Tensions have clearly escalated between Stevie Richards and Ric Flair, and now Richards has delivered a detailed and fiery response addressing every jab that came his way.

Speaking on The Stevie Richards Show on April 23, 2026, Richards opened by reacting to how Flair referenced him during his recent rant on The Ariel Helwani Show. He took issue with both the dismissive tone and the confusion over his name, using it as an example of what he sees as Flair’s lack of focus.

“At first, he acted like the old Stevie something or other, and he calls Dutch Zeb Coulter, but then he called us effing punks, or, you know, punks like effing Stevie, what’s his name?” He said that his pinky is bigger than my neck.”

Richards then pivoted to Flair’s comments about his celebrity connections, where the WWE Hall of Famer boasted about having direct lines to high profile names. That claim did not impress Richards, who brushed it off entirely and turned it into a wider critique about perception versus reality.

“Flair then listed the people he has direct access to… ‘I can call Charles Barkley. I can call Shaq. I can call Mark Wahlberg… I have all their numbers right here on speed dial like it’s a landline.’ Guess what? Everybody’s got the contact on the phone, you blithering idiot.”

From there, Richards tackled Flair’s argument that critics only profit by talking about successful figures, flipping the narrative and questioning what relevance truly means in modern wrestling. He pointed out how quickly audiences move on, regardless of legacy.

“‘The only way they make a dime, and I’m sure it’s a minimal amount of money, is by cracking on people that are successful.’ But, by the way, he just buried himself saying he can’t draw. If we talk about him… as Cena said famously, and he’s right, they’ll forget about Cena three weeks later… not because Cena’s not great… but because the business and life and everything moves so fast… people tend to say, ‘What’s new? What’s now? What have you done for me lately?’”

Richards expanded on that idea by directly addressing Flair’s pursuit of relevance, arguing that the criticism aimed at him stems from very real and well documented moments rather than fabricated narratives. He leaned into a pop culture comparison to drive his point home.

“So when he says relevant, more relevant as you get older… we haven’t necessarily seen that trend from you, Ric. That’s why you’re calling us out… because we’re talking about your pizza party in Gainesville… the Plane Ride from Hell… the barf cameo… your girlfriend… There’s nothing we’re making up here, are we? He’s like Bender from Futurama… when they make him build that massive statue… ‘Remember me, remember me.’ That’s Ric Flair. His currency is fame, that’s it. That’s how he measures success, because he has nothing else.”

To close things out, Richards reflected on his own experiences around Flair, particularly during their time in TNA, offering insight into how younger talent perceived him behind the scenes. He suggested that while Flair’s legacy is undeniable, not all of the lessons taken from him were positive.

“I’ve seen Ric… especially at TNA… a lot of young wrestlers that looked up to him and wanted to emulate all the wrong things… money, financials, spending… Ric Flair’s currency with other people is the novelty of Ric Flair. That’s me when I’m trying to figure out audio and video… 20 minutes later… I come out and I go, ‘That didn’t bother me at all,’ to my wife.”