Why WWE Put Ric Flair Back Into Opening Video Package

Ric Flair was virtually erased from existence after Vice’s Dark Side of the Ring documentary on “The Plane Ride from Hell.” WWE went so far as to remove him from their famous opening video package and replaced him with the Ultimate Warrior. The heat on Flair has significantly calmed down since the episode aired, and WWE recently added him back into the video.

Flair expressed his gratitude for the gesture. As the Nature Boy prepares for his last match, he is certainly happy to once again be included by the company where he spent a large portion of his career. Ric said losing that spot was the most hurtful moment of his career.

The reasoning behind WWE’s decision to add Ric Flair back into the opening video is pretty simple. The company was just waiting for the controversy to die down, according to Dave Meltzer in this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Since they worked with Flair for a recent episode of WWE Evil, it looks like the relationship is back on positive terms.

“Ric Flair was put back in the television show open. The belief is that whatever heat they’d have gotten after Dark Side of the Ring aired (and they took him off) is done. They had already worked with him on the WWE Heels show as well so they were back on good terms. So it was just a matter of when WWE felt the negativity toward him had totally blown over.”

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Ric Flair has been trying to rebuild his reputation after the hit it took from the Dark Side of the Ring episode. There is an entire event scheduled around his upcoming final match at the end of July. Now that he is back in the good graces of WWE, he seems to be finding success.

Love him or hate him, Ric Flair is a major part of the history of professional wrestling. While many will be turned off by his inclusion in any way, WWE doesn’t think it’s a problem. Flair is just happy to be back in the fold again.

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