncle Muffin’s Story]

Nov 3, 2023 8:58:33 GMT -5 Denny Zen is Cooking™ said:

Nov 3, 2023 8:40:14 GMT -5 Final Countdown Jones said:

Wrestling crowds on the whole adamantly do not give a shit. I think Hogan being caught literally on camera saying the n word in what made for an actual mainstream news story is the only reason reception to him is negative enough not to truck him out for every nostalgia episode they can offer him. And even in online spaces where this stuff does get more traction think about how many people will still go "Don't care he was my childhood", let alone the defenses of him he's received. There's so much of the fanbase that will loudly, proudly not care. Nothing's going to change so long as that's the case, it's just how it is.

Yeah, and I also think there's a 50+ crowd of wrestling fans that isn't chronically online that just sincerely doesn't know or is only vaguely aware of Flair's issues. My dad (who grew up a Crockett fan) heard about Flair coming back and texted me and when I responded that I wasn't particularly excited about him being a part of AEW and why, he was shocked. 

I think with Hogan, at least part of it is that his stuff led to a highly publicized multimillion dollar lawsuit so it got actual mainstream news coverage and more people are aware of it. Flair's stuff didn't get anywhere near the coverage. 

None of which makes it, somehow, acceptable to do business with Flair but condemn Hogan. But that's part of what's at play, I think. 

It highlights an ugly part of society where for a long time it was OK to be a womanizer and make people feel uncomfortable because it's "just boys being boys." I'm glad it seems most of society realizes that it's very, very wrong and that other offenders beyond Flair have been ousted from the business.

[Fade]

Nov 3, 2023 8:37:33 GMT -5 Magic knows Black Lives Matter said:

It’s ok, TK just needed to be close to his new plug.

i thought he got his energy a different way.

[markymark]

Nov 3, 2023 8:54:55 GMT -5 Mochi Lone Wolf said:

This has been a year with a few unforced errors on AEW’s part. Decisions that really aren’t necessary, either. The product is very cold compared to what it was in 2022 but it’s not like they’re in desperate need of what little name value Flair still brings in 2023-2024.

I’m guessing Flair saw that Sting is retiring and figured that was something he could piggyback off to keep whatever career he stiill has going.

2022 the year the Brawl Out happened, the 2nd half of 2022 was much worse than this year.

[markymark]

Nov 3, 2023 9:16:44 GMT -5 Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-] said:

Nov 3, 2023 8:54:55 GMT -5 Mochi Lone Wolf said:

This has been a year with a few unforced errors on AEW’s part. Decisions that really aren’t necessary, either. The product is very cold compared to what it was in 2022 but it’s not like they’re in desperate need of what little name value Flair still brings in 2023-2024.

I’m guessing Flair saw that Sting is retiring and figured that was something he could piggyback off to keep whatever career he stiill has going.

I'd say in some regards there's a bit of a lull or there has been in parts of the year, but it's not "very cold", I'd say more than being cold it's had to deal with the aftermath of injuries and CM Punk, and it's caused a lot of things to shift in short order

I don't see Ric adding to this pile in that way because I can't see him appearing all that often for any reason but it definitely isn't the PR they were hoping for. It's essentially not what they needed right now, especially with how much Tony is being criticized right now, mainly off the recent NXT Tweet spree.

Correct

[kingoftheindies]

Even if someone can get past Ric being a sex pest the question is what does Ric really add to AEW? He's had roles in creative before and it was a disaster. He's in no shape to have a match. From everything I've seen he no longer has it on the mic so you can't say he'd be a good manager.

Like legit, unless it has come down that Charlotte will sign with AEW if her dad is there... even then I'm not sure if signing Ric has any value unless he somehow is a key to getting AEW enough money they can overlook it.

Now it's possible Tony is just trying to be a good guy and help someone he considers a friend (both Ric and Tony have talked about being close), but it is difficult to find really any pros in bringing Ric in

[Deleted]

He needs to just slow down if he wants to get on TV at all

[Finish Uncle Muffin’s Story]

Nov 3, 2023 10:47:09 GMT -5 kingoftheindies said:

Even if someone can get past Ric being a sex pest the question is what does Ric really add to AEW? He's had roles in creative before and it was a disaster. He's in no shape to have a match. From everything I've seen he no longer has it on the mic so you can't say he'd be a good manager.

Like legit, unless it has come down that Charlotte will sign with AEW if her dad is there... even then I'm not sure if signing Ric has any value unless he somehow is a key to getting AEW enough money they can overlook it.

Now it's possible Tony is just trying to be a good guy and help someone he considers a friend (both Ric and Tony have talked about being close), but it is difficult to find really any pros in bringing Ric in

It’d be like trying to use Bruno Sammartino as a mouthpiece during the Ruthless Aggression era. There just comes a time where wrestlers even age out of the manager role. Flair is there. If people want to meet him and look back fondly on their childhood, have at it. His time is over.

[Alyce: Old Media Enthusiast]

Nov 3, 2023 11:16:45 GMT -5 slickrickstyles said:

He needs to just slow down if he wants to get on TV at all

We're about to witness the funniest tragedy ever