Two time WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair has released another episode of his podcast The Ric Flair Show. You can check out some highlights here:
On Styles having the potential to be great:
“Time will tell. You can’t say right now if he’s one of the greats. Right now, as we speak, in my opinion, he’s a great worker, but it’s going to be determined by time because the word ‘great’ gets passed around way, way too easily. I understand they are people who are good people and very competent, but the word ‘great’ gets passed around, but, I mean, he’s in that category now. If he stays healthy enough to do this a couple of more years, he’ll be one of the all-time greats. That’s my take on it.”
On if Styles is the next Shawn Michaels:
“I see it, but [they are] not the same thing. Shawn Michaels, if you look at Shawn’s charisma, and when they were trying to put AJ in a position of being a heel, it’s just not him. Do you know what it is? AJ’s just too nice of a guy. Shawn Michaels, when he was in that heel [persona], Shawn could be a prick. Now, he’s a whole different [person]. His life is totally different and his lifestyle. But Shawn could be a prick and that’s what people like you to be. I was a prick. I didn’t care what anybody thought, I said what I thought, but I could back it up. But, once again, I’m not saying AJ can’t be Shawn Michaels, but that’s a tall order. Remember, we had to call him, to get him to come on this show, ‘the greatest of all time’, so, I mean, Shawn, where we are, you’re the greatest of all time. AJ, you’ve got a ways to go. You’re really good, but that’s a tall order, [to be considered the next Shawn Michaels], man, Shawn Michaels.”
On Cena’s pursuit of his World Title record:
“Well, first of all, I text John. I love John. He’s always, even when I’m not there, he throws me name out there and keeps me in the public eye. I would be elated if John got that. I mean, he [has] worked hard enough and it’s never going to affect my legacy. I think the world of John Cena as a person, as a man.”
Flair added, “but I think the world of John and I think that when I look at what he has done for the company, and, of course, the company has done a lot for him, but his work ethic is incredible. He’s a great guy. He’s a great ambassador. And if he won that title for the sixteenth time, I’d be the first to congratulate him.”
On wrestling John Cena if he breaks the record:
“Well, I would love for John Cena to win the title and them to give me six months to get ready because I could wrestle again very easily, but I would need six months just for cosmetics and a couple months of everyday training in the ring at the [WWE] Performance Center. I would love that, for that to happen. I don’t think it ever will, but I could be in that kind of shape if I got the head’s up in the next month or so.” Flair said, “I wrestled everybody except for John, in a single, and, of course, The Shield, the new guys, and that. There’s nobody I missed. I think that’s what makes my career unique, is I wrestled everybody.”
On not thinking the WWE will take the title off Styles for Cena:
“Well, the thing you’ve got to remember too, for him to do that, they’d have to cut off the momentum on AJ and I don’t see that happening either. So, I mean, do I respect John and think he would deserve that, yes. But I don’t think they’re going to take the momentum away from AJ any time soon.”
(All transcribed quotes courtesy of Wrestling Inc.)