‘The Nature Boy’ Ric Flair has revealed that his now forgotten promo on Carlito was not scripted, but rather done on the spur of the moment after an argument with Vince McMahon.
On the February 8, 2007, Monday Night Raw, we were witness to what seemed like a very annoyed Ric Flair chastising Carlito backstage. Even the Puerto Rican sensation looked slightly taken aback at the words coming out of Ric Flair’s mouth.
Leaving the arena with Torri Wilson, Carlito simply told Flair that he’d see him which was enough to spark an argument when it came to light that Carlito couldn’t be bothered with his upcoming match, instead favoring the company of Wilson:
“It’s cool? You realise there’s a Triple Threat main event match going on tonight live on Raw to see who goes to WrestleMania? You’re telling me it’s cool you’re leaving? You’re not gonna stay and watch the show? Have you ever stopped to think there’s a reason why guys like you – and I’m talking about guys like you – are not in the main event? That’s right. Why you’re not in the main event! It’s because you’re a lazy, underachieving, son of a bitch and you’re lucky to be walking the halls of this building. Lucky to be on the Raw roster. Lucky to be here at all. You’re really p***ing me off right now. I’ll tell you what my problem is, guys like you that have no passion, no guts, you want to make all the money you want and the glory, you want to fly first class, you want to walk around with someone like her, you don’t deserve it. You haven’t worked for it. You haven’t bled, sweat and paid the price to be here. That’s what’s driving me crazy. I’m walking these aisles trying to find out why guys like you are taking my spot. I’ve been here forever. And I’m going to work my ass off to stay here. McMahon told me today that if I want to stay I have to prove it to him. You wanna stay, you have to prove it to yourself. It’s not cool, it’s pathetic. It’s pathetic. I’m walking around trying to figure out what my name is and you’re leaving before the main event! Sometimes I walk around trying to figure out who I am and the whole f***ing world knows who I am. Except me sometimes and you’re leaving!”
Now, Flair has opened up to Alex McCarthy of talkSPORT about the promo and what inspired it moments before the cameras rolled:
“What happened was, I just got my ass chewed up by Vince McMahon, literally ten minutes before that. Vince chewed my ass out and told me I needed to lead by example, not worry about what I was doing, that if he was worried he would take care of me.
But he had just worn my ass out. I walked back to the locker room and Bruce Prichard was there and he said, ‘We need you to do this promo.’ I said, ‘No problem!’ That’s the truth, there was no script. And I gave him everything Vince gave me and more!”
Ric Flair is one of wrestling’s masters of the microphone whether his words are scripted or spontaneous. While the aforementioned promo clearly had it’s mistakes where Flair lost track, it was one of the most fired up pieces of work he’d produced in several years as he searched for the real Ric Flair.
Along with Carlito, Ric Flair will be present for WWE Legends Night on January 4.
Credit for the interview talkSPORT
h/t for the transcription: Wrestling Inc.