Ric Flair seemingly announces AEW return

Ric Flair has not been seen on AEW television for quite some time now. This may change next week, however, as the Hall of Famer is seemingly set to make his return to the Tony Khan-led promotion for its Beach Break TV special.

Flair was last spotted on All Elite Wrestling programming at Revolution 2024, where EVPs Matthew and Nicholas Jackson were challenging Darby Allin and Sting in the latter's final wrestling match for the AEW World Tag Team Titles. The WCW and WWE legend ate dual superkicks from The Young Bucks for trying to protect The Icon, his long-time rival and ally, during the match.

Although it was reported last year that Flair had parted ways with All Elite Wrestling, the veteran himself indicated in an interview earlier in April that he was still working for Tony Khan.

Amidst ongoing speculations regarding his contract, it appears that The Dirtiest Player in The Game could be poised to make his return to the Jacksonville-based promotion next week at Collision: Beach Break - specifically, for a segment on the episode meant to pay tribute to the recently departed football and pro wrestling legend Steve McMichael.

Look who just shut down all of Tony Khan's critics! More HERE.

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The announcement was shared on this week's AEW Collision. Flair and McMichael had teamed together in WCW on numerous occasions during Mongo's stint in the promotion, roughly spanning the mid-to-late 1990s. The NFL legend and former WCW US Heavyweight Champion passed away last month, due to complications stemming from ALS.

Ric Flair on his absence from AEW

During his recent appearance on Busted Open's From The Master's Class, Ric Flair shed light on his continued absence from All Elite Wrestling television. The WWE Hall of Famer revealed that AEW CEO Tony Khan had been unaware of the 76-year-old being on blood thinners. He also claimed to have been ready and willing to blade during Sting's last match at Revolution 2024.

“The reason I’m not on TV now is Tony [Khan] didn’t know I was on blood thinners…That’s why. At Sting’s last match, I had already made a blade. I was ready to go. He said [no]…I made blades for all the guys in the old days.” (H/T WrestlingInc.)

It remains to be seen how Flair's potential All Elite return will materialize next week on Collision: Beach Break.

About the author

Anurag is an AEW writer for Sportskeeda Wrestling. He holds a BA and MA degree in English along with a TEFL certification to teach English. Before Sportskeeda, he worked as a Content and Correspondence writer at Nayabad Titas, a theater group. He has also worked as a English language tutor.

To ensure complete accuracy, he uses internet resources, social media platforms, and especially pieces composed by his peers to find solid, verified information that he presents as objectively as possible. Thanks to his academic background, he can research different subjects thoroughly.

Anurag's interest in wrestling began as a child. He watched RAW and Smackdown frequently from age 10 or 11 and was officially hooked by the YES Movement story in WWE heading into WrestleMania 30.

As a lifelong wrestling fan and lover of stories, Anurag would read news, articles, and other content about the talent and events he enjoyed watching. His understanding of the business continued to grow with time, and his interest in the art and sport of wrestling led him to pursue a career as a writer.

Apart from writing, he loves to read books, watch movies and television programs, play and listen to music, and write poetry and fiction.

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Edited by Anurag Mukherjee