BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 18: Ric Flair attends the 23rd annual Harold & Carole Pump Foundation Gala at The Beverly Hilton on August 18, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)
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Wrestling legend Ric Flair found himself in hot water after a candid but controversial interview on the Ariel Helwani Show. Flair claimed he was banned from WrestleMania 42 due to a threat he made toward WWE Superstar Ludwig Kaiser. Flair also criticized WWE's booking of his daughter Charlotte Flair and others.
On Wednesday, he took to X to apologize and to ask "can we just wake up tomorrow and let Ric Flair be Ric Flair."
Flair didn't hold back his feelings about Kaiser and others.
The Hall of Famer told Helwani he was banned from WrestleMania 42 after threatening to "beat the s### out of" Kaiser over the phone, calling him a "24-year-old English kid" (Kaiser is 35 and German) and referring to him as Tiffany Stratton's husband instead of her boyfriend at the time.
Flair also predicted Kaiser would "be a fly on the wall in a year," seemingly unaware that Kaiser is currently starring in AAA as El Grande Americano under The Undertaker’s executive producer banner.
The original interview also went after Dutch Mantell and Stevie Richards, the same appearance where Flair floated the Tony Khan-buying-WWE possibility.
Fans, other former wrestlers like Stevie Richards and others were critical of Flair and his comments.
His apology on X took a clean conciliatory tone, addressing Kaiser directly as "Mr. Ludwig Kaiser" and acknowledging Kaiser is "doing really well with The Undertaker's promotion." Flair framed the original outburst as a father being protective of his daughters and apologized for "anything I said about you personally," noting it “was not about your professional skill which I have heard is very good.”
This entire controversy started before WrestleMania 41 when Tiffany Stratton, Kaiser's girlfriend at the time, dropped a savage line on Charlotte Flair during a promo to hype their match. Stratton took shots at Charlotte's multiple divorces. Ric took exception and made that known during his recent appearance on Helwani's show.
Stratton’s "0-3" line about Ric's marriages drew Charlotte into accusing Kaiser of being "in her DMs," which Kaiser then responded to on social media. Per Flair, that's when he obtained Kaiser's phone number through WWE channels and made the threatening call that led to Kaiser reporting it to Triple H. The wrinkle in Flair's account: per Fightful Select reporting, WWE sources reportedly didn't recall anything about a ban when asked.
Flair will likely be more careful during his public appearances and interviews. It seems clear he didn't want the other side of what has come from his comments on Helwani's show.
The 77-year-old Hall of Famer also referenced his health in the apology follow-up, writing "I am 77 with a heart condition and nothing is ever guaranteed." Flair hasn’t appeared on WWE programming since 2021, and per 411Mania he's still believed to be under AEW contract though his last AEW TV appearance was the Steve McMichael tribute on Collision: Beach Break in May 2025.
The Sportster and other outlets have started openly suggesting Flair should step away from the spotlight before more controversies pile up against his legacy.
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