Despite his recent health scares and the fact that he’s been retired from in-ring competition for several years, WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair recently claimed that he has been cleared to wrestle at the company’s Crown Jewel pay-per-view in Saudi Arabia on Thursday.
As reported by WrestlingNews.co , Flair joined Triple H and Bayley on the debut episode of Corey Graves’ WWE-produced podcast, After the Bell , as all three superstars promoted Crown Jewel while being interviewed by the longtime heel color commentator. As Flair and fellow Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan previously handpicked their respective five-man teams to face off against each other at the event, Graves asked the “Nature Boy” what he plans to do if things get physical between both retired legends.
After telling Graves that he’s been “cleared,” Flair turned on the heel tactics he was known for during his lengthy in-ring career, cutting a brief promo that hinted at what he plans to do at Crown Jewel .
“That’s a secret, I’ve been cleared. I’ve got a medical release. So, never, ever forget who the dirtiest player in the game is, man. I’ll be equipped and ready, in the words of Pedro Morales, for any kind of action!”
Although WrestlingNews.co noted that Flair and Hogan had previously hinted at a possible physical confrontation on multiple occasions, the outlet posited that the former, in particular, may have simply been “talking trash.” Given the fact that Flair is 70-years-old and had dealt with multiple health issues since 2017, it was pointed out WWE likely wouldn’t allow the wrestling icon to even take a bump during Thursday night’s scheduled five-on-five match.
. @HulkHogan and @RicFlairNatrBoy will appear on #MizTV with members of their #WWECrownJewel teams TOMORROW on #SmackDown ! https://t.co/EJcOWF6ofq
— WWE India (@WWEIndia) October 25, 2019
As for Hogan, the publication added that it’s also doubtful the “Immortal” wrestler will be allowed to get physical at Crown Jewel . The 66-year-old Hogan is scheduled to undergo back surgery following the pay-per-view, though he has plans to get back into shape after the operation and briefly unretire for what could be the final match of his storied career.
According to WWE ‘s official website, Flair’s villainous five-man team will be led by his former Evolution stablemate Randy Orton as team captain, with King Corbin, Bobby Lashley, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Drew McIntyre making up the rest of the unit. Hogan’s all-babyface team, on the other hand, features Roman Reigns as team captain and also includes Rusev, Ricochet, Shorty G, and Ali.
Crown Jewel will be aired on the WWE Network on Thursday, October 31, at 1 p.m. EDT/8 p.m. Arabia Standard Time.
