Ric Flair has publicly expressed a strong preference for AEW over TNA Wrestling, praising the company’s president, Tony Khan, and its performers in a recent interview wiht CasinoBeats.com. The WWE legend,a two-time Hall of Famer,highlighted the positive atmosphere within AEW and Khan’s genuine care for his talent.
Flair recounted his experiance with a planned segment in Greensboro, NC, involving Ricky Steamboat and FTR, lamenting that a shoulder injury prevented his participation.”I just loved it. I wish I could have done something with Ricky, but my shoulder wouldn’t let me,” Flair stated.He further lauded Steamboat and Shawn Michaels as “the two best babyfaces of all time. Nobody goes near it.”
Addressing his current health, Flair indicated he is “better” and “fine,” though he anticipates needing to address his shoulder injury after completing upcoming appearances in California and Chicago.
The 16-time world champion was especially effusive in his praise of Tony Khan. “Tony Khan is a really great guy. The AEW guys are awesome. Wrestling is in a good place right now. I can’t say enough good things about him. he’s fantastic, he’s a real gentleman and I think he really cares about everyone. For him, these are not just a number. I think he really cares about everyone who works for him.”
While acknowledging the significant momentum WWE has built, particularly with its new contract with ESPN, Flair firmly stated his preference for AEW. When asked about Chris Jericho’s assertion that TNA more closely resembled a second-tier promotion, Flair disagreed, stating, “Oh, I like AEW more than TNA. I don’t know much about TNA because I haven’t seen it.AEW has some very good performers.” Despite a previous run with TNA, Flair indicated that his positive impression of AEW outweighs his experience with the other promotion.
