Most Talked-About Controversies Linked to Ric Flair

Controversies are a part of history. Explore the biggest scandals linked to Ric Flair.

Ric Flair, born Richard Morgan Fliehr, is a highly celebrated and now retired American professional wrestler. He's broadly recognized as one of wrestling's all-time greats, with a career that extended for half a century. Flair achieved significant success and acclaim in the professional wrestling world.

Sections (7)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals Legacy & Impact

October 1993: Bret Hart's Radio Interview

In October 1993, Bret Hart gave a radio interview in which he criticized Ric Flair and WCW. This initiated an off-screen rivalry between them.

June 1994: Unification Match and Alliance with Sherri

In June 1994, at Clash of the Champions XXVII, Ric Flair defeated Sting in a unification match, merging the WCW International World Heavyweight Championship with the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. This solidified Flair's heel turn after his alliance with Sherri was revealed, when she helped him win the match after pretending to side with Sting. Subsequently, Flair feuded with Hulk Hogan.

September 1997: Curt Hennig Turns on Flair and The Four Horsemen at Fall Brawl

In September 1997 at Fall Brawl, Curt Hennig turned on Ric Flair and The Four Horsemen after being offered a spot in the group, slamming the cage door onto Flair's head.

April 9, 1998: No-Showing Thunder and Lawsuit

On April 9, 1998, Ric Flair did not appear for a live episode of Thunder in Tallahassee, Florida, leading to a lawsuit filed by Eric Bischoff.

January 17, 1999: Incident at Souled Out

On January 17, 1999, an incident at WCW's Souled Out pay-per-view in Charleston, West Virginia, following a tag team match between Flair and his son David and Curt Hennig and Barry Windham, led to tension between Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan.

1999: Mick Foley's Autobiography

In his 1999 autobiography Have a Nice Day!, Mick Foley criticized Ric Flair's booking decisions in WCW, leading to tension between them.

Have A Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks

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September 2002: Heel Turn at Unforgiven

In September 2002 at Unforgiven, during a World Heavyweight Championship match between Triple H and Rob Van Dam, Ric Flair turned heel by interfering and helping Triple H win.

2002: "Plane Ride from Hell"

In 2002, Ric Flair was involved in the infamous "Plane Ride from Hell" incident. He was accused of inappropriate behavior towards flight attendants, leading to a lawsuit against WWE, which was later settled out of court.

2004: Altercation with Mick Foley

In 2004, Ric Flair and Mick Foley had an altercation in Huntsville, leading to further tension between them.

December 2005: Arrest Warrants Issued After Road Rage Incident

In December 2005, arrest warrants were issued for Ric Flair after a road rage incident in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was charged with injury to personal property and simple assault and battery after allegedly grabbing a motorist by the neck and damaging his vehicle. The wrestler Edge later ridiculed the incident on WWE programming.

2006: "I Quit" Match at SummerSlam

In 2006, Ric Flair and Mick Foley worked a program where Flair took part in some of the bloodiest and most violent matches of his career, particularly at SummerSlam 2006, in an "I Quit" match featuring barbed wire and thumbtacks.

2010: ROH Lawsuit

Following Flair's debut in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), his former employer, Ring of Honor (ROH), filed a lawsuit in 2010, alleging that Flair owed them over $40,000 and that he had not appeared at several events that he was contractually obligated to appear at. The lawsuit was never resolved.

May 2011: Warrant Issued for Contempt of Court

In May 2011, a warrant for Ric Flair's arrest was issued for being held in contempt of court for violating the terms of his settlement with Highspots Inc., who claimed Flair had given them the NWA World Heavyweight Championship belt as collateral for a loan. If Flair had failed to comply, he could have potentially faced 90 days in jail.

April 2012: Contract Termination and Lawsuit

In April 2012, Ric Flair tried to have his TNA contract terminated, which led to TNA filing a lawsuit against WWE for contract tampering and eventually firing Flair on May 11.

September 2019: Trademark Dispute over "The Man"

In September 2019, Ric Flair threatened legal action against WWE and filed a trademark for the term "The Man", which was being used by Becky Lynch. This caused a rift between Flair and his daughter Charlotte, who was Lynch's onscreen nemesis.

January 4, 2021: Storyline with Lacey Evans

On January 4, 2021, Ric Flair started a storyline with Lacey Evans on Raw, where Evans flirted with him during a match against Women's Tag Team Champions Charlotte Flair and Asuka. Flair managed Evans in subsequent weeks, often distracting his daughter Charlotte.

2021: Feud with Becky Lynch

In 2021, Ric Flair began feuding with Becky Lynch, accusing her of using the term "The Man" without his permission, but their dispute was resolved with an apology from Flair in January 2023.

2021: Dark Side of the Ring Episode

In 2021, the Canadian documentary series Dark Side of the Ring aired an episode dedicated to the "Plane Ride from Hell", discussing the allegations against Ric Flair. Flair denied the allegations and was subsequently removed from the WWE's intro signature.

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