WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair made his surprise AEW debut last night on Dynamite, showing up as Tony Khan’s “gift” to Sting.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Radio is reporting that AEW wanted to sign Flair back in 2021 but the Dark Side of the Ring series stalled those plans.
At the time, it was believed that Flair would appear as the manager for his son-in-law Andrade El Idolo. A verbal deal was reportedly in place.
However, Flair was accused of past sexual misconduct after the Dark Side of the Ring episode on the “Plane Ride From Hell” was released. This caused AEW to cancel the deal.
However, the passage of time as well as Flair’s appearances for other wrestling companies motivated Tony Khan to bring The Nature Boy to his company.