A simple team pep talk has spurred into something much more for a professional wrestling legend. Ric Flair, who appeared at this past Monday’s “Old School Raw,” finds himself with more heat than he ever had in the wrestling business itself.
According to The Charlotte Business Journal, the WWE Hall of Famer currently has an arrest warrant in place for him in Mecklenburg County, N.C. The report by the outlet states the following about a court order issued to him over the summer.
“That order called for the wrestler to pay $32,352.51 in unpaid post-separation support and legal fees by 5 p.m. on June 27 and maintain support of his estranged spouse’s car lease and insurance and health insurance, documents show.”
The court order is still active, and he will have his next hearing on Jan. 24 regarding the manner.
Regarding his recent appearance with the San Francisco 49ers, Flair has generated a lot of heat from hometown Panthers fans who felt betrayed by his allegiance to the NFC West’s 49ers. Flair’s popular “WOOOO!” catchphrase was often shown at Panthers home games to pump up the crowds, and the players were blindsided by when he appeared for San Francisco.
Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith told the Charlotte Observer that he was, “real disappointed. I’m not sure if he’ll (Flair) get the invite here. That Golden Gate Bridge has been burned.”
It has also since been revealed that Flair’s appearance was in fact manufactured by WWE, who upon request by the 49ers, encouraged the 16-time world champion to jet out to Green Bay before they faced the Packers last week. He will not attend the playoff meeting between the two teams due to the arrest warrant in place, as Carolina is hosting the game. However, Flair himself stated told the Sporting News that it was always in his mantra not to attend.
“What can I say?” he said in his statement. “I’ve always been a good heel.
Furthermore, his representatives claim that he even received death threats from Panthers fans. They stated the following in an official Facebook message.
“The 49er pep talk, which instantly went viral, caused many Carolina fans to voice their feelings of anger and betrayal on social media — some even offering death threats to Flair. ‘We know fans are passionate about their teams, but some of the choice language we have been receiving is scaring off our interns.'”
Flair has had plenty of legal issues in the past regarding payments, as noted in this piece by Grantland. This appears to be another example, but one that could land him in more trouble than he has dealt with before.
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