10 Times Wrestlers Held Championship Belts Hostage

9. Ric Flair - WCW World Heavyweight Championship

Tessa Blanchard Impact Champion
WWE

Ric Flair didn't just keep hold of the WCW World Heavyweight Championship because he was p*ssed off with the level of disrespect shown to him by company management in 1991.

There was more than just an emotional investment in the Big Gold Belt from the man most synonymous with it in the 1980s - 'The Nature Boy' had $25,000 of his own money wrapped uop in it as well. Such was the rule back then when a new wrestler reached the top of the mountain. The title was valuable as it looked, and much like how the NWA used to take a vote on who was set to the carry the prize, the Champion had to cut a cheque they'd later receive back if they wanted to carry the belt.

When relations collapsed between Flair and the company enough for 'Slick Ric' to strut on to the WWE roster, the cash wasn't returned so neither was the physical strap. Months of jaw-dropping television followed with Flair cast as the 'Real World's Champion' before he was reimbursed to (mostly) rectify the situation.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett