Real Reason Ric Flair Didn’t Appear on AEW Dynamite Revealed
Fans tuning into AEW Dynamite’s Blood & Guts special immediately noticed something missing — or rather, someone. Ric Flair, who was advertised for the show and expected to appear alongside Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat during the emotional in-ring segment with FTR, never made it onto the televised broadcast.
According to new reporting from Dave Meltzer, Flair was backstage in Greensboro and even made a brief non-televised appearance for the live crowd. However, he left shortly afterward due to being in severe pain from a recently torn rotator cuff.
Meltzer didn’t have specifics on when or how Flair suffered the injury, only that it was bad enough for AEW to rewrite parts of the show on the fly. Flair was originally scheduled to be involved in a segment — assumed to be the Steamboat/FTR exchange that ultimately aired without him.
The situation threw fans off because Flair had just shared in late July that he was both pain-free and cancer-free, leading many to believe he was fully back in good health.
Despite his Woooo Energy promotional deal wrapping up months ago (which previously covered his AEW compensation), Flair remains under contract with AEW. His last appearance on TV was earlier this year when he paid tribute to longtime Four Horsemen teammate Steve “Mongo” McMichael following his passing.
For now, it appears AEW is giving Flair time to recover, though it’s unclear whether this injury will affect any future planned appearances.
Ric Flair pic.twitter.com/Ptar0pTD0l
— Paul 🐺 (@PaulWolfpackFan) November 13, 2025
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Ric Flair missing live TV in Greensboro — his old Mid-Atlantic stomping grounds — is genuinely unfortunate, and AEW pivoting mid-show speaks to how last-minute the situation was. The planned Steamboat/FTR segment had Flair’s fingerprints all over it, and you could feel the absence of that Horsemen nostalgia pop.
That said, a torn rotator cuff is no joke, especially at Flair’s age. AEW likely made the safest call by keeping him off camera. It’s telling that Flair is still under AEW contract despite the end of the Woooo Energy partnership; Tony Khan clearly sees value in the “Nature Boy” brand in small, nostalgia-based doses.
If Flair’s shoulder recovers, expect AEW to revisit this moment — especially with Steamboat already back in the fold and Greensboro crowds historically hot for Horsemen-centric callbacks.
