The WWE Draft is well underway, and the April 28th episode of SmackDown saw many legends in attendance to help announce the results.
Rob Van Dam, Michael Hayes, Teddy Long, and more were in attendance to help announce the picks for each brand.
Now, a report from PWInsider Elite reveals that Ric Flair is scheduled to be in attendance for the second night of the WWE Draft. Flair is no stranger to courting controversy, having been involved in numerous backstage disputes over the years and recently settling his longstanding issues with Becky Lynch. There is no word on what Flair will be doing on Raw, but it’s likely that he’ll aid in the selection process for the WWE Draft.
The Hall of Famer came under fire in September of 2021 when Dark Side of the Ring aired their episode on the infamous Plane Ride from Hell in May of 2002. During the documentary, a flight attendant on board during the incident accused Flair of sexually harrassing her, alleging that he exposed himself and forced her into a corner. Flair has disputed her claims, but he was released from WWE in the wake of the incident and also removed from the show’s opening signature.
However, Flair’s exile from the sports entertainment giant is long over, and he even appeared on-screen during Raw’s 30th anniversary celebration back in January. He also inducted The Great Muta into the WWE Hall of Fame on March 31st, though his induction speech wasn’t well-received backstage.
A complete roundup of night one of the WWE Draft can be found here.
Ric Flair Defended Vince McMahon While Speaking About WWE’s Sale
During a recent appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience, Flair spoke about another controversial figure in Vince McMahon, who retired in July amidst allegations of sexual misconduct and hush money payments but returned in January to help facilitate a sale of the company. With news that WWE is set to merge with UFC under parent company Endeavor, Rogan and Flair discussed the changes ahead, and Flair made it clear that McMahon will always be his “hero.”
“Flair: I just can’t see Vince taking orders. That will be a strange one for me if someone tried to tell Vince what the hell to do.
Rogan: Who the fuck knows more about wrestling than that guy?
Flair: Nobody
Rogan: When he was getting involved in scandals and there was girls that he paid off. I just wanted to say, duh! Duh! You have an 80-year-old savage who is built like a f*cking gladiator. Gee, you think he f*cks? You think Vince McMahon is doing that for hee-hees and haw-haws? No, of course he has some floosies on the side.
Flair: He’s my hero.
Rogan: He’s an animal.
Flair: I judge people by how they treat me and he has treated me like…I’ve never had anyone treat me with more respect in this business.
Rogan: That’s awesome.
Flair: He’s a great guy. I don’t care what he does. He’s my hero.
Rogan: Before him, there was no one of that caliber. There was no one who put together an organization as big as WWF.
Flair: No. He’s got balls bigger than fucking Dallas, Texas. He’s not easily intimidated” (h/t Fightful)