Ric Flair's current status with WWE; why he won't return for some time
On Saturday, December 2, 2006 at 6:01 PM EST The storyline of Edge and Randy Orton beating down a bloody Ric Flair on Monday Night Raw last week was an angle designed to write Flair off of WWE TV indefinitely.
Close friends of Flair have stated that the finalization of his divorce will be preoccupying him in the coming months and is one of the reasons why WWE gave him some time off from the road. His situation could go so far that his legal proceedings dividing his assets could end up on Court TV.
As I'm sure many noticed watching Raw this past Monday night, Flair became very emotional after tagging with Triple H and Shawn Michaels against The Spirit Squad. Both Triple H and Michaels consoled Flair in the ring after the match. Flair has been known to never hide his emotions on TV during his career. After viewing the segment and understanding his current personal situation, Monday's show has been described as a symbolic end of a certain part of his career and the start of a personal chapter that he is hoping to wrap up very quickly.
Source: Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter