According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio , by way of WrestlingNews.co , Ric Flair will be written off WWE television on this week’s Monday Night Raw . While it’s possible that plans have been changed since the previous set of television tapings, the company has reportedly filmed the segment already.
“At the last word, when they were doing the taping that afternoon, the Ric Flair angle was definitely still on the show. The only two things that were there [in the script] were Shane McMahon’s thing and the Ric Flair-Randy Orton angle and then they threw that show together at the end.”
WrestlingNews.co also learned that Flair would be removed from television in the lead up to SummerSlam because he’s not needed in the feud between Randy Orton and Drew McIntyre. Flair has been managing Orton since the Monday Night Raw after this year’s Backlash pay-per-view. However, company officials want his client’s current rivalry to be about the two superstars involved.
In a separate report from WrestlingNews.co , Flair was supposedly brought back in an effort to boost the company’s dwindling ratings during the pandemic. His involvement was originally slated to be short-term as his age and health concerns make him more susceptible to COVID-19, which has affected several employees already.
At the same time, the viewership has been down quite significantly in recent weeks, so Vince McMahon might be keen to retain Flair’s star power for a while longer. That could mean that his reported upcoming hiatus is a short one.
As The Inquisitr recently documented, the Hall of Famer will appear alongside his client on Monday Night Raw for the foreseeable future. The legendary superstar has revealed that he wants to be on the air and contribute to the product, and he loves managing his current client as they have a storied history together.
The promotion has introduced fresh concepts in an effort to increase viewership. McMahon is also keen on pushing new stars moving forward, as per recent reports. Perhaps Flair doesn’t coincide with that vision.
WWE tends to use legends in short-term angles and bring them back for cameo appearances. If Flair is removed from screens on the next episode, he’ll likely return at a later date in some capacity.
The Hall of Famer signed a new contract earlier this year, so he has committed his future to WWE and will be available for a program whenever his services are needed.
