7 Wrestling World Champions Who Were Fired

7. Ric Flair

The tumultuous relationship between 'The Nature Boy' and WCW President Jim Herd saw Ric Flair resign from his position as the promotion's head booker in 1990 and it remained a problem thereafter, with Herd demanding Ric take a considerable pay cut and work a diminished role in spring 1991.

This didn't sit well with Flair, who claimed Herd also wanted to drastically change his look by shaving his trademark blonde hair, then rebranding him as, ahem, Spartacus. Flair spoke up for himself. He disagreed vehemently and so refused to go along with the executive's plans, leading to Herd firing him just a fortnight before that year's Great American Bash supercard, despite Flair reigning as NWA World Heavyweight Champion.

Out of the company in July, Ric was still recognised as the title-holder until September, when it was finally vacated. He had jumped to the then-WWF a month prior to this and started calling himself "The Real World Champion," even bringing the NWA's big gold belt over to the rival television show. Each appearance made a mockery of Herd's ludicrous demands. 'The Nature Boy' even claimed to own the strap as WCW had not refunded the $25,000 that NWA World Champions paid as a deposit when winning it, though he eventually reached a settlement to return Big Gold to its home promotion.