Ric Flair has weighed in on the long running debate surrounding a potential wrestlers’ union and questioned why the industry still operates without one, particularly when it comes to WWE.
Speaking on the Legally Goff Podcast on March 11, 2026, the two time Hall of Famer reflected on how drastically the business has changed since the early days of his career. Flair explained that guaranteed contracts were not always part of professional wrestling and that performers were once paid strictly based on whether they worked.
“You know, contracts just came around in the 90s. You didn’t go to work, you didn’t get paid. And that’s why it was such a hard business.”
While discussing how the business model has evolved over time, Flair pointed out that one major element has remained unchanged. Despite the industry becoming more corporate and profitable, wrestlers still do not have a union representing them.
“We still don’t have a union.”
Flair went on to explain how wrestlers are classified within the system today, noting that talent are generally treated as independent contractors rather than traditional employees. Because of that structure, many of the protections commonly seen in other professional sports and entertainment industries do not apply to wrestling.
“We’re self-employed. I mean, they take care of you if you get hurt in the ring, but if you have an issue outside of the ring, you’ve got to buy your own health insurance and everything.”
He added that the situation is especially surprising given how much the wrestling industry has grown financially in recent years. Flair referenced WWE’s major corporate shift in 2023 when the company merged with Endeavor to form TKO Group Holdings in a deal valued at roughly $9 billion.
“There’s no union, which is unheard of for a billion-dollar company. I mean, they just sold WWE for billion to who bought them? I can’t remember, Endeavor or somebody. But it’s a whole different world now.”
