Flair, who is foreseeing a third Hall of Fame induction, is one of the iconic names in the pro wrestling industry. ‘Naitch’ dominated the 80s. His in-ring prowess and mic work set a bar back in the day. However, the hard bumps in the squared circle took a toll on ‘The Nature Boy.’ Over the years he has dealt with several health issues.
However, on July 31, 2022, the 16-time World Champion returned to the ring for the first time since 2011 at the Ric Flair’s Last Match event. He teamed up with Andrade El Idolo to defeat Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett. The event aired on FITE and generated a lot of buzz due to the legendary career of Ric Flair. The match saw some heavy criticism, given his age and the way the legend faked a heart attack during the bout.
Speaking on his To Be The Man podcast, co-host Conrad Thompson informed Flair that his last match came in third place for the Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic, behind only Vince McMahon’s appearance on WWE SmackDown amid allegations of sexual misconduct and WWE’s continuing relationship with Saudi Arabia.
Ric Flair responded by stating that he made $300,000 dollars with his return to the ring.
“I don’t pay any attention to that. You know what I got to say to that? I made $300,000 dollars. Go f*** yourself. That’s right. I made $300,000 disgusting you. Disgust yourself for $300,000, and get in the shape that I got in. How about that, motherf***ers?” he said.
Flair recently made an on-screen appearance on the 30th Anniversary of Monday Night RAW.
Ric Flair does not plan on donning his wrestling boots and robe one last time, despite previous comments to the contrary.
The two-time WWE Hall of Famer competed in his final match last July, teaming with Andrade El Idolo to defeat Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett.
The show, appropriately named ‘Ric Flair’s Last Match’ came over a decade after Flair’s previous match in TNA/Impact Wrestling.
Retired
After Flair competed in his last match, the Nature Boy alluded to possibly wrestling again, saying he regretted his performance at the show.
Speaking on the latest To Be the Man podcast, Flair made it clear he will not wrestle again.
“I don’t know why they keep saying I’m begging for another match. What I have said to you repeatedly is I wish I could redo that match. I’m not begging for another match. I don’t want to wrestle again. I have no desire. I wish I had that match to do over again is what I’ve said repeatedly.”
“I don’t know why they keep saying I’m begging for another match.”
Ric Flair.
Begging for Another Match
Flair’s most recent comments come in stark contrast to what the Dirtiest Player in the Game has previously said.
Speaking on the very same podcast last week, Flair said he’d love to get another chance at his final-ever match.
Flair has also said that he feels inspired to wrestle again given that his long-time rival Ricky Steamboat also wrestled last year.
Ric Flair will be on next week’s Raw which will mark the 30th anniversary of WWE’s flagship show.
Two-time WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair is desperate to have his ‘final’ match again, believing it would go better the second time.
Flair teamed with his son-in-law Andrade El Idolo last July to defeat Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal in what was billed as Ric’s final match.
Prior to that match, Flair had competed on the September 12, 2011, edition of TNA Impact!, where he lost to Sting.
Begging
After over ten years away from the ring (and decades after his heyday) Flair’s final match was far from a five-star technical classic.
Aged 73, Flair had to be carried throughout much of the match, and at one point, faked a heart attack, a spot Flair has since said was in poor taste.
Speaking on his To Be the Man podcast, Ric expressed his desire to have one more shot at his final farewell.
“I’m begging to do it again. I’m begging because I’ve told 100 people, ‘How do I forget to drink water all day long?’ That’s all that happened to me. You saw me. I drank five beers right after.”
Ric Flair.
Flair added that he can’t understand how he forgot to stay hydrated given all the training he did with Jay Lethal.
“I can think of a lot of things I’ve screwed up and matches and, you know, things you would change. I just know that could’ve been golden. You know, I just happened to be dehydrated.
“I just know that could’ve been golden.”
Ric Flair on his final match.
I don’t know how I could’ve made that mistake because you know how much work I put in with Lethal. We had everything figured out, I mean, and we had so much more to do. God, it would have been great.”
There is currently no talk from any promotion that another final match for the Nature Boy is in the works.
One More Match
This isn’t the first time Flair has spoken about wrestling after the show billed as ‘Ric Flair’s Last Match.
After the announcement that Ricky Steamboat would be wrestling again, Flair said he felt inspired to have another final match.
Flair later stated he would never truly retire, while Steamboat would go on team with FTR and win a six-man tag for Big Time Wrestling last November.
Last week, Ric Flair competed in his final ever match, teaming with his son-in-law Andrade El Idolo to defeat Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett.
While the show was named after “The Nature Boy” Flair’s final ever wrestling match wasn’t the only bout on the card.
The total 13-match card also saw the Impact World and Knockouts World Championships be defended, as well as Jonathan Gresham be crowned the number-one contender for the PROGRESS World Championship.
The Event
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that the show was a big success as an attraction, with over 6,800 fans in attendance.
The show drew a live gate revenue of $448,502, the second largest for any indie event of this generation. PPV buys are still being tabulated, but early estimates have them at around 20-25,000.
The show is certainly the second-most successful gate in North America, only being beaten by 2018’s ALL IN event.
That show, run by Cody Rhodes and the Young Bucks, saw 10,541 in attendance and a live gate revenue of $458,525.
Reviews
The Ric Flair’s Last Match event has received mixed reviews, with the production quality and overall presentation of the show being praised.
Many have called the match of the night the fatal four-way between Bandido, Laredo Kid, Black Taurus and Rey Fenix, which Fenix won.
As for Flair’s match, which was also the main event, the match drew criticism for how poor Ric looked in the match.
The Sportster said how the match showed that “Ric Flair should not have been in the ring whatsoever,” while Bleacher Report called the main event “one of the most unusual, at times uncomfortable, watches in recent memory.”
The Ric Flair’s Last Match event over WWE SummerSlam weekend, branded as part of Starrcast V, presented a surprising situation for wrestling fans. First of all, there was the matter of 73-year-old Flair wrestling at all, which defied the expectations of most people around what kind of activities a senior citizen could take part in. From there, the sheer interest in the card was remarkable.
On the side of wrestlers, the event took on a unique flavor with matches representing a wide variety of promotions taking place on the card. On the side of fans, there was enough interest to move from a small-scale event at the Nashville Fairgrounds to a full-fledged, more conventionally staged show at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium.
The event became the talk of social media and a draw on pay per view. Based on the success of what happened, questions arise about whether the same formula could apply with a different featured legend.
Ric Flair’s Last Match Represented A Unique Set Of Circumstances
Ric Flair is one of wrestling’s biggest legends and greatest talents, and has in some ways traded on being a crazy old man for the last 25 years-plus. It’s with these factors in mind that building a whole card around him having one more match could draw fans and fellow wrestlers alike.
It would not work to plug just anyone into such a spot. With all due respect to retired stars like Buff Bagwell or Marc Mero, they simply wouldn’t be able to command an audience like Flair.
Moreover, Ric Flair’s Last Match traded on family and tradition. The event was promoted by Flair’s son-in-law Conrad Thompson and featured another son-in-law, Andrade El Idolo, as The Nature Boy’s tag team partner. The show also tapped into the Jim Crockett Promotions name—branding synonymous with Flair’s heyday, and a brand there are plenty of fans in their thirties or older still have a lot of nostalgia for.
There Are A Handful Of Legends Who Might Pull Off Something Akin To Ric Flair’s Last Match
Tthe list of mostly-retired stars who could draw like Ric Flair is small, and there’s no one with as intimate a relationship to Conrad Thompson to work his marketing wizardry on putting the event together. There are, nonetheless, a handful of legends who conceivably could have an event like this built around them, too.
Hulk Hogan is the first name that comes to mind, who could likely pull off a performance at a comparable level to 73-year-old Flair, playing the greatest hits (albeit with fewer bumps), and tapping into a similar demographic of fans age-wise who were WWE stalwarts. Bret Hart comes to mind as well, as not quite the same level of cross over celebrity, but someone with an enormous following, particularly if such an event were to be staged in Canada.
For better or worse, most of the other candidates range from unlikely to impossible, be it for for clear lack of interest or ongoing connections to WWE, and WWE likely not being interested in promoting a show like this. Those stars include Steve Austin, The Undertaker, and Shawn Michaels. The Rock might also qualify, but his level of celebrity make him all the less likely to do something away from the WWE spotlight in wrestling.
The more realistic candidates may include legends like Mick Foley, Jerry Lawler, or Diamond Dallas Page (who all appeared at Ric Flair’s Last Match); Chris Jericho also seems like someone who could draw, though for now, that would be under the AEW banner.
A Show Like Ric Flair’s Last Match Could Be Built More Around The Supporting Cast
While advertising a show as the last match of any lesser star than Ric Flair probably wouldn’t be as much of a draw, it’s conceivable that a match like that could still be the main event, or at least a featured bout on another independently promoted, stand-alone event. After all, Ric Flair and Andrade El Idolo vs. Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett may have been the match that drew fans in Nashville, but it certainly wasn’t the objective best match of the night.
So, someone like Mick Foley wrestling one more match could draw, while top stars from AEW, ROH, Impact, or New Japan—or perhaps a crossover, “forbidden door” encounter like Josh Alexander vs. Jacob Fatu could close the show, especially if a promotion were willing to pull the trigger on a title change at such a show.
In the end, it may be for the best that Ric Flair’s Last Match remain a stand-alone, unique event in wrestling history. It probably shouldn’t become a pattern for geriatric wrestlers to risk their bodies or lives, and the precise circumstances surrounding this event probably won’t repeat themselves. However, when one event succeeds in wrestling, as in so many walks of life, there’s always a temptation to do it again or for imitators to arise. It will be interesting to see if this unprecedented event were to become a new template.
Ric Flair fulfilled his promise of delivering an exceptional final match. The wrestling veteran won the tag team bout against Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal during the Ric Flair’s Last Match PPV from Nashville.
The event also featured some other interesting matches as well as some notable guests. People like The Undertaker, Bret Hart, Mick Foley and more were at ringside and they were shown during the broadcast.
Other wrestling personalities who were in attendance include:
Rey and Dominik Mysterio
Michael Hayes
Shane Helms
Mojo Rawley
Jimmy Valiant
Mickie James
Dennos Condrey
The Nasty Boys
Rikishi
Miro and CJ Perry (Lana)
Dave Sahadi was the director of the broadcast for Ric Flair’s Last Match. According to reports, the live crowd was ‘far rowdier’ than it came off on the screen.
Veteran announcer Bob Caudle was filmed in advance several weeks ago in his home. Caudle was filmed in front of a green screen because he was unable to travel.
Finally, 90 Day Fiance star Tim Malcom was around all week for various Flair events. He is a big fan of the sport and wrestling has been mentioned many times on his shows.
Ric Flair’s final match was everything fans expected and more. The wrestling veteran gave one of the best performances of his life and won the bout.
However, he also took some scary bumps during the fight and was a bloody mess coming out of it. This only added to the concern of fans who were already worried about his health going into the event.
PWinsider provided some early updates on his health following his match. They noted that two doctors were waiting for Flair in the locker room and he was checked immediately after he returned.
According to a source, the former world champion was ‘great’ after the bout. He was spent after the outing but he took some rest. After being checked out by the doctors, Ric Flair said that he was starving and wanted to go eat.
As scary as the bout was, the news coming out of the show is that the Nature Boy is fine, and he was headed out to enjoy the rest of his evening in Nashville.
The 73-year-old had been talking about his health issues openly before the PPV. It’s a good news for fans that he appears to have come out of the match relatively healthy.
Undertaker was joined by his wife Michelle McCool and their child, Kaia Faith Calaway. Ric Flair’s Last Match event took place inside the Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee.
In the main event, Ric Flair teamed with Andrade El Idolo to take on Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett.
The event was promoted by Starrcast under the Jim Crockett Promotions marketing.
Reports had surfaced this weekend revealing that The Undertaker was indeed in Nashville for WWE SummerSlam. He didn’t make an appearance on that show but his time in Nashville wasn’t done on Saturday.
Ric Flair’s Last Match event has been full of surprise appearances and you can add Jerry “The King” Lawler to the list.
The special event is taking place inside Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. The undercard features a slew of matches featuring wrestlers from different renowned promotions all over the world.
In the main event, Ric Flair will have what is being billed as his final match. He will team with Andrade El Idolo to take on Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett.
During the event, an interview was conducted inside Jeff’s dressing room. Jeff was joined by his father Jerry Jarrett and none other than Jerry Lawler.
“The King” gave Jeff a pep talk, saying Flair stole his strut from Jackie Fargo. He said he wanted Jeff to do the Fargo strut over Flair’s unconscious body by the end of the night.
It’s been a busy weekend for both Jerry Lawler and Jeff Jarrett. Lawler was featured on the Kickoff show for WWE SummerSlam, while Jarrett served as a special guest referee during that same event for the Undisputed Tag Team Title match.
A WWE Superstar made a video appearance during the pre-show of Ric Flair’s Last Match.
During the pre-show of the Ric Flair’s Last Match pay-per-view, many wrestling legends sent thriller well wishes to the WWE Hall of Famer. The pre-show featured people like Trish Stratus, Sting, Jim Ross, Nick Aldis, Kurt Angle, Dixie Carter, and Cody Rhodes.
These legends sent their support to Ric Flair who is competing in his final match during Starrcast V.
We have live results for the Ric Flair’s Last Match pay-per-view that you can view here.
Current Card For Ric Flair’s Last Match
Impact World Championship Match: Josh Alexander (c) vs Jacob Fatu
Impact Knockouts World Championship Three-Way Match: Jordynne Grace vs. Deonna Purrazzo vs. Rachael Ellering
Ren Narita vs. Yuya Uemura
Killer Kross (w/ Scarlett Bordeaux) vs Harry Smith
The Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards) vs Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin)
Rock ‘n’ Roll Express (Kerry Morton and Ricky Morton) vs. The Four Horsemen (Brian Pillman Jr. and Brock Anderson)
Four-Corners Match: Alan Angels vs. Jonathan Gresham vs. Konosuke Takeshita vs. Nick Wayne
Bunkhouse Battle Royale: Adam Priest vs. Big Damo vs. Brian Myers vs. Bully Ray vs. Crimson vs. Crowbar vs. Gringo Loco vs. James Storm vs. Kal Herro vs. Komander vs. Rickey Shane Page vs. Sinn Bodhi vs. Wolfie D vs. TBA
Four-way Match: Rey Fenix vs Taurus vs Laredo Kid vs Bandido
The Von Erich (Marshall & Ross) vs The Briscoes
Ric Flair’s Retirement Match: Ric Flair and Andrade El Idolo vs. Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett
On July 30, Starrcast and Jim Crockett Promotions presented the Ric Flair’s Last Match pay-per-view at the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum in Nashville, Tennessee.
Here are the quick results:
Ren Narita def. Yuya Uemura
Bunkhouse Battle Royale: Mance Warner def. Adam Priest, Big Damo, Bully Ray, Crimson, Crowbar, Gringo Loco, James Storm, Kal Herro, Komander, Rickey Shane Page, Sinn Bodhi, Wolfie D vs. TBA
GCW wrestlers invaded the match at the direction of Nick Gage: Mance Warner, Effy, Blake Christian, Jordan Oliver, Joey Janela, Matthew Justice & Manders
Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin) def. The American Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards)
Killer Kross (w/ Scarlett Bordeaux) def. Davey Boy Smith Jr
PROGRESS World Championship #1 Contenders Match: Jonathan Gresham def. Alan Angels, Konosuke Takeshita & Nick Wayne
The Four Horsemen (Brian Pillman Jr & Brock Anderson w/ Arn Anderson) def. Rock ‘n’ Roll Express (Kerry Morton & Ricky Morton w/ Robert Gibson)
Four-Way Match: Rey Fenix def. Black Taurus, Laredo Kid & Bandido
Impact World Championship Match: Josh Alexander (c) vs Jacob Fatu ended due to the interference of Brian Myers, Matt Cardona & Diamond Dallas Page
On July 31, Ric Flair will compete in his final ever match, bringing his impressive wrestling career to an end.
This week, it was confirmed that “the Dirtiest Player in the Game” will team with his son-in-law Andrade El Idolo to face Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett.
The match will take place at the appropriately titled ‘Ric Flair’s Last Match’ event, as part of Starrcast V.
Jarrett’s Double Booking
The weekend will certainly be a busy one for Jeff Jarrett, who will be appearing at Summerslam the night prior.
Jarrett will officiate the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Title match between The Usos and The Street Profits.
The former WCW World Heavyweight Champion was confirmed for the Premium Live Event during last week’s edition of SmackDown on FOX.
Double-J is also in charge of WWE’s live events division, leading many to question how he’s allowed to work the Starrcast event.
On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer explained that Jarrett is not under a talent contract with WWE, so the company allowed him the chance to wrestle Flair.
Ric Flair’s Last Match
While the highlight of the event will be the titular final match of the 16-time World Champion, that’s not all for the ‘Ric Flair’s Last Match’ card.
The show will also see the Briscoes face the Von Erichs, while WWE alum Harry Smith will take on Killer Kross.
Titles will be on the line as Impact Wrestling World Champion Josh Alexander will face Jacob Fatu.
Impact Wrestling Knockouts World Champion Jordynne Grace will put her title on the line against Rachel Ellering and Deonna Purrazzo.
During a recent discussion with SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall for NBC Sports Boston, Killer Kross talked about his feelings and emotions around competing on the pay-per-view centered around Ric Flair’s Last Match.
Ric Flair’s Last Match PPV
Killer Kross will compete against Harry Smith, the British Bulldog’s son, on the Ric Flair’s Last Match card. Ric Flair’s Last Match takes place on Sunday, July 31th at the Nashville Fairgrounds in Nashville, TN. This is just one of the live wrestling shows scheduled for Starrcast V during WWE SummerSlam weekend. However, it is set to headline the whole convention.
As of right now, the card is as follows:
Impact World Championship Match: Josh Alexander (c) vs Jacob Faty
Rachael Ellering vs Deonna Purrazzo vs Jordynne Grace
Clark Connors vs Ren Narita
Killer Kross (w/ Scarlett Bordeaux) vs Harry Smith
The Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards) vs Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin)
Rey Fenix vs Taurus vs Laredo Kid vs Bandido
The Von Erich (Marshall & Ross) vs The Briscoes
Kross Is Grateful
Killer Kross spoke with SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall for NBC Sports Boston prior to competing on the Ric Flair’s Last Match pay-per-view. Kross spoke about what it’s like to be a part of such a legendary event.
He said:
“It’s pretty crazy man. You know when you’re a kid, you grow up watching these people on TV and to you they’re like the TV people. There’s all these people that you can run into when you’re a little kid at the park or toy store or school or something like that. You never see people in the TV, and then suddenly you grow up and you’re on their last show. You’re not really sure if you’re in the TV or if they’re out of the TV.
So, it’s a really cool, surreal, type of thing. It’s very hard to put into words, but I am very flattered and grateful to be a part of this event. I’m looking forward to putting my best work forward as always.”
Is It Really Ric Flair’s Last Match?
Kross was then asked to speculate if he really believes that this will be Ric Flair’s last match or not.
“Yeah, I mean it’s hard to believe and I don’t know he’s going to have to figure out what that is [an off day], unless he’s known this whole time and he’s working us. I hope he does, I hope he does some sort of podcast or some sort of television series or something because I think that he would still be incredibly entertaining especially as a television figure or something like a reality show. If that’s too invasive for the guy or too labourus or too much work or just not his cup of tea I think him doing a podcast would be awesome just to hear perhaps some of the stories that he’s never told.
There’s no way he could have told all the stories of going up and down the roads with all these guys. So, I would be personally interested in listening to something like that or watching something like that. Something episodic would be cool, something of that nature,” the former two-time NXT Champion said.
If you would like to know how and when to watch this pay-per-view, or any of the other Starrcast V events, you can click here.
