Ric Flair to Be at WWE Raw 30th Anniversary, Royal Rumble: 'It’s a Big F--king Deal'
WWE Hall of Famer "Nature Boy" Ric Flair divulged this week that WWE has invited him to the 2023 Royal Rumble in January and the 30th anniversary of Raw, which will take place one week before the Rumble.
Speaking on his To Be The Man podcast (h/t Sunil Joseph of Ringside News), Flair confirmed he will be at the Royal Rumble and also commented on the invite to the 30th anniversary of Raw:
"I've been invited and it's a f--king big deal," Flair said. "Why? Because it's Raw and it's a big f--king deal. I'm on it, hell yeah, are you kidding me? Thirty years."
The 73-year-old Flair is widely regarded as one of the greatest pro wrestlers of all time, as his 16 world championship reigns are tied with John Cena for the most in the history of professional wrestling.
Flair is perhaps best known for his success in NWA and WCW, but he was an active wrestler in WWE from 1991 to 1993 and again from 2001 to 2008.
He is also a key figure in the history of the Royal Rumble and Raw, as he won the 1992 Royal Rumble match and appeared on some of the first-ever episodes of Raw in 1993.
From 2012 to 2021, Flair made sporadic appearances on WWE programming. At one point, he had a performer's contract that allowed him to serve as a manager, primarily for his daughter, Charlotte Flair.
His final storyline in WWE saw him turn on Charlotte and align himself with Lacey Evans, but there was no resolution to the angle and he received his release from the company in August 2021.
Flair confirmed his release in a statement, noting that he and WWE had a "different vision for my future," which was why he requested his release. He also thanked the company and said he had "nothing but respect!"
During Flair's time away from WWE, he competed in the final match of his illustrious career, teaming with son-in-law Andrade El Idolo in a win over Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett on July 31.
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