Ric Flair on WWE Status; Finn Balor Talks NXT; Randy Orton Drops Teaser Video

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe. 

Ric Flair Updates WWE Status

The last time Ric Flair was seen on WWE television, Randy Orton punted the Hall-of-Famer in the head on the Aug. 10 episode of Raw. 

Even though that was a storyline reason to write Flair off television for the time being, the Nature Boy told Raj Giri on The Wrestling Inc. Daily podcast he would welcome a return if WWE called:

"Well, God only knows. I want to come back, but to be honest with you, I haven't been told I have in so many words, I think they worry about my health issue. Even though, I have fallen down. I went skiing. I've done all of that just to show them that I could do all this. I think the bigger issue with my heart was I had that blood clot. I'm off blood thinners. How I'm still alive, we'll have to figure this out."

There are certainly practical reasons for WWE not to risk having Flair travel to Orlando, Florida for Raw, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. He underwent surgery last year to address heart issues. There's only so much the 71-year-old should be doing in the ring at this point in his life. 

Flair is a performer who will always give everything he has to the business whenever he's asked. WWE has taken advantage of that over the years, but there doesn't seem to be any pressing story to bring him back at the moment. 

The earliest possible scenario that would make sense to have Flair return is at Clash of Champions when Orton challenges Drew McIntyre for the WWE championship. 

Flair could do something to cost Orton the match, or at least cause a distraction, as retribution for what happened on Raw last month. 

Finn Balor Talks NXT

Finn Balor's return to NXT last October has been a resounding success for him and the brand. He's been a focal point of the show, most recently earning a one-on-one title match against Adam Cole next week after Tuesday's four-way 60-minute Iron Man match ended with the two superstars tied with two falls each. 

In an interview with Phillip Martinez of Newsweek, Balor explained why he prefers working NXT to being on the main roster and touring with Raw or SmackDown:

"You're having live event matches all around the country against one person, so you're very familiar with their movements and what they do on the ring.

"I watched all these NXT superstars [today] and I admire them and have the utmost respect for all of them, but going in there with someone, there's obviously a lot of expectations on the match. If it's Finn Bálor returning to NXT versus Matt Riddle and we have absolutely never met, we're locking up for the first time on a Takeover with a lot of expectations, a lot of pressure, a lot of eyes on us, it's that kind of pressure that makes you feel alive."

One common criticism of WWE's main roster is the reliance on rematches. Once a feud begins, it's more than likely going to go through three pay-per-views with both superstars trading wins in the first two matches and culminating with a decisive third bout. 

An advantage that NXT has is only running one pay-per-view every three to four months. There's still a chance for rematches to take place on television, but more often than not everything builds to the big show and the winner moves on to someone else. 

Balor vs. Cole in a singles match isn't technically a rematch from this week, but it seems unlikely anyone will complain about seeing two of the best wrestlers in the world squaring off for the biggest prize in NXT. 

Orton Drops a Teaser Video

Just over three weeks away from his WWE championship match at Clash of Champions, Orton used his Twitter account to tease something happening. 

The Viper posted a video of a snake with the caption, "It's FINALLY happening!! Any guesses?":

The most common response in the comments is Orton will be getting a new theme song. The Apex Predator has used his current theme, "Voices" by Rev Theory, since 2008.

Even though WWE often loves to meddle with its characters, Orton has remained mostly consistent throughout his career. The few times he's been a babyface didn't really require him to change much, since he essentially ran through opponents. 

It's clear Orton is much better served as a heel, which makes his current theme song a strong fit because there's a darkness to the lyrics that perfectly encapsulates his character. 

If WWE is changing Orton's entrance music, there better be a good reason to do so. It's a key aspect of who he is as a superstar and helps generate easy heat when he comes to the ring.