Ric Flair Provides Update On Trademark Issues With WWE

It was reported back in September that Ric Flair wasn’t happy with WWE using “The Man” for Becky Lynch, and that he had been trying to file a trademark for the nickname. In an interview with Wrestling Inc, the Nature Boy gave an update on what’s going on with his trademark issues with WWE three months later. Here are highlights:

On RicflairShop.com: “I haven’t looked at it lately as my wife runs it, but she’s got just about everything imaginable for sale on it with my name on it. She’s gone into business with people that have approached her and has acquired a whole new line of merchandise. She’s got a black American Express; that’s intimidating enough.”

On if he ever handled his own merchandise sales before: “No, not at all. I never handled it and I think we sell more merchandise now [than when I was wrestling]. I missed that era as I was still in the NWA when that stuff started with Vince. He deserves all the credit for starting that merchandise empire that WWE has and makes millions of dollars off of. [WWE Superstars] can make a living on that alone if they are in the top 4-5. Everyone has become aware in the last couple of years of how important it is to trademark and own your own name. They prepare themselves for the future because as we all know it can last two years, 10 months or in my case 47 years. The key is to be able to walk away at the end of it and if you’ve been successful then have some control of your name through trademarks.”

On being able to carry your own brand: “Sooner or later you’re gonna be on your own and if you’re not then you wanna make sure you have that available.”

On his trademark issues with WWE: “I’m happy with the progress [laughs]. I don’t wanna get credit for starting this but I notice a bunch of people are doing it now. I want people to know this before they start spending money – I spent 40 years building that brand. So much of it was when brand development wasn’t part of the demographic to be successful in wrestling. I never thought about today in the 80s and it’s come a long way. If I had someone marketing me the way Wendy does or WWE does back in the 80s then there would be a difference in income streams.”

On his wife Wendy: “Every man wants to have a woman with her own income [laughs]. I’d never seen that before – not taking a shot at anybody [laughs]. She’s made way for myself in her world. You take the home healthcare on top of the hospital stay and rehabilitation stay and the number is astronomical as to money I had to pay after insurance. I had to pay it off within a year to go in for that second surgery. When people bring up the world ‘thankful,’ I can’t say it enough to so many people but especially her.”

On trying out having a nurse for a week: “Cost wasn’t an issue but it was just different people all of the time and you would always have to explain your life story. Wendy took that on full time. And trust me, treating a patient with a stoma, there is a degree with that separate from nursing. So add the two Masters she has and give her a Doctor’s degree in ostomy nursing.”