Exclusive on Ric Flair not appearing during AEW Blood and Guts broadcast
Fans online were curious as to why Ric Flair didn’t appear on the live AEW Blood and Guts edition of Dynamite as advertised, especially alongside Ricky Steamboat during an in-ring segment with FTR.
Our Dave Meltzer is reporting that Flair was indeed in attendance in Greensboro, North Carolina, but instead did a brief appearance for the live crowd (seen below) and then left due to him being in “a ton of pain” due to a recent rotator cuff tear.
Meltzer didn’t have any details as when or how Flair suffered the injury, but noted that AEW had to change the show around as Flair was originally booked to do something which is assumed to be the aforementioned Steamboat/FTR segment. As recently as late-July, Flair said he was pain-free and also cancer-free.
Despite his Woooo Energy drink deal wrapping up that covered his pay, Flair has remained under AEW employment. He appeared on AEW TV earlier this year as he paid tribute to longtime friend and former Four Horsemen member Steve “Mongo” McMichael after his passing.
Since 2011, Josh has been a contributing editor to Wrestling Observer/F4WOnline.com and also hosts the Punch-Out podcast. He has also written for Fight Magazine, Bloody Elbow, Bleacher Report, and other websites. He's a 2000 graduate of the University of Maine, worked in pro sports, and once was an indie ring announcer.