WWE legend says he and Ric Flair are no longer friends

Ric Flair has made plenty of friends throughout his five decades in the wrestling business. However, it appears that his relationship with legendary commentator Jim Ross is not as strong as it once was.

In 2021, a flight attendant claimed on VICE's Dark Side of the Ring that Flair sexually assaulted her during a WWE plane ride. Ross said in the episode that WWE management did not reprimand The Nature Boy because he was already a "made man" in the wrestling business.

Flair, who strongly denied the allegations, later said on his podcast that Ross "lost every bit of credibility" following his comments. He also accused the WWE Hall of Famer of trying to remain relevant in the latter stages of his career.

On the latest episode of his Grilling JR podcast, Ross addressed the current status of his relationship with Flair:

"Probably a little strained. I'm sure you've heard Ric's said some things about me regarding me that probably surprised me and was heartbreaking in a way because we had such a wonderful relationship for all these years. We don't have that today, and I wish we did, but it's not because I refuse to compromise or to let him back in or me back into his life or whatever." [1:47:03 – 1:47:37]

Ross' most recent podcast episode revolved around his WWE departure in 2013. The commentator received his release from the company due to his failure to handle Ric Flair's drunken antics during a video game panel before SummerSlam.

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Jim Ross misses his friendship with Ric Flair

Before their recent fallout, Jim Ross and Ric Flair were good friends for many years. They crossed paths in different promotions throughout their careers, including WCW and WWE.

Ross is disappointed that he no longer has a close bond with the two-time WWE Hall of Famer:

"I wish it was back in the old days when we were running together and having fun and all that stuff. I always say the best way to describe it as that it was a little bit disconnected. It's unfortunate. I miss those talks. I miss the laughs. I miss the cocktails." [1:47:39 – 1:48:04]

Ross previously apologized for his role in the Dark Side of the Ring episode. He felt that the show's producers focused heavily on negative topics and impacted too many people.

What are your thoughts on Jim Ross and Ric Flair? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Please credit Grilling JR and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.