At WrestleMania later this month, Cody Rhodes will defend his Undisputed WWE Championship against John Cena. If Cena wins, he'll have beaten WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair's record by holding the world title 17 times.
Talking to Busted Open Radio, the Nature Boy explained why he favours the American Nightmare over the leader of the Cenation.
Sharing his take that Rhodes is "on a roll," Flair explained, "To be honest with you, I don’t think John wants to retire with the title. John is a company guy. He wants what’s best for business."
"I’m happy for everybody. It’s going to be a great show. I’m glad there’s two companies because that’s more opportunities for guys to work," he continued, "but it’s very difficult for me to participate in the activities while I’m working for Tony [Khan], and Tony, make no mistake about it, is the greatest guy in the world."
In other words, if Cena does win the title, Flair won't be at WrestleMania or any subsequent WWE shows to pass the torch. He acknowledged that by saying, "I would be extremely happy for John, and I wish I could be there live to get in the ring and shake his hand."
"I wish I could say that I was [going to be there], but I’m not, and I understand why, and I’m not mad about it by any means. Every time they talk about the title, my name gets mentioned. They keep me relevant. It’s very cool. John is a great guy. Cody is a great guy."
"I work for another company. I’m sure I would be more than welcome. Absolutely, if I wasn’t working with Tony, I would absolutely be there," Flair added. "They couldn’t keep me out of the building."
Understandably, Flair would still be much happier if his daughter, Charlotte, were to break his record. She currently sits at 14 Women's Championship wins and could secure number 15 if she beats Tiffany Stratton at WrestleMania.
"I obviously wanted Ashley to break the record, or Charlotte, rather, but if John breaks it, man, more power to him," he said. "I cannot say enough good about John Cena. He is a phenomenal guy. He has put his life, his soul, everything there is possible, just like I did, into the business for the last 20 years."
It's impossible to predict how Cena vs. Rhodes will play out on the Grandest Stage of Them All, especially as the former has vowed to retire and take the title home with him if he wins.
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