Diamond Dallas Page recently reacted to Ric Flair's upcoming retirement match. He revealed how he finally buried the hatchet with The Nature Boy.
DDP and Ric Flair didn't always get along until they had an honest conversation nearly 14 years back. Page spoke to Flair after the latter was involved in a farewell segment on RAW in 2008.
The Hall of Famers were slated for an autograph signing session that weekend, and DDP decided to squash his real-life heat with Flair at the event. On an episode of his DDP Snake Pit podcast, Page would go on to state:
"I knew what I wanted to do. I knew what I wanted to say... He came into the green room; of course, he got swarmed like he always does. Eventually, people moved out, and now it's just Ric and me... We go out to the side, and I said, 'You know Ric, I know we've had heat on and off over the years.' He was like, 'Ah Diamond, don't worry about that.' I go, 'Ric; I'm not worried about it. I want to fix it.'" [53:59 - 54:15]
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Diamond Dallas Page proceeded to chat with Ric Flair and admitted that their past issues bothered him a lot. While Ric had forgotten about their beef, DDP was eager to explain his side of the story and fix the long-standing problems.
"He gave me a hug and a kiss on the forehead" - Diamond Dallas Page on Ric Flair's reaction
Diamond Dallas Page has been a massive admirer of Flair, and he always wished for the tension between them to end. DDP was willing to start afresh and build a strong relationship with the 16-time world champion.
Page didn't want to harbor ill feelings against Ric Flair, and thankfully for him, Flair reacted favorably to his olive branch. The WWE Legend "popped" after DDP's confession and hugged his former rival in a heartfelt moment.
During the same podcast, DDP recalled the incident stating:
"I don't know how it happened. You know I've said some sh**, you've said some sh**, and I just want to fix it. I'd love to start all over again. I said I love Ric Flair; I don't want to feel this way about you; I don't want you to feel this way about me. I said, 'I'm Diamond Dallas Page, and I put my hand out.' And he popped. He gave me a hug and a kiss on the forehead and said, ' God bless you, brother. From then on, we built a relationship." [54:16 - 54:50]
DDP and Flair are amongst the most popular wrestling superstars of their era. The former WCW stars are held in high regard and it's heartening to see them move past their differences in recent years.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "DDP Snake Pit" and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.