Paul Heyman Recalls How He Fixed His Relationship With Ric Flair In 1990

Paul Heyman had issues with Ric Flair early on in WCW, and he recently recalled how they mended fences when he came back there. The ECW founder was part of WCW as Paul E. Dangerously and had a couple of stints there during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Heyman spoke in his interview with Graham Bensinger about his relationship with Flair at the time, and how it took a drinking session to fix it when he came back in 1990. You can see the highlights below:

On His Relationship With Flair At the Time:

“Ric Flair is an interesting subject with me. The main event of the first thing I ever promoted when I was 19 years old was WrestleParty ’85 at Studio 54, and the main attraction was Ric Flair. And I’ll always be appreciative of that. At the same time, when he took over the creative end of WCW, we were not on the same page and he did not like me… it got very hot very fast and it escalated real fast, and it ended up with me being fired.”

On How Heated It Got:

“I tried to lure him into fighting me. [I said] everything I could to get him to swing and he didn’t take the bait. I wanted him to swing. Because how can an executive at Turner punch somebody in the face and get away with it? Number one, would have made it an easy lawsuit. Number two, he’d have to be fired alongside with me.”

On Coming Back To WCW:

“Well, I was brought back to WCW in May 1990. And as is custom in our business, business is business. And if you can make money for the company, you are welcome back with open arms. And it was figured that I could make money for the company. So, I was welcomed back with open arms. And none bigger than Ric Flair embracing me in front of the entire locker room saying, ‘Welcome back. It’s so good to have you back. I look forward to us doing stuff on television together.’

“It was probably equal bulls**t and equal — that’s just a resignation of the acceptance of the protocol of our industry. ‘We’re going to work together. We’re going to be professional. We’re going to get along.'”

On Mending Fences With Flair:

“As customary back then in this business, he says, ‘Where are you staying?’ And I was staying at the same hotel as Ric was staying. And he says, ‘See you in the bar. Drinks are on me. Whoo!’ [I thought] ‘Oh, my God, here we go.’

“And I’m not a drinker at all, and Ric Flair can drink. Ric Flair can outdrink a platoon of Marines. There’s no way to outdrink them. Only Andre the Giant. I don’t know of anybody else that could keep up with Ric Flair. There’s just no way. And I had to keep up with him. I felt horrible the next day. Oh, my God, I’m drinking pickle juice and salted popcorn to absorb the alcohol. But I survived the night at the bar drinking with Ric Flair.”