Ric Flair: Every wrestling fan should be thanking Vince McMahon
Ric Flair believes all pro wrestling fans should be showing their appreciation for Vince McMahon.
During a Wednesday appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Flair was asked to give his thoughts on the “Thank you, Vince” chants that were heard from fans during Stephanie McMahon’s WWE Hall of Fame speech.
“They should,” Flair responded. “They should all be thanking Vince. Everybody. Everybody in the world that likes wrestling should be thanking Vince McMahon.”
Vince was not at the ceremony and has been gone from WWE since January 2024, when he resigned in the wake of a lawsuit filed against him and the company by former employee Janel Grant. The still-ongoing suit accuses McMahon of physical and emotional abuse, sexual assault, and sex trafficking.
During the Helwani interview, Flair was asked if he has been in contact with McMahon recently.
“No, I have not. I feel like there’s so much that’s going on that I would be wasting his time,” Flair said. “He knows how I feel about him. He lent me $800,000 [in the 2000s], and unlike what people portray, it was not for the IRS. It was to help me get through three divorces at one time. And the thing of it is, they hate hearing this, I paid him back every dime. When he called me and said I can write this off, I paid him back because I didn’t want to let him down.”
Flair — who is currently under contract with AEW — wasn’t in attendance at the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony. Dennis Rodman wanted Flair to induct him, but Flair never got a call back after inquiring about it. Flair believes there is a “lack of respect” for him in WWE but doesn’t know where it stems from.
Along with being there for Rodman’s induction, Flair wishes he could have attended the ceremony for Stephanie.
“I don’t think I’m in bad graces with any of the talent. I don’t think I’m in bad graces with Hunter,” Flair said. “But here’s the deal, one of my favorite heels of all time — and I honestly believe she is one of the top 10 heels in the history of the business was Stephanie McMahon. I needed to be there.”
"Everybody in the world who likes wrestling should be thanking Vince McMahon… He knows how I feel about him.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) April 22, 2026
He lent me $800k, and unlike what people portray, it was not for the IRS. It was to help me get through three divorces at one time.
I paid him back every dime. You know… pic.twitter.com/qsH7ddvYaK
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.