A former WWE star will be one of the opponents for Ric Flair in what is being billed as his final pro wrestling match — just not the one many fans were hoping for.
After Flair teased a WWE connection a few days earlier, the details were revealed this evening by TMZ Sports. Flair will team with his son-in-law, AEW star Andrade El Idolo, to face longtime wrestler, promoter and current member of WWE management Jeff Jarrett and AEW’s Jay Lethal.
Despite the relatively late announcement with the Ric Flair’s Last Match card less than two weeks away, the video made to divulge the particulars (which you can see below) does a nice job weaving a narrative connecting the four wrestlers.
Specifically, Lethal is shown expressing how he idolized Flair growing up and was honored to get to help train him for his last hurrah, but getting upset when told he wouldn’t be on the card. Lethal then confronts Flair after a press conference for the event, attacking the Nature Boy in the parking lot … then getting some help from Jeff Jarrett and wife Karen in beating Flair bloody.
In voiceover, Flair then says “this is f–king family” as Andrade is introduced as his tag team partner.
Despite knowing each other for decades, Flair and Jarrett have only wrestled each other a handful of times in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Lethal and Flair have locked up twice in singles matches in 2010, with each man winning once.
Andrade, meanwhile, became part of Flair’s family in an official capacity only recently, marrying Charlotte Flair on May 27.
Flair’s use of the hashtag #WWERaw in his tweet promoting the announcement had many fans wondering if WWE would allow a current performer to take part in the event, with speculation zeroing in on AJ Styles. Jarrett’s involvement is essentially the next best thing; while no longer an active wrestler, he is WWE’s Senior Vice President of Live Events.
Ric Flair’s Last Match will take place Sunday, July 31 at Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium, with a card that now consists of nine matches and talent participating from a variety of promotions. The event will be streamed live on pay-per-view via FITE TV.