On March 31st, Ric Flair was charged with inducting The Great Muta into the WWE Hall of Fame.
The Japanese legend finally called time on his career earlier in the year and stands as one of the biggest names in history. During his time in the ring, Muta wrestled Flair on multiple occasions, so it was the Nature Boy who was offered the chance to induct the star.
However, many fans criticised Flair’s speech online, suggesting that he rambled and spoke more about himself than the man he was inducting.
By contrast, Konnan’s speech when inducting Rey Mysterio was universally praised by fans and cited as a genuine and heartfelt tribute to his friend.
This feeling was seemingly reflected backstage. A new report from Fightful Select noted that Konnan’s speech was “very well received by WWE” while the “opposite” was true from many when discussing Flair’s contribution.
Other inductions on the night included Stacy Keibler and Andy Kaufman, while Tim White was recognised with the Warrior Award. During the ceremony, Jerry Lawler made his first WWE appearance since suffering a massive stroke in a pre-taped clip, paying tribute to Kaufman.
Ric Flair Recently Repaired His Relationship With Fellow Legend
In the lead-up to WrestleMania 39, Ric Flair revealed that he’d reached out to Arn Anderson in order to repair their friendship. The pair had been close during the 1980s at the height of their run as part of The Four Horsemen but later drifted apart. Flair said back in 2021, that they had all but stopped communicating.
Flair reached out to Anderson following the sad death of his son Barrett.