Ric Flair Went Off-Script At WWE Hall Of Fame 2023, Flair Reacts To Criticism

By AG

Posted on April 10, 2023

Ric Flair Hall Of Fame WWE Article Pic WrestleFeed App

• Ric Flair Went Off-Script At WWE Hall Of Fame 2023, Flair Reacts To Criticism

At the WWE Hall of Fame 2023 ceremony, Ric Flair returned to induct The Great Muta into the Class of 2023.

During his induction speech, Flair put over Asuka and called her a badass. Flair told stories about him in Japan and how tough Japanese wrestlers are.

Ric said Muta is the greatest Japanese wrestler he’s been in the ring with. Flair then listed the Japanese wrestlers that beat him to a pulp. Flair then joked that Triple H is going to wrap him up now.

Flair put Muta in the same class as Ricky Steamboat and Shawn Michaels. Flair said HBK didn’t invent the Moonsault, Great Muta did.

Muta came out and Flair thanked him for taking care of his son 10 years ago. Muta said he doesn’t speak much English and said he’s thankful to be inducted. The speech then ended and he spit the green mist in the air.

According to the Wrestling Observer, Flair went off-script during this segment and didn’t read from the teleprompter. He only got back on track during the ending moments of the speech.

Fightful Select reported that WWE Officials were very happy with Konnan’s induction speech for Rey Mysterio, but weren’t pleased with Ric’s speech for Muta:

“Perhaps it was the fact that Ric Flair mentioned Sting, who is now working for AEW, or it could have been his overall presentation. Either way, it seems that WWE wasn’t thrilled with The Nature Boy’s speech.”

Ric addressed this on his podcast and had the following to say:

“I don’t know what they didn’t like about it. You have to remember that 99% of the people that attended that building don’t even know who Muta is. The wrestling people do, but I’m saying the audience.

Anytime you compare someone to Ricky Steamboat and Shawn Michaels, I don’t see how they can complain about that because he was that good, or say he was the first guy to do the Moonsault on TV.

I didn’t hear it from anybody in the WWE, but that’s not unusual. I did hear they didn’t like me bringing up Sting, but Sting’s in our Hall of Fame.

I merely asked the question, ‘Are you sure that Muta wants me over Sting?’ That’s all I said.

If you can’t speak the truth without being criticized. I thought that was a very fair question on my part because he actually wrestled more than I did with Muta.”

Also Read: Ric Flair Takes A Shot At Seth Rollins vs. Logan Paul