AEW declines collaboration with multi-time WWE Champion - Reports

A WWE Hall of Famer was reportedly pulled from a massive cameo in AEW. The star being discussed is Ric Flair, who signed a deal with the company in November 2023. He played an important role during Sting’s last run in All Elite Wrestling. However, he didn’t appear on TV after The Icon retired. Later, it was reported in July 2024 that Flair had parted ways with the promotion.

Despite being in AEW briefly, The Nature Boy was still in the middle of controversies. He once cut a controversial promo on an episode of Rampage in December 2023. The Jacksonville-based promotion had to deduct a few lines from the tapings and did not put it on air. It seems that the company is reluctant to book the Hall of Famer on TV again.

According to PWInsider, Ric Flair was advertised to appear on the upcoming edition of Collision. However, he is no longer scheduled for the show. Instead, the legendary Rock ‘n’ Roll Express will be making their appearance this Saturday.

Dutch Mantell speculates why AEW ‘dumped’ Ric Flair

Ric Flair introduced a new drink, ‘Wooooo’ Energy Drink,’ a couple of years ago. He also brought his project to the Jacksonville-based promotion’s specific venues.

While speaking on Story Time with Dutch Mantell, the WWE veteran said that AEW didn’t want to move forward with The Nature Boy because his energy drinks were not successful.

“I think the drink company is collapsing. How much competition do they have in the drink business? (it’s saturated) So, I think they think it’s not doing a bit of good. (They thought) We’re throwing good money, and it’s doing bad. So they thought ‘We’re going to dump it’ and they dumped it. And Ric Flair is along with the dump,” he said.

It will be interesting to see if the Hall of Famer will ever step foot in the Tony Khan-led promotion again.