Ric Flair Gives Statement on His WWE Release

Ric Flair posted an official statement on Tuesday shortly after WWE confirmed he had been released by the company. “The Nature Boy” wrote, “I Am Officially Able To Respond To All The Press Related To My Requested Release From WWE, Which They Have Given Me. I Want To Make It Really Clear With Everyone That I’m Not Upset With WWE At All. They Solely Are Responsible For Putting Me In The Position Of Life That I’m In Right Now, Where I’m Seen In The Brightest Light Ever. We Have A Different Vision For My Future. I Wish Them Nothing But Continued Success! Thank You For Everything! Nothing But Respect!”

Initial reports stated Flair requested his release over frustrations with WWE’s booking. While this statement seems to dispel the idea that there’s any bad blood, the 16-time world champion had openly stated he wasn’t comfortable with the last storyline WWE put him in involving Charlotte Flair and an implied romantic relationship with Lacey Evans. The storyline was scrapped after Evans announced she was pregnant.

“In this instance, I didn’t [feel comfortable],” Flair told Ariel Helwani back in May. “The one thing I’ve learned is you’re not going to win a war when someone’s got their mind made up. She most definitely didn’t like it, but the one thing that I can say about me is I always said yes. I didn’t want to be that guy that was always going ‘Oh, that isn’t perfect for me.’

“When that was all over, I was mad but now I just look back and say it wasn’t it. This was something that when I got to TV, Mr. McMahon wasn’t there to argue the point with and he had stuff going on, I don’t like to put the pressure on someone if I can’t talk to him,” he continued. “He just made up his mind, I think a lot of it was because [Lacey] was a marine. God only knows we cannot give enough back to the people that serve in the military and I think he wanted her to be successful and the way to get successful sometimes is to take two people that are doing really well and give them the rub.”

He later added, “She’s [Evans is] a really nice girl and all that, but it didn’t fit this time. We made the best of it but ultimately, she’s pregnant with her husband now. It was never anything personal, I barely know her and her whole life is her husband and her daughter. I didn’t like that one, to him [Vince McMahon] I’m always going to be the ‘kiss stealin’, wheelin’ dealin’, yanno what I mean? Which is great because he likes that.”