WWE History: 5 greatest storylines of the PG Era

#1 Ric Flair's retirement

Batista and Flair during his retirement ceremony

Heading to WrestleMania 24, Vince McMahon gave an ultimatum to Ric Flair, stating that the next match he loses would be his final match in WWE. Flair began his retirement program with victories over the likes of Mr. Kennedy and MVP. Finally, Flair announced that he wanted Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania.

Michaels first refused, not wanting to be the man to retire the legendary Superstar, but consistent pleas from Flair forced him to reconsider and agree to the match. Flair was inducted into the Hall of Fame the night before 'Mania and went on to deliver a classic against Michaels at The Show of Shows.

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Michaels delivered a Sweet Chin Music to score the pin and retire Flair. A legendary career had come to an end.

The next night on Raw, Flair got the greatest send-off in the history of this business, when the entire Raw roster, Flair's family, friends, and Vince McMahon himself gave him a standing ovation in one of the greatest endings to Monday Night Raw.

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About the author

Abhilash Mendhe is a pro wrestling journalist at Sportskeeda with nearly five years of experience. He completed his MBA from the Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Management in 2016 and worked with multiple banking institutions, including Tech Mahindra. While he started writing WWE articles for Sportskeeda in 2019 as a hobby, it eventually became a significant part of his professional journey.

Abhilash checks his articles thrice before sending them to the editing team, ensuring his work is highly accurate and reliable.

He has interviewed prominent pro wrestling personalities like Noam Dar, Angry Miz Girl, Brendan Cobbina, and Jesse Lambert. Abhilash is a big fan of AEW star Orange Cassidy, as he believes the former International Champion’s on-screen gimmick of an extremely lazy guy resonates with him.

Given the opportunity to script WWE’s next big storyline, Abhilash would treat fans to the second installment of The Bloodline Civil War. He would book Roman Reigns to re-form The Bloodline with The Usos and Sami Zayn upon his comeback. The angle would see The Tribal Chief-led group go head-to-head with The Rock, Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, and Jacob Fatu in a blockbuster family feud.

When not reporting on pro wrestling, Abhilash likes to work out, go on walks, read, and explore new eateries.

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Edited by Anthony Akatugba Jr.