Triple H Says Batista Was The ‘MVP’ of Evolution, Praises His Work Ethic

In an interview with The Roommates Show (via Fightful), Triple H praised how hard Batista worked in his career and said that the Animal was the MVP of Evolution. In addition to Triple H and Batista, the group also included Randy Orton and Ric Flair. Triple H said:

“The MVP in Evolution is Batista. Ric was established. I was established. Randy was established coming out of the group, but as we were forming the group, and Ric and I are the ones that put that together, solely. We were the ones that picked Randy and Dave. A lot of people had kind of written Dave off as ‘he’s never going to make it.’ Ric and I were adamant about putting him in the group. As we started to do the group, everybody kept saying, ‘Randy is the breakout.’ I kept saying, ‘You guys are wrong. It’s going to be Dave.’ He was a sponge. He got it. You might not have known it at that time, but the level he put into it and how hard he worked, for me, he was the MVP.”

WWE Receives Emmy Nomination For Ric Flair Documentary

WWE has received an Emmy nomination.

Wooooo! Becoming Ric Flair, a Peacock documentary, has been nominated in the Outstanding Long Documentary category. The winners will be announced that Lincoln Center in New York City on May 22

The documentary highlights the life and legacy of two-time WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair and includes interviews from a range of WWE stars and legends, including Flair himself

WWE To Celebrate 20th Anniversary of Evolution This Week

WWE issued the following:

Twenty years ago this month, one of the most dominant factions in WWE history stormed onto the scene with the emergence of Evolution.

Led by Triple H, Evolution represented the best of the past, present and future of sports-entertainment in 2003, combining The Game and 16-time World Champion Ric Flair with two potent newcomers who’d go on to become legends in their own right, Batista and Randy Orton.

The group steamrolled competition on Raw during The Ruthless Aggression Era — at one point, all four members held championship gold simultaneously — all while flaunting their enviable lifestyle, whether it was designer clothing, luxury cars or a custom entrance song performed by Motörhead. After disbanding in 2005, Evolution reunited a handful of times throughout the years, most recently at SmackDown 1000 in 2018.

In celebration of the 20-year anniversary of Evolution’s formation, WWE social channels will be paying tribute to the groundbreaking faction all week long. Be on the lookout for classic full-length matches, a special Evolution-themed episode of WWE Playlist, rare photos and be sure to join the festivities by sharing your favorite memories of the group using hashtag #EvolutionWeek.

Ric Flair And WWE Working On Documentary

Ric Flair and WWE will team up with film writer, producer, and director Tom Rinaldi to create a 2 hour documentary about “the never-before-revealed history” of the 16-time World Heavyweight Champion. Rinaldi has worked with ESPN to create several standout short films like 2019’s “The Return” and 2016’s “Jacob Jarvis: Why It Matters”.

Ric Flair Appears At NWA 73

Former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair returned home at tonight's NWA 73 event in St. Louis.

Flair thanked a number of people including Vince McMahon, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Undertaker, and Steve Austin. He told Vince McMahon, "I love you. That’s why I’m here" and said that as long as he is alive he will never let people forget about the NWA which made him a star back in the day.

Flair mentioned that Vince knows this is where he belongs. He thanked Triple H for not giving up on him during his time in WWE and mentioned the NWA Title is hanging in Triple H’s office. Flair said Shawn Michaels and Taker carried him at the age of 59. Flair said that Steve Austin always asks him to tell NWA stories.

He went on to tell a Harley Race story and mention some of the greats of NWA. He also thanked Randy Orton and Bob Orton and wants Randy to one day to break his prestigious title record. He also mentioned his kids.

Flair also had praise for NWA owner Billy Corgan and joked about how he thought the company wanted him to challenge Worlds Champion Nick Aldis.  Flair hit the ropes and then did his strut and said that Corgan only wanted him to talk and not get back in the ring.

Fans Point Out Bizarre Trend Between Randy Orton, AEW and Released Wrestlers

Ric Flair No Longer With WWE

Wrestling Inc. and Fightful have confirmed that Ric Flair is no longer with the WWE.

According to sources close to the situation, Flair requested the release and it was granted, effective today.

Flair had re-signed with WWE last year. He was recently involved in a relationship angle with Lacey Evans that was ultimately nixed after Evans got legitimately pregnant.

Ric Flair On Bret Hart, 'God He's Bitter'

Ric Flair recently addressed Bret Hart’s criticisms of others in the wrestling business on a Jeff Jarrett's My World podcast. He called his fellow WWE Hall Of Famer "bitter"

“What I do wanna do is be able to walk into the building and not have people say, ‘God, he’s bitter, he’s old, and he’s gonna continue to knock people. I couldn’t live like that. And calling Roman Reigns the next Triple H or cracking on him… I mean, how uncomfortable is that for people in the family to walk around in front of Hunter [Triple H]? And Shawn [Michaels], who is an integral part of the company. NXT, that’s part of the company, right? What else? Jerry Lawler… ‘Jerry Lawler hit me with a chair too hard.’ Wow, okay… I don’t understand it. I don’t ever wanna be that lonely.”

“I don’t know what happened there [Hart’s problem with Eric Bischoff], and now he’s blaming Eric for everything. Eric made him rich. I don’t know how you blame Eric. I was talking to Eric the other day. I said, ‘It’s the flavor of the week. He’s mad at Goldberg one week, mad at me the next, something I didn’t do, I was repetitive.’ Well, you wrestle an hour every night 280 times [a year], which he wouldn’t know nothing about, and you’re gonna get slammed off the top, that’s called taking a bump. How many press slams did you take, Bret? None.” 

Source: sportskeeda.com

Ric Flair Hopes To See Triple H Have "A Huge Retirement Match"

Triple H skipped WrestleMania earlier this year for the first time since WrestleMania 23 when he was out with a torn right quadriceps. The 51-year-old Triple H might still have a few great matches left in him, according to his good friend Ric Flair. In a recent interview with WWE UK to promote next week's RAW Legends Night, Flair discussed Triple's possible retirement down the road and why The Game deserves a huge sendoff from the WWE Universe. "I'm actually hoping to see him have a huge retirement match, if he even elects to retire in the future," said Flair [h/t Inside The Ropes]. He deserves every bit of it and all the recognition to go with it." While admitting that Triple H "probably knows more about the business" than him despite their 20-year age gap, Flair said that The Game exemplifies 'Legend' more than anyone else because he's a student of the game. "He exemplifies 'Legend' more than anybody because he is not only a great performer, he has studied the business, he is a historian," stressed Flair. "He probably knows more about the business than I do and I've been in it 30 years longer than he has." Flair continued, "He [Triple H] came into it with a knowledge of it that I hadn't seen anybody at his age come into the business with. He was respectful every day and it was fun to see someone that just loved to be in the ring and loved the business. He became a great worker and he has also taken that with him and has become an intricate part of the company." The Nature Boy also gave major props to Triple H for building and managing the WWE NXT brand. "He's accomplished all this through his efforts and he has ascended himself to a place of not just being a great worker, he's helped to impact the company with the growth of NXT," said Flair. "Helping to see young guys get the opportunity to make the main roster, working with people on a daily basis. "Plus he's one of my two or three best friends. I just saw him at RAW and at TLC and had a nice talk with him. He basically lives the kind of schedule we did in the old days. He wouldn't have it any other way. He won't miss anything, and he's always wanting to see the company grow."

Donald Trump Tweets About Triple H For His 25th Anniversary Celebration

On last night's SmackDown, Triple H celebrated 25 years in wrestling in a near 30-minute segment that featured WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels and Vince McMahon. Via phone, Triple H also received messages from WWE Hall of Famers Ric Flair and Road Dogg, along with his wife, Stephanie McMahon.

Earlier this week, Chris Jericho and The Rocksent some kind words to "The Game" about their times in the ring.

Add President Donald Trump to the list after he responded to a tweet from Vince about Triple H.

"We didn't know it a quarter-century ago, but he would go on to change 'The Game' forever," Vince wrote on Twitter. "Happy 25th #WWE Anniversary to my son-in-law, @TripleH!"

"Triple H is a total winner!" Trump responded.

Trump was inducted into the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013.

Ric Flair and Steve Austin Play Word Association

The next “Broken Skull Sessions” episode on the WWE Network will air this Sunday with WWE Hall of Famers Steve Austin, the host, and Ric Flair.

Stone Cold played “word association” with The Nature Boy. Austin gave Flair several names of Superstars and Hall of Famers, and here are his replies:

* Randy Orton – Unbelievable

* Triple H – Not only a great worker but a great executive

* Ricky Steamboat – The greatest of all-time

* WWE NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair – The G.O.A.T. for the women’s division

* Sting – One of the greatest guys I’ve ever known

* Shawn Michaels – The greatest in-ring performer of all-time (Austin agreed)

The Relationship Between Ric Flair and WWE Sours

The relationship between WWE and Ric Flair is on the rocks according to a number of sources, while not dire the cracks are starting to show and many know how stubborn Flair can be.

His Daughter Charlotte is reportedly not happy that he has taken legal action against WWE and Triple H and Seth Rollins have both unfollowed him on Twitter.

It all started when the two-time WWE Hall of Famer claimed WWE had lost respect for them after he issued a legal challenge for the term "The Man" which he believes he has a claim to financially.

Below is a transcript of what Flair told TMZ:

“I’m glad that I’m having this opportunity to clear the air. When I first saw this [‘The Man’ Becky Lynch] thing go down in August 2018, I thought, ‘Cool, ‘The Man’ – my gimmick – versus my daughter, Charlotte.’ Okay, that’s the day it started, right after SummerSlam. I thought, cool.

I said, ‘I’m going to make some money; it’s my trademark and they have it to use.’ I’ve been saying it’s [been mine] since 1981. So I got my worded statement, I sent [WWE’s lawyer] a text and the lawyer, who just has no respect for me whatsoever which is something I’m not going to deal with much longer, he said, ‘You’re wrong. It’s not even close.’

I said, ‘It’s not even close?’ So, boom, I sent him another text, he didn’t respond. So I had my lawyer call him and he blew off my lawyer. This is all in 2018 or in January of ’19.”

I told Hunter, ‘Hunter, I’m going to file.’ I mean, the reason they don’t have [the trademark for ‘The Man’], it’s my understanding that it’s because it’s too close to mine… I told Hunter, ‘Hey, if push comes to shove, I’m going to file for it.’

I mean, I get it, but here’s the deal: I love Becky Lynch, and no one has supported the women’s division more than me as an outsider. As a matter of fact, I told the guys that I would have texted Becky last night and Sasha, but I’m sure Becky – I don’t know what the WWE’s spin has been to her. They stole it last night.

It’s funny, my daughter [Charlotte Flair] is so mad at me because I filed, not even understanding that it’s not Becky. I have no beef with Becky.

But here’s the deal: when I almost died two years ago, one person stayed by me the whole time for 31 days in ICU, 12 days while I was dying on a respirator, and I’m going to take care of her and her family, and my family that has taken care of me, no matter what.

I don’t care what the WWE thinks of me personally; I know they love me, but obviously they have lost respect for me. If I don’t win, and even if I won, Becky can have [The Man] all day long. I’m glad! But I want the company to pay me for it because I’m going to take care of my family.

I am going to be ‘The Man’, and if I don’t get it, you know what my tombstone will say? ‘He died trying to be The Man’.”

More Details On Triple H's 50th Birthday Bash

WWE's Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events and Creative Triple H celebrated his 50th birthday with a big bash in New Hampshire this past weekend.

Sean "X-Pac" Waltman, who was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame with Triple H and the rest of DX earlier this year, spoke about the birthday party in the latest episode of his X-Pac 12-360 podcast, seen above.

Waltman noted that he flew on Friday from Los Angeles into a quiet, beautiful town in New Hampshire, one of the most beautiful places he's ever seen, but he wouldn't give the name of the town. The birthday guests were housed a hotel on the lake, which had around 40 rooms. Waltman said the party was somewhat intimate with maybe 50 people in attendance, but not many more than 50. He believed a lot of people got their feelings hurt because they weren't invited. The party was so big that they had itineraries for the guests with everything laid out.

More?

The Undertaker And WWE Legends Announced For "Wrastlin'" Sermon Series At Texas Megachurch

Texas megachurch pastor Ed Young of Fellowship Church in Grapevine will be interviewing top wrestling stars for his new "Wrastlin'" sermon series. WWE Hall of Famers Sting, Ric Flair and Ted DiBiase have been announced, along with The Undertaker.

The four-week series kicks off on Sunday, September 9. The main stage at Fellowship Church will have a wrestling ring constructed on it with one side opened up so the congregation can see the pastor and the wrestler being interviewed.

Below is the announcement from the church:

Wrastlin'
A Series by Ed Young
Beginning September 9, 2018

Over four weeks this September, Ed Young and Fellowship Church welcome four legendary guests from the world of professional wrestling – Ric Flair, The Undertaker, The Million Dollar Man, and Sting!

The Bible often compares the Christian life to that of a warrior, a wrestler. Wrestling is a metaphor commonly used in the Christian life and one that will remind us that no matter what, God is ready and able to step in between the ropes and help us overcome any challenge we face!

Ric Flair Talks Hip-Hop Community Respect

WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair recently spoke with Revolt to discuss his new appearance in the music video for the "Ric Flair Drip" single from Offset, 21 Savage and Metro Boomin. You can see the video above. Flair revealed that he wants to shoot a video with Offset's fiancee next, Cardi B. Flair commented on what it's like to be an icon to the hip-hop community today:

"I mean it's so rewarding. It's hard to explain all that stuff I did in the '80s. All that money I spent on jewelry when nobody was wearing it. [Laughs] It's all coming back around full circle. I used to sometimes want to kill myself later in life for all the money I spent renting jet airplanes, limousines, and all of that. But, now it's coming back full circle. I don't regret any of it. So to have the respect of guys like Snoop Dogg, who I've been friends with forever, and Offset, whose career and future is unlimited, I'm thrilled by it."

Ric Flair Suing Former Manager Over "30 For 30" Money

Ric Flair claims he was supposed to pocket $25,000 for the ESPN "30 for 30"special on his life -- but his manager stole the money ... and now he's out for legal justice. 

Nature Boy is suing Legacy Talent and Entertainment -- the management company he used from 2009 until October 2017. 

Flair says he had a feeling something fishy was going down behind the scenes so he hired a lawyer to investigate his finances ... and realized he was missing huge amounts of cash. 

Among the missing money ... Flair says he learned Legacy Talent had received $25,000 from First Row Films, the production company behind Flair's "30 for 30" special. Flair claims he was never informed of the payment nor was given his cut. 

He also noticed a $12,000 royalty advance from Jake's Fireworks -- a company he signed an endorsement deal with earlier this year. 

Flair says he reached out to Legacy to find out why he never got the money and was told they were using the funds to pay legal bills. Flair is calling BS, saying he never authorized Legacy to do that. 

Flair says he's owed at least $46,000 -- and he wants his money back, asap. 

Ric Flair Talks Recent Health Issues Due To Years Of Alcohol Abuse, Says He Will Never Drink Again

PEOPLE Exclusive – Wrestling Legend Ric Flair Fighting for His Life After Decades of Alcohol Abuse: Health Scare Tamed 'Nature Boy'

(NEW YORK) – Wrestling legend Ric Flair may have once commanded the ring – but after the cameras turned off, things "just got out of control."

Decades of "social" drinking finally caught up with the 16-time pro wrestling world champion this year, landing him in the hospital and near death last month.

"I crashed in an airplane and broke my back, I've been hit by lightning," Flair tells PEOPLE in this week's issue. "But this is totally different. Anything I've been through before is nothing like this."

On Aug. 11, the 68-year-old was rushed to the hospital with stomach pains. Within hours, Flair was in the early stages of kidney failure and on the verge of congestive heart failure – the result of years of alcohol abuse.

Flair's family members were told he had only 20 percent odds of surviving, and he was placed in a medically induced coma while they – including daughter, pro wrestler Charlotte Flair – took to social media to asks fans for prayers.

Doctors subsequently removed part of Flair's bowel, and inserted a pacemaker. Now, in recovery at a convalescent center in Atlanta, Flair tells PEOPLE of the entire ordeal, "It scared the s— out of me."

He adds, "But I'm not out of the woods yet."

Now, the man once known as the "Nature Boy," needs a nurse to help steady his shaking hands so he can sip water from a glass. He admits, "I didn't think I was an alcoholic, but obviously I was."

Flair's problem with alcohol started while he worked to build a camaraderie with his fellow wrestlers during the early days of his career in 1972. It helped them "bond," he says, noting though, "I never drank when I was working."

"But as soon as work was over, I went right to the mill," he says, adding that he's long struggled to "do anything in moderation," and admitting to a failed rehab stint four years prior.

Alcohol also served as a tonic of sorts when it came to coping with his injuries and intense physical pain from his job. "I've never taken a pain pill in my life," he explains. "I'd just take a shower, flip my hair back and go to the best bar in town."

Now, the father of four says he is dedicated to doing better.

"I'll never drink again," says Flair. "I never want to go through this again."

Ric Flair Says 'What Goes Around Comes Around' On CM Punk's UFC Loss

On episode 11 of The Ric Flair Show, the 16-time professional wrestling world champion discussed CM Punk's MMA debut at UFC 203 and what Punk's future in MMA holds:

On the topic of Punk, 'The Nature Boy' stated that he felt sorry for Punk after his resounding loss to Mickey Gall at UFC 203.

"I actually felt bad for him. I just think, number one, it's a lot to bite off and he [has] been injured a couple of times, I guess, while training. But you always want to go out there and you hope for the best for everybody because if he wins it makes us look [good], but if you lose like that…" Flair continued, "but the problem I have, as we discussed before, he [has] been so negative and knocked everybody in WWE, but always treated me [well], so I never had a problem with him. But what goes around comes around."

When asked about Punk's future in MMA, Flair suggested that Punk should try his hand at something else.

"If I was him, I don't know how you follow that. I didn't see it, but I heard it lasted, what, 30 seconds?" Flair continued, "he still has some name recognition because of his success in the WWE, so I'm sure he has options. But, I mean, why would you do that again? It's kind of like, once you get that, it's pretty devastating. I'm sure he had a hard time sleeping that night, knowing he put in all that time and that so many people, because of his brand, were looking at him. Does that make sense? So those are decisions he has to make, but whatever he does, I wish him well. Make no mistake, going out there, just to do that, you get a lot of respect from a lot of people. That's a tough sport, so my hat's off to him for trying, but if I were him, I'd do something else."

Dana White Says Vince McMahon Is A “F**king Maniac”

UFC President Dana White appeared on this the latest edition of Ric Flair’s podcast. He was open in discussing his relationship with Vince McMahon who described as a "f**king maniac."

“I’ve been working, or trying to work with Vince for years. It was obviously very difficult Vince is a maniac. He’s a f**king competitor, man. That’s what he is. If you look at what Vince McMahon has accomplished in all of his years, and to still be on top, still doing it, the guy’s got enough money, he’s in it because he loves it. He’s in it because he’s passionate about it.”

White added, “I would say that this last Brock deal [for his fight at UFC 200], and when Ronda went over and did the WWE WrestleMania, I’d say those were the two, out of all the years of dealing with Vince and everybody, those were probably the two best experiences. I think that Vince, and definitely Stephanie and Triple H…Stephanie and Triple H are always great [and] always cool to work with. Vince has been very difficult in the past, but in the last several years he’s been much better.”

White has a respect for McMahon even though they are competitors on some level. He said, “He’s a f**king maniac, he’s an animal, he’s a competitor, he wants to win, and you know, that’s his nature, and I respect it.” Flair jokingly said that Vince does not delegate authority well.

Ric Flair Talks Charlotte Losing the Womens Title, Randy Orton’s WWE Return, Batista’s Success, Triple H, His Run with Evolution and More

WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair recently spoke with Ted Gruber of Fansided.com and below are some interview highlights:

Evolution was based on the 4 Horseman in sense when it was introduced to the WWE in 2003. Looking back at that stable, was it something that the WWE needed at the time?

“It was an amazing time and I enjoyed every second of it. All the respect to Triple H who put us all together. It was a little more conservative than the 4 Horseman but equally just as fun. It was a great opportunity for me to have a good time, and I always do.

Randy is back and looks like a million dollars. Dave has a brand of his own that has taken off. And look at Hunter who is virtually running the company. I am proud of all three of them for improving their wrestling careers and other opportunities outside of the wrestling business.”

Your daughter recently dropped her Women’s Championship to Sasha Banks a couple of weeks ago. What does that mean to you after watching that match and seeing her passing on the title that she held for a very long time?

“She didn’t lose anything. She proved to everyone in the world that she is the greatest athlete in the WWE and the greatest women’s champion of all time. There’s no disgrace losing to Sasha. She had it for 307 days which is such a long time in a sport that is so very competitive. I’m so proud of her and she has such a positive attitude. She’s looking forward to the rematch and so am I.”