"Real recognizes real" - Ric Flair posts throwback clip praising current AEW star

Former 16-time World Champion Ric Flair has taken to social media to relive a forgotten interaction between himself and current AEW star Jeff Hardy.

The interaction came backstage at a WWE RAW event from July 8th 2002, a week removed from Hardy's legendary ladder match against The Undertaker for the WWE Undisputed Championship.

Flair shook Hardy's hand and said that he is going to high places in this business after the performance Hardy delivered against The Undertaker.

The "Nature Boy" probably didn't know how right he was going to be. Jeff Hardy went on to hold both the WWE Championship and the World Heavyweight Championship in 2008 and 2009. He also held the world title in TNA/IMPACT Wrestling three times.

Hardy is now enjoying a reunion with his brother Matt in All Elite Wrestling, where they are currently undefeated in tag team action.

Ric Flair only ever had one singles match with Jeff Hardy

Despite being in both WWE and TNA together for a number of years, Jeff Hardy and Ric Flair only faced each other in a singles bout once.

The contest took place on the February 2nd, 2007, edition of Monday Night Raw, and it was a non-title bout, as Hardy was holding the WWE Intercontinental Championship at the time.

The match lasted less than six minutes, but was a rather competitive contest. In the end, Hardy missed a Swanton Bomb, so Flair went for his Figure-Four leg-lock.

However, in a move that Flair didn't see coming, Hardy rolled up the "Nature Boy" for the pinfall victory. The two men would never share the ring on WWE TV again, though they faced off on a handful of occasions at live events.

Would you have liked to have seen these two wrestle more? Let us know in the comments section down below!