Charlotte Flair told reporters in North Carolina recently that she isn’t over the death of her brother. Reid Flair died on March 29th, 2013 at the age of 25.
“I wish I could say that I was over losing my brother, but I’m not,” Flair told the Charlotte Observer. “I mean, I have so many regrets. … How did my brother never get to see me wrestle? … I ask myself that every single day: How am I here, where I am, and he never got to see me? This was his dream. I don’t know if I’ll ever get over it.”
Reid Flair had just returned home from a tour with AJPW in Japan at the time of his death.
Charlotte also spoke about the unique challenges she faces in her career due to being Ric Flair’s daughter.
“My dad’s legacy means the world to me,” Flair said. “(But) do I pay homage to him or do I not? Is it OK to ‘WOO’ , is it not OK, Is it too much? Is it not? I just have to tell myself, and remember, that I am way more athletic than my dad was and what I am doing now, it’s OK to continue my dad’s legacy and carry the last name, and WOO, and strut, and do all those things because … I’m going above and beyond and showing that I’m also a talent — versus just Flair’s kid.”
Bret Hart was recently interviewed by Justin Barrasso for the Sports Illustrated Extra Mustard blog. The Hitman said he doesn’t watch as much WWE since CM Punk and Daniel Bryan left the scene. It’s going to be tough for today’s top stars to match the interest that Punk and Bryan brought, even though he like guys like Dean Ambrose. As for Punk’s falling out with WWE, Bret makes it clear he’s on Punk’s side and doesn’t appreciate how he was denied the chance to main event WrestleMania.
“I’d have to take Punk’s side on it,” explained Hart. “Triple H is a bodybuilder nut. He goes after the bodies. He doesn’t care how good–and he can look in the mirror–guys work, he cares how guys look. Punk and Bryan are guys concerned with how they work. It’s a different philosophy. I admire Punk for taking his stand. He was the guy doing all the work, every week, going injured, and here’s a guy sitting at home–working three or four times a year–and you’re going to give him the main event at WrestleMania? I’m not buying it.”
As much as Vince has a track record of favoring muscular performers, Bret believes he also appreciates great in-ring technicians, while Triple H is still a body guy. He named Roman Reigns, Kevin Owens and Dean Ambrose as the “hardest working guys in the company.” No mention of Seth Rollins, but it was looking ahead to Sunday’s Survivor Series pay-per-view. Bret questioned the booking of Roman Reigns.
The 5-WWE Champion has a strong opinion about WWE using Reid Flair’s name during the Divas segment that closed RAW, expressing his sympathy for Ric Flair.
“How could they not see the slight there? That’s really insensitive to Ric and his family, and I totally sympathize with Ric. You didn’t see them doing that after Jerry Lawler lost his brother. Maybe someone just made a poor judgment call, but I was flabbergasted to see they did that to him. It was totally wrong.”
WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross updated his official blog at JRsBarBQ.com with thoughts on the Reid Flair controversy from RAW, TNA’s new deal with POP TV, the WWE World Title Tournament wrapping up at Survivor Series this Sunday and more. Below are some of the highlights.
On the Reid Flair controversy from RAW:
“Lots of dialog amongst fans and media regarding the use of the late, Reid Flair’s name Monday night on the closing segment of RAW by his sister Charlotte and her challenger Paige as they looked to add a personal issue element to their title match that will take place this Sunday in Atlanta at the Survivor Series on the WWE Network.
My general rule of thumb is that most promotions are usually better off staying away from using someone’s death, religion and politics in a pro wrestling storyline. I find it counterproductive in this situation that more people seem to be talking about the late, Reid Flair, who I knew his entire life, than they are about he actual title bout between Charlotte and Paige. Nonetheless I am very much eagerly anticipating that bout for which I have high expectations.”
On TNA’s new deal with POP TV:
“Congrats to TNA Impact Wrestling for finding a new, TV home in the States on POP TV that debuts with a live show on Tuesday January 5. Tuesday night will be the new night for TNA beginning in January. I am not a regular viewer of POP TV but will certainly find them to watch wrestling when it moves there.”
On the WWE World Title Tournament wrapping up at Survivor Series this Sunday:
“Thinking that it will be Reigns vs Ambrose Sunday in the finals of the WWE World Title Tournament with one of them ‘stabbing’ his friend in the back. I’d prefer it was Reigns joining the Authority as I think a long association with the Authority would position Reigns perfectly for a fan favorite turn late next year. However, depending ont he execution of that piece of business I have no major issue seeing Ambrose in that Authority Champ role.
Never say never but what if Reigns and Ambrose have one helluva physical, grueling match, one of them wins and MITB winner Sheamus comes in, picks the bones, and leaves as WWE Champion which would make the bosses happy.”
WWE will be releasing a statement to address the controversy surrounding Paige referencing Reid Flair on Monday’s RAW. f4wonline.comreports that WWE will say Charlotte was the one who came up with the idea, they took it out of the script thinking it was too sensitive, but Charlotte insisted it be included.
To recap, Paige got extremely personal with Charlotte on RAW, telling that her brother Reid didn’t have enough “fight in him” prior to his overdose death in 2013. WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair spoke about the situation on his podcast this week, noting that he cried when he heard about it and WWE did not give him a heads up in advance or apologize to him after the fact. Flair said:
“[Charlotte’s] only been up there three months. It’s a pressure cooker and a tough spot to be in. Even though she’s the champion doesn’t mean that she goes ‘hey, this is what I wanna do or what I’m not gonna do … If you’re asked to do something, that’s pretty much the way things operate up there” …
“I never heard a word about it. I started crying when I was watching it. Nobody called me and no one’s called me today. That would indicate that they just assume that it’s good. I don’t have an answer for that.”
It’s worth noting that Flair’s podcast co-host Conrad said rumors that the whole angle was Charlotte’s idea are “100% false.”
Charlotte and Reid’s mother Elizabeth expressed her outrage on Twitter, calling WWE disgusting, disrespectful, cruel and sad.
Paige was bombarded on social media with fans who couldn’t believe what she said. Playing up her heel role and relishing in the heat she generated, Paige responded:
Because some people ask for a label: Yes, this is an editorial.
Last night’s show-closing segment on Monday Night Raw was not the first time WWE has, uncomfortably, worked someone’s real life death into an angle. That goes back a decade to Eddie Guerrero’s death, and you can go back further for them using it outside of the storyline context, like the Raw interview with Brian Pillman’s widow in 1997. It’s never a good thing and it’s always uncomfortable, but what they did last night was, in its own unique way, the worst of them all.
“You know what, Charlotte? You’re wrong sweetheart. ‘Cause your little baby brother? He didn’t have much fight in him, did he?” -Paige
It’s been over two and a half years since Reid Fliehr’s death at just 25 years of age from an overdose of heroin and prescription medication. Ashley/Charlotte considers her wrestling career, in large part, her way of fulfilling his dream and keeping his spirit alive, .as he had been working for independent promotions and All Japan Pro Wrestling. As you might think from the cause of death, he had been battling drug addiction for years. Which is the beginning of why last night’s scripting stands out as so objectionable.
The Eddie Guerrero exploitation was terrible and crass, but was never really about demeaning him in a direct way. The same goes for the Paul Bearer stuff, and that at least had th slight improvement of it being more clearly delineated that the Paul Bearer character was killed off because William Moody had actually died. How they died was off limits.
Last night? It wasn’t.
As bad as it is to invoke his death for some lame pro wrestling angle in the first place, here, the inference is, effectively, “Ha-ha, your junkie brother ODed!” It prostitutes his worth as a human being and the mental illness he struggled with from his teens (and yes, addiction is as much a mental illness as OCD, depression, or bipolar disorder are). And for what? Some doomed to fail skit put at the end of the show because the third hour is siphoning viewers anyway?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2WR40HgDbU
What gives this more wide-ranging, real world consequences that past WWE death exploitation angles is that mental illness is heavily stigmatized, especially in the United States. Die from cancer and the perception is that you lost your valiant battle. Die from a mental illness and the perception is that you’re weak. Unless, by some small chance this storyline ends with a passionate Charlotte promo about destigmatizing mental illness, then what exactly is the point?
No, most viewers don’t know how Reid Fliehr died. But plenty do: Charlotte talks about him all the time when she does media appearances and more fans than ever follow wrestling news online, anyway. Being cryptic helps WWE, because, like with Lana’s promo last year that viewers thought was about the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17, you can always say that’s not what they meant.
As for Charlotte, it’s really quite simple: If it wasn’t her idea, it’s disgusting as her employer to script her to take part in last night’s angle. If by some chance it was her idea, and her mom’s tweets certainly suggest that it wasn’t, then she should have been vetoed anyway.
To think this company wonders why they have trouble getting advertising rates at the level of non-wrestling programming with the same viewership. They’re in the bubble. Nothing will ever change.
The hot topic of conversation coming out of Monday’s RAW wasn’t the Final 4 of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship Tournament – it was Paige’s comments to Charlotte about her deceased brother Reid.
Charlotte invoked Reid during the Divas Championship contract signing and said that her entire career is a tribute to Reid in an effort to fulfill the dream he is unable to since his passing. As Charlotte was talking about her entire family being fighters, Paige made it intensely personal by correcting Charlotte and saying Reid “didn’t have much fight in him” prior to his untimely death back in 2013 (accidental overdose). The ladies brawled and WWE fans’ jaws dropped in reaction to Paige’s shocking remark.
Naturally Paige was bombarded on social media with fans who couldn’t believe what she said. Playing up her heel role and relishing in the heat she generated, Paige responded:
WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair published the following letter to his late son Reid one year after his tragic passing:
“My dear son Reid,One year ago today God took you away from your family that loved you so much. As hard as it is to not see and be with you everyday, we all know that you are safe with my parents in heaven and in a far better place than you were here on earth. Your mom, brother, sisters and I miss you so very much. Not a day goes by we don’t all think of you. I adored you as you did me, and I’m forever thankful for you. We traveled the world together and experienced so much side by side. I am so proud to be your father and you will forever be my beautiful son. My world will never be the same without you.
This week on Because Wrestling, we take a look at Matt Striker’s WWE departure, the latest on Reid Flair, we take a close look at an outstanding episode of Raw, and more! (more…)
– TNA let go Mike Weber, their Vice President of Marketing, last week. He had been with the company since 2008 and previously worked for WWE and WCW.
– WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair spoke to the Charlotte Observer over the weekend about the news that his son’s autopsy report confirmed that he died from a heroin overdose. Flair said:
“I loved him… He should have been on top of the world, but he was fighting a battle he couldn’t win. I hope people remember his laugh, his spirit and his love of life.”
Reid’s mother, Beth, said “I knew his fears and I knew how to help him,” Beth said. “All he wanted to do was stay busy, train and keep his mind off the old triggers, then go back to Japan. He was doing really well there. He was happy.”
Newsday.com has obtained a police report for Reid Flair’s tragic death on Friday. According to the report, Ric Flair calls 911 after finding his son unresponsive in a hotel room at the Residence Inn Charlotte South Park hotel in Charlotte, N.C.
TMZ.comreleased a recording of the 911 call on Monday afternoon, which includes a frantic Ric Flair telling the dispatcher that his son was “out cold” and “turning purple.”
A medic who arrived at the scene listed pronounced Reid dead at 10:40 a.m. Under the category “incapacity types” for Fliehr, “drugs” is the only word noted. The cause of death will be determined by the medical examiner’s office.
– Several readers sent in word that WWE Headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut had their flags flying at half mast on Friday in respect to the passing of Reid Flair.
– Just a day before his death, Reid Flair tweeted the following message about the independent wrestling shows in Maryland he and his father Ric were supposed to appear at:
– As reported today, Reid Fliehr, better known to wrestling fans as “Reid Flair,” son of legendary wrestler Ric Flair, was found dead in a hotel room in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Friday morning. WWE issued a statement via its official website acknowledging the 25-year-old’s passing.
“WWE is saddened to learn of the passing of Reid Flair, son of WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair,” WWE states. “Our deepest condolences go out to the Flair family and friends.”
– Renee Young, who hosts various minor shows for WWE, made her SmackDown debut on tonight’s show in a backstage segment interviewing Randy Orton, Sheamus and Big Show. Reacting to her debut, she wrote on Twitter: “Wow!! Seriously, thanks for all the tweets about making my debut on #Smackdown. Very cool! Let’s all hug in a totally friend-zone kinda way.”
– Former WWE Divas Champion Maryse Ouellet will in New Jersey during WrestleMania weekend as she has been announced to appear at WrestleCon at the Meadowlands Expo Center 355 Plaza Dr. Secaucus, New Jersey. The event takes place the day of WrestleMania from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg police department has confirmed that Reid Flair, the 25-year-old son of legendary wrestler Ric Flair, was found dead Friday in a Charlotte hotel.
According to a press release issued by police, officers received a call for service in reference to an unresponsive individual at a room at the Residence Inn in SouthPark. Police identified the person as Richard Fliehr (his real name), and he was pronounced dead.
Police say there didn’t appear to be foul play involved in his death.
Ric Flair’s agent, Melinda Morris Zanoni of Legacy Talent and Entertainment, issued a statement on Facebook: “We are heartbroken to confirm that Ric’s son, Reid Fliehr, has passed away today March 29, 2013 in Charlotte, NC.
Ric Flair’s agent, Melinda Morris Zanoni of Legacy Talent and Entertainment, issued the following statement on Facebook concerning Reid’s passing: “We are heartbroken to confirm that Ric’s son, Reid Fliehr, has passed away today March 29, 2013 in Charlotte, N.C.
“The investigation into the cause of death is ongoing. Reid was 25 and an incredible son, brother, friend, and professional wrestler.
“No words can describe the grief that Ric and his family are experiencing and they do request privacy during this devastating time.”
The wrestling world is expressing its shock and support for the Flair family on Twitter in response to the tragic passing of 25 year old Reid Flair. Here are some tweets from today:
Words cannot express our emotions re: death today of Reid Flair the 24 year old son of Ric Flair. Condolences to the Flair family. So sad.
Reid Flair, the 25-year-old son of legendary wrestler Ric Flair, has been found dead on Friday, according to multiple sources. Details concerning his passing have not been disclosed.
With his background, Flair was hailed as future wrestling star dating back to high school as he was an accomplished amateur wrestler who achieved numerous awards. His career, however, was sidetracked in 2009 due to a slew of personal issues, including an arrest that found him in possession of black tar heroin.
Following a hiatus from the squared circle, Reid made his in-ring debut for All Japan Wrestling in January, replacing his sick father in a tag team match due to the WWE Hall of Famer suffering a blood clot in his leg. Last month, Reid competed in All Japan’s Excite Series tour, wrestling undercard tag team matches. On March 15, Flair wrestled his first singles match in All Japan, causing Yasufumi Nakanoue to submit with the Figure Four Leglock.
In recent months, there was talk of Reid joining WWE developmental along with his sister, Ashley (NXT Diva Charlotte). WWE did take a look at him, but he was never signed to a contract.
He was scheduled to make independent appearances in Maryland this weekend with his father.
Our deepest condolences go out to the friends and family of Reid Flair.
Just hours before he was set to wrestle for All Japan Pro Wrestling, it was announced that Flair would be unable to compete due to medical concerns. During Flair’s pre-match physical, doctors found “suspicion of deep vein thrombosis of the left foot.” There was concern that the blockage could have spread to his heart or brain if he competed and All Japan made the decision to pull him from the show.
Flair was replaced by his son Reid, who was already scheduled to wrestle on the show. Reid and Keiji Mutoh (Great Muta) lost to Tatsumi Fujinami and Seiya Sanada after Sanada hit his This Is It finisher on Flair. Ric Flair was ringside for the match and did get physical at one point, hitting Sanada with his signature chop to the chest.
A lot of fans at the arena were said to be upset over Flair not wrestling as advertised and were asking for refunds.
Here are pictures of Ric Flair watching his son Reid wrestling in his place for AJPW:
Ric Flair’s son Reid Flair appeared on the Hit the Ropes radio show on Wednesday and spoke about the possibility of following in his father’s footsteps and becoming a pro wrestler.
Despite the fact that Reid’s father works for TNA, the second generation wrestler’s ultimate goal is to make it to what he calls “the big time” – WWE.
“No, I have not ruled out TNA. I respect the guys that are there. I respect the people in management and stuff like that. My dream since I was five years old was to work for the WWE and that’s my goal.”
Reid acknowledges that working for TNA has its benefits, but his perception of the company is similar to the reputation that TNA has earned in recent years – which is that TNA is where “established” wrestlers go after they’ve been in WWE.
“I think for people who are already established as stars, TNA is a great place to go. But me being a young kid and stuff like that, not having established myself, I think that sometimes the younger guys may be misrepresented and stuff in TNA. And I’m not saying anything malicious about TNA, WWE is just where I want to be. That’s my goal. WWE is the big time and I want to be with the best.”
You can listen to audio of the full interview here:
— According to Ric Flair, TNA Wrestling has signed his son Reid.
The WWE Hall of Famer is currently in the midst of a media tour helping promote TNA’s tour of the United Kingdom beginning in January 2011. During an interview promoting the tour, Flair said TNA signed his son to a contract.
The 22-year-old’s wrestling career has been sidetracked by trouble with the law. On March 4, 2009, he was arrested for driving while impaired in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, but released after posting $1,000 in bail. He was arrested again on April 26, 2009. After crashing his car, police found black tar heroin inside it, resulting in felony charges. He was also charged with driving while impaired, driving with a revoked license, and possession of drug paraphernalia, but was released after posting $15,000 in bail.
— Hulk Hogan is listed as the No. 2 trending topic tonight on Yahoo.com. Meanwhile, actor Gary Coleman, who passed away today after suffering an intracranial hemorrhage, was briefly listed at No. 9 but has since fallen out of the top search list.
– Shannon Moore and Jesse Neal are now teaming together in TNA under the name “Ink Inc.” – a reference to their tattoos. The team will be getting a TNA Tag Team Title shot at the Sacrifice pay-per-view against Matt Morgan and his partner, who will be chosen by Hulk Hogan.
– Former WCW, WWE and ECW star 2 Cold Scorpio, who lives in the Orlando area, was backstage visiting at last night’s TNA iMPACT.
– Ric Flair’s son Reid was backstage at Monday’s TNA iMPACT.
– As reported yesterday, Lex Luger was indeed in Orlando tonight – but as most of you know by now, did not appear on iMPACT.