Ric Flair Joins the Ranks of Hulk Hogan Who Did Not Help Jesse Ventura to Fight for a Wrestlers Union Back in 1986

However, many wrestlers were hesitant, fearing that unionizing could jeopardize their careers. Ultimately, Ventura’s push failed, leading to a heated confrontation with McMahon and his subsequent release. 

In a recent interview on Games with Names, the 16-time World Champion reflected on that period, revealing that he had been approached by Ventura while still reigning as the NWA World Heavyweight Champion, but had no interest in joining the cause.

Nobody wants to do it because they’ll just move on without you. They wanted me and Hogan to do it. Hulk called me and I said, ‘I’m not jumping out there. They’ll just replace me.’ Jesse Ventura drove me crazy. ‘Come on, come on.’ I go, ‘Jesse, so I give up the NWA World Championship, walk out .

Ric Flair via Games with Names

Flair further added that if he had agreed to join the movement, his days of being the top guy would have been over. Moreover, there were plenty of other days who were ready to take his place at the first opportunity. 

They’ll just put the belt on DiBiase or back to Harley. It just wasn’t something I wanted to explore, but I was certainly asked to do it a lot.

Ric Flair via Games with Names

Flair’s comments came after Edelman praised him for shaping the evolution of professional wrestling, especially WWE, which continues to generate record-breaking profits. 

In response, Flair noted the irony of WWE’s success given that it remains a multi-billion-dollar company with no wrestlers’ union, questioning how such an industry could still lack organized representation. The irony wasn’t lost on fans. 

Flair, who had the chance to lead the charge toward unionization, now acknowledges the issue decades later. A wrestling union could have fundamentally changed the sport, giving performers employee status instead of being treated as independent contractors. 

That, in turn, could have ensured benefits like health insurance, fair pay, improved working conditions, and stronger protection for all wrestlers.

Ric Flair reveals WWE’s nasty attempts to gain the intellectual rights to his name back in 2017

It is no secret that WWE is extremely protective of its intellectual property. This is why many wrestlers are forced to change their names when they join or leave the company. For example, when Karrion Kross was recently released from his contract, he had to return to the independent circuit as Killer Kross. 

Moreover, it is very rare for WWE to allow anyone to keep ownership of their character or name once they part ways. However, Ric Flair is one of the few exceptions, and recently, ‘The Nature Boy’ revealed a shocking story about how WWE allegedly tried to take advantage of him at one of the lowest points of his life.

Flair has faced numerous health issues over the years, from multiple heart problems to a recent battle with skin cancer. In July 2025, he shared a photo from the Academic Alliance in Dermatology, happily announcing that he was cancer-free. But back in 2017, his condition was far more serious. 

Flair was hospitalized and placed on life support for two weeks due to kidney failure and congestive heart failure, with doctors giving him just a 20% chance of survival. During a recent appearance on Games with Names, the WWE Hall of Famer claimed that while he was fighting for his life, the company attempted to get him to sign over the rights to his own name.

Because I sued WWE. Yeah. Well, because when I was dying — I was on life support for 14 days — everybody cashed in…. And then when I lived, I found out what was going on. I read the letters — WWE was writing me letters, wanting me to sign them while I was assigning my intellectual property back to them. So I didn’t sue at first. I just said, ‘I’m going public with this.

Ric Flair via Games with Names

Flair also revealed that only two people in WWE history currently own the rights to their names, himself and The Rock . He added that Hulk Hogan once owned his name but lost it during a family dispute over money. Flair further shared that, during his hospitalization, his own agent stole $150,000 from him.

Flair’s near-death experience began after a surgery to remove an obstructive piece of his bowel led to severe complications, including a ruptured intestine, sepsis, kidney failure, respiratory failure, and pneumonia. 

Doctors didn’t expect him to survive, but in true Nature Boy fashion, he fought back. After 38 days in the hospital, Flair was discharged on September 21, 2017, a miraculous recovery for one of wrestling’s most iconic figures.