Highlights

  • Ric Flair made a surprise appearance on AEW Dynamite, reuniting with Sting and Tony Schiavone to praise Sting and reminisce about their historic match in 1988.
  • Flair's arrival was met with mixed reactions from fans, some thrilled to see him while others criticized AEW for bringing in someone with a controversial past.
  • It remains uncertain how many times Flair will appear for AEW, but his presence hints at a potential ongoing involvement and exciting surprises for Sting's upcoming retirement match.

Wrestling legend Ric Flair made an unexpected appearance on Wednesday night's AEW Dynamite, sending the live crowd into a frenzy. The surprise reunion took place in the ring, where Flair joined fellow icons of TBS and WCW fame, Sting and Tony Schiavone. Flair noted he couldn't turn down an invited from AEW President Tony Khan and didn't miss the chance to praise Sting, hailing him as one of the greatest wrestlers in the world and among the kindest personalities in professional wrestling. He reminisced about their historic match on TBS during the inaugural Clash of the Champions in 1988 and then asked Sting if he could come along for the ride as the Stinger made his way towards Revolution and his retirement match in 2024.

The special segment started as Darby Allin and Tony Schiavone were there to talk about how much Sting has meant to AEW. Schiavone wanted to give Sting a gift on behalf of Khan and Flair's music hit. Sting seemed genuinely surprised, so it's not clear if he was aware of the gift beforehand or not. Fans have been mixed in their reactions to Flair's arrival. Some were thrilled to see him, and others called Khan out for bashing Vince McMahon and the allegations against him, only to bring in Flair, who has a checkered past to say the least.

RELATED: 5 Best World Title Reigns Of Ric Flair's Career (& 5 Worst)

It's not clear how many times Flair will appear for AEW, or if this was a one-time thing until Sting's final match.

During the segment, Christian Cage entering the scene to taunt Allin, specifically targeting his injured arm. Christian boldly challenged Sting and Allin to a trios match at Full Gear, teaming up with Luchasaurus and Nick Wayne. Christian didn't hesitate to take shots at Flair, saying "If there was a God, Flair would have been dead 20 years ago." and then noting that The Nature Boy was one superkick away from his pacemaker failing.

A Memorable Moment For AEW

This unexpected appearance by Flair follows Sting's recent announcement that he'll be heading towards retirement in a few months. Fans should probably expect a few more surprises before that match arrives. And, Flair's words that he wanted to "ride it out" with Sting, hinted at a possible ongoing involvement in AEW.

It will be intriguing to see who else AEW lines up to help send Sting off into the sunset.