DDP Recalls Squashing Heat With Ric Flair, Bonding With Him And Thanking Him at Hall of Fame

DDP and Ric Flair had some heat with each other over the years, but he recalled how they ended the beef between each other on a recent Talk is Jericho. Page was on the show promoting his new documentary Relentless about his DDP Yoga program and toward the end of the episode, he recalled how he decided after seeing Flair’s 2008 retirement that he didn’t want to have issues with him anymore, and approached him an a signing later.

Page also talked about how they bonded after Dusty Rhodes died and thanking Flair during his Hall of Fame speech for putting him over when Page was won the WCW World Title at Spring Stampede 1999. You can check out highlights and the full audio below:

On having heat with Flair during their careers: “Me and Naitch during my career and stuff — and even afterwards — there was this tension. And I always loved the Nature Boy. And about 10 or 12 years ago, whenever they dropped all the balloons for him? You know, when they retired him? I was watching it. And I’m like, ‘Man, I never wanted to have this tension between me and him,’ because I grew up loving that guy.

On squashing their tension: “So we’re both doing a signing in Jersey. And of course, he comes in the green room. He’s swarmed by people. And I wait until everybody’s gone. “And when he’s done, he’s like, ‘Hey Diamond!’ I’m like, ‘Hey Naitch. Can we talk a second?’ He goes, ‘Sure!’

“So we walk off to the side. And I say, ‘Yo Naitch, I know over the years me and you have had a little bit of heat together.’ He’s like, ‘Oh Diamond, don’t worry about that!’ I’m like, ‘Naitch, I’m not worried about it. Bro, I want to fix it!’ I said, ‘I don’t know what happened. I know that I’ve said some s**t. I know you said some s**t. I know — the last thing I want to do is be in this spot.’ I said, ‘Man, I love the Nature Boy, man. And I would just love to start all over again.’ And I put my hand out, and I said, ‘I’m Diamond Dallas Page.’ And he grabbed me, hugged me, and kissed me on the forehead and [said] ‘God bless you.’ And then, I really felt like, ‘This is the beginning.'”

On bonding after he suggested Flair for a booking soon after: “After that, me and Naitch started to really bond. And then when Dusty past, we both were in Atlanta — I mean, Tampa. And we both stayed at a hotel that was way out of the way. And I didn’t know that until I walked into the place, and got something to eat with Brenda at the time. And he came over and talked, and ‘Blah, blah blah.’ And that night, we hooked up for dinner, we had a great time.”

On expressing his gratitude to Flair at the Hall of Fame: “And I know I never really thanked him the way I thanked Macho and all the guys before. I mean, I thanked him. And I was super respectful when he put me over for the world title, which was a huge deal for me. But I never, I wanted — that night, I feel like Dusty put us together. I was going to get into it that night, and I literally thought to myself, ‘Nope, I’m gonna wait until the Hall of Fame and say it in front of everybody.’ Because a lot of people know if you’ve if you’ve followed anything, you’ve read his book. We both were busting each other’s chops quite a bit.

“But that s**t had ended from that day moving forward. And when I got up there and got to give my acceptance speech. And I got to the Nature Boy, and I said, ‘Man, you know, that day that I stepped in the ring with you and Hulk and Sting. And you put me over with the Diamond Cutter in the middle.’ I said, ‘Man, I just can’t tell you how much I appreciate that. And it’s not lost on me that that moment right there put me one step closer to this podium. And I just want to thank you Naitch.’ And that took us to a different level with me.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Talk is Jericho with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.