“The Nature Boy” Ric Flair has publicly praised AEW President Tony Khan, highlighting the executive’s treatment of his roster. Speaking in an interview with Casino Beats, the 16-time World Champion shared his positive view of the company and its leadership.
“Tony Khan is a really great guy,” Flair noted. “The guys over in AEW are great. Wrestling is in a good place right now. I can’t say enough good things about him. He is fantastic, and he is just a total gentleman, and I think he legitimately cares about everybody. They’re not just a number to him. I think he legitimately cares about everybody that works for him.”
Flair’s comments come shortly after a scheduled appearance for the promotion did not go as planned. Flair was set to appear at the AEW Dynamite: Blood & Guts event on November 12 in Greensboro, North Carolina. However, he was forced to leave the show early and did not appear on television. In a statement issued on social media, Flair apologized to fans and cited a rotator cuff injury as the reason for his absence. He also thanked Khan for the opportunity to catch up with Ricky Steamboat and other talent at the show.
The relationship between Flair and AEW has been intermittent over the last two years. Flair was a key part of Sting’s retirement tour, which ended at Revolution earlier this year. During that run, he was involved in physical angles, including taking a double superkick from The Young Bucks. While his energy drink sponsorship deal with the company wrapped up in the summer, he has remained on good terms with Khan, as evidenced by his recent comments and invitation to the Greensboro event.
AEW recently held its Full Gear Pay-Per-View event this past Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The show saw Samoa Joe defeating “Hangman” Adam Page in a steel cage match to win the AEW World Championship with assistance from Hook. Swerve Stricland returned after the match. Additionally, FTR captured the AEW World Tag Team Titles by defeating Brodido and Ricochet became the inaugural AEW National Champion by winning the Casino Gauntlet match.
