Ric Flair Was Slated For Royal Rumble Before Accepting Invitation To Host Wild Parade

With a career spanning several decades, Flair is considered one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. He is a 16-time World Champion, having held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, and the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. All of this success means that Flair is still able to stay relevant among today’s wrestling audience. He is still considered a crowd-puller and is often booked to make public appearances.

Therefore, it should come as no surprise that The Nature Boy was named the grand marshall at Tampa, Florida’s Gasparilla Pirate Parade. He led nearly 100 floats, 50 krewes, seven marching bands, and the Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla pirates before Bayshore Boulevard for the 4.5-mile Gasparilla Pirate Fest parade. It is labeled as the Mardi Gras of Tampa.

In a video that surfaced online from the parade, Ric Flair can be seen having a good time sitting in the back of a pickup truck.

However, PW Insider is reporting that Ric Flair was slated to make an appearance at the 2023 Royal Rumble event before he was named Grand Marshall in the parade. However, given that he has participated in the parade, he won’t be able to make the Rumble.

“Ric Flair was originally slated to be at today’s Royal Rumble until he was booked to be Grand Marshall at Tampa, Florida’s Gasparilla Pirate parade,” per PWInsider.

Ric Flair previously denied rumors that he would make the Royal Rumble and now we know why he won’t be at the event. Stay tuned to Ringside News for live coverage of the Royal Rumble.

What’s your take on this story? Sound off in the comments section.