Ric Flair Says WWF Wanted A Match With Him And Randy Savage In 1988
In an interview with Wrestling Inc, Ric Flair revealed that WWF wanted him to jump to the WWF in 1988 for a match with ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage, but he was too loyal to the NWA at the time. He would eventually come over and wrestle Savage at Wrestlemania VIII in 1992. Here are highlights:
On if he was tempted to jump ship with Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard: “No. I just talked to Vince [McMahon]. They wanted me to come and wrestle Randy Savage, but I was just too loyal to the NWA. When you’ve been the NWA World Heavyweight Champion, how do you just skip out? Everything is a work in pro wrestling except when you are the NWA Champion. And it should be that way for anybody.”
On why wrestlers should be excited to be champion: “If you watched Matt Riddle, he looked so excited to become the U.S. Champion. And that [reaction] was as much a part of the match. Those are the moments that matter. I know people say its a work, but people who perceive it [wrestling] that way will never be successful. You’ve got to have your heart into it and moments like that, when you become a champion, should be huge.”
On if he’s sat in on recent WWE creative meetings: “No. Absolutely not. I do like to offer suggestions, but I’ve learned through trial-and-error that I’m OK just agreeing to everything they’ve laid out. If it [any storyline] involves me intricately, I want to give input. But I am better off just listening. This business has changed a lot, you can’t make everyone happy. It’s a thankless job to be an agent.”