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Vince Russo and "Road Dogg" Brian James shared their honest thoughts on Ric Flair's upcoming in-ring return on this week's episode of Wrestling Outlaws.
As we noted earlier, Vince Russo supported Ric Flair's decision to wrestle again and felt The Nature Boy had the freedom to make his own choices. The former WWE writer, however, stated that the 16-time world champion needed to be cautious about choosing his opponent.
Vince Russo recalled Tracy Smothers' conversation with a young wrestler before their match at an indy show from several years ago. The 20-year-old talent apparently pitched a few dangerous spots, and Russo was surprised by the lack of attention to Smothers' safety.
Vince said that Ric Flair, too, had to be careful and needed to work against someone who could guarantee a smooth and risk-free match:
"I was hired to do an indy show in Nashville, and bro, some 20-something, was working with Tracy Smothers. And bro, I'm there while they are going over the match, and this guy has got Tracy Smothers. I'm listening, and I'm like, saying to myself, 'Are you that clueless? Do you not know you've got to take care of this man," revealed Vince Russo. "So that would be my first concern, Chris; that would be the first thing I'll look at. It has got to be someone that can take care of him, that's why Steamboat would have been tremendous." [5:00 - 5:40]
Ric Flair will reportedly wrestle in a tag team match
The 73-year-old legend will have his final professional wrestling bout under the Jim Crockett Promotions banner on July 31st.
The entire event has been built around Ric Flair's swan song and will take place at the Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee.
Reports suggest that Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat rejected the offer to return for a match against Ric Flair, and as things stand, there are still no official updates on the Nature Boy's opponent.
Dave Meltzer reported back in May that Flair should ideally compete in a tag team match, and the likes of FTR and the legendary Rock 'n' Roll Express could be involved in the headliner.
Ric's promotional team has already announced five matches for the event, and it will be fascinating to see who gets chosen to share the squared circle with one of the greatest wrestling superstars of all time.
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