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No sooner had the news regarding Ric Flair's WWE release broken than social media started running wild with the wrestlers whom the legendary Flair could manage in AEW.
Ric Flair apparently asked for his release due to creative dissatisfaction off late. At 72 years of age, the Nature Boy's in-ring days are far behind him. However, he remains one of the most experienced and decorated wrestling figures in the industry.
One could safely assume that pairing a wrestler with Ric Flair as a manager would be beneficial to them. Especially in a company like AEW where plenty of young stars are looking to establish their characters.
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Let's look at 5 AEW stars and teams who could benefit from Ric Flair managing them.
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#5. Ric Flair can take MJF to a different stratosphere
MJF under Ric Flair seems like a match made in heaven.
Make no mistake, MJF is the biggest heel in AEW. His mic work is exemplary and he walks the talk in an old-school, technical style. AEW uses him sparingly in the ring so every time he does fight, it feels like a big deal. Even outside of AEW, MJF never breaks character, constantly humiliating fans on social media or during promotional events.
Ric Flair, in his prime, was one of the most despised heels in all of pro-wrestling. His promo skills were off the chart and his in-ring work spoke for himself. There are a lot of similarities between MJF and Ric Flair, which makes a possible pairing enticing. Getting mentored by one of the best heels ever could skyrocket MJF's stock.
#4. The Varsity Blonds need Ric Flair to become a top team
Ric Flair famously turned on 'The Icon' Sting in WCW to align himself with Arn Anderson, Chris Benoit, and Brian Pillman to form the Four Horseman once again.
Brian Pillman's son, Brian Pillman Jr., is making his own name in AEW alongside Griff Garrison and Julia Hart as part of the Varsity Blonds. Pillman Jr. and Garrison are the number-one ranked team in AEW and have already wrestled the Young Bucks for the AEW Tag Team Championship.
However, they need a push to be considered in the same bracket as the likes of FTR, Proud-n-Powerful, or the Lucha Brothers. Ric Flair becoming their manager would go a long way in doing that.
With Ric Flair's history opposite Brian Pillman, this pairing would be poetic in many ways as well.
#3. Ric Flair can make Thunder Rosa the baddest woman in AEW
Thunder Rosa has the unique aura of an uncompromising bruiser. She is tough as nails, can take a violent beating, and dish out even worse. Her in-ring skills are amazing and her natural a**kicker charisma makes her a top star.
However, much like women in AEW who aren't involved in the title picture, she hasn't got enough time on the mic. Her character is defined by her ring-work. Ric Flair can help change that.
Such a partnership will ensure Rosa only needs to focus on making her wrestling skills do the talking in the ring while Flair builds her as the baddest woman on the roster.
Throughout his career, Flair has amassed a wealth of knowledge when it comes to character development.
#2. Tay Conti can become the face of AEW women's division alongside Ric Flair
Ric Flair will make a star out of Tay Conti.
Despite recent improvements, AEW needs to work on its women's division. There are plenty of women who can become top stars but aren't getting the opportunity.
One such woman is Tay Conti. The Brazilian has all the tools to become a high-profile star but hasn't been seen on AEW Dynamite in 10 weeks. She wrestles mainly on AEW Dark and AEW Dark: Elevation.
The former NXT star had a ton of hype surrounding her when she signed for AEW and has always delivered in the ring. She needs one push from AEW and she can be on par with the likes of Britt Baker and Hikaru Shida as one of the top women in the company.
Ric Flair's mentoring will not only help her in cutting promos but also enhance her character to get over with the fans. Flair was a master of in-ring psychology, and his inputs will be invaluable for a young star like Tay Conti who just needs to be unleashed.
#1. Ric Flair can help Lucha Bros win their first AEW titles
Lucha Bros (Penta El Zero Miedo and Rey Fenix) are arguably the best luchador tag team in the world. With Ric Flair, they can capture the AEW Tag Team Championship that has eluded them until now.
The Lucha Bros can pull off outrageous moves inside a ring. That helps them with connecting with fans and makes up for their lack of English promos. Penta, particularly, often uses hand gestures to get the crowd's attention and the crowd always responds.
Ric Flair will remove the language barriers. He can elevate the former AAA tag team champions, since there are plenty of opportunities for him to verbally spar in AEW.
If the Lucha Bros challenge the Young Bucks, imagine the verbal back and forth between Don Callis and Flair. Or, if there's a feud between FTR and Lucha Bros, Flair and Tully Blanchard's history, which dates back to the 80s, provides a fascinating subplot.
Lucha Bros and Ric Flair might not seem like the most natural fit, but there are a lot of ways in which Flair can elevate them and aid them in capturing their maiden titles in AEW.
