Just when we thought things couldn’t get stranger in the wrestling world, Ric Flair has decided to approach the WWE about compensation over their using the phrase, “The Man,” in regards to Becky Lynch’s nickname.
Flair has always been flamboyant and dramatic (making him a perfect fit in professional wrestling), and he’s always been protective of what he views as his, whether it’s a title belt or his persona’s quirks.
It’s what helped make him one of the greatest wrestlers in history, and isn’t surprising that it’s an ongoing story for several weeks now.
Stylin’ and Profilin’
In all honesty, this is so similar to KISS’ frontman, Gene Simmons, filing a trademark on the devil’s horns hand gesture, that it has a sort of jaw-dropping “What the —-?”
Flair’s claim is simple and straight forward. Simply put, he claims he’s been calling himself “the man” since 1981. He’s also previously trademarked his catchphrase, “To be the man, you need to beat the man.”
According to reports, he claims to have approached WWE to settle this privately. When they didn’t go anywhere, he turned his attention to Triple H and escalated things there to bring about a resolution. When that effort failed, he applied for a trademark for “The Man” on August 26. It’s strictly for professional usage, so us random folks don’t have to worry about handy any money over for using it.
Consequences
Flair has said this has caused a rift between he and the WWE and his daughter, Charlotte Flair (Vince can be vindictive, but it’s doubtful he’d punish Charlotte). While Flair has stated he holds no animosity toward Becky Lynch, he wants to get paid for her continued usage of the phrase.
As he’s getting older and occasional rumors of his demise have started floating around, we really can’t blame him. In his own words: “I want to take care of my family.”
