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WWE News: Rhyno Receives Eight Stitches, Ric Flair Won’t Return?

By Bernadette Giacomazzo
Published on: 22:48 PST, Aug 31, 2016

The latest WWE news surrounds an update on a favorite member of a tag-team duo. Namely, what happened to Rhyno after this week’s SmackDown?

The company released an official WWE news statement regarding Rhyno’s condition, and needless to say, he’s going to need a few days of recovery!

“The Man Beast received eight stitches from WWE medical personnel following the SmackDown Tag Team Championship Tournament Match he competed in with Heath Slater. While Rhyno left SmackDown Live in Dallas with eight stitches, he and Slater also advanced in the tournament with their victory after Rhyno’s Gore.”

But don’t cry too much for Rhyno now that he’s got a few stitches in his head — the company also seems to be happy to be pushing Rhyno and his partner, Heath Slater, for the upcoming Backlash show on September 11th. If their prediction is, indeed, true, Rhyno and Slater would be the first Tag Team Champions from SmackDown to win the title on Backlash.

In other WWE news surrounding Slater and Rhyno, the duo sat down to talk about their partnership during Talking Smack. And even though Rhyno was, indeed, worse for wear, his partner Heath Slater was all too happy to talk about how their partnership has evolved into a friendship, and how their tag-team efforts work well with each other. After their defeat of The Headbangers — and their subsequent moving-on to the quarter-finals for the Tag Team Championship for Backlash — Slater called Rhyno his “big refrigerator of an angel” and compared their friendship to the friendship of Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly in the film, Step Brothers. You can see the full interview with the duo — conducted by Daniel Bryan, no less — here:

On the same day that WWE news was released about Rhyno’s health, additional WWE news was released about Ric Flair’s status with the company. According to Wrestling, Inc., the wrestling legend is taking some much needed time off now that his services are no longer needed at the company — and he doesn’t seem to want to go back anytime too soon:

“I’m waiting to hear. I’ve actually got some time off after being on the road with them for five months. After she [Charlotte] fired me, I actually took a deep breath and said I’m going home for a couple of months. I love working for the company, it’s a phenomenal place to work. If they need me and they want me to come back, I’m ready to go.”

Despite the fact that Charlotte fired him, he’s actually quite proud of her, and believes she’s a good asset to the WWE:

“Well I couldn’t be prouder. I think she’s the foundation for the women’s division. She’s doing so well and she and her friends Sasha [Banks] and Becky [Lynch]. The whole division is strong, she’s right in the middle of it, having the time of her life and working hard. Couldn’t be prouder of her.”

And as for who in the WWE has the most talent, and the brightest future in the company? No less of a man than AJ Styles, whom Flair first encountered back at TNA. Flair spoke highly of the rising wrestling superstar, saying that he believes he has a bright future with the company because he had a good, down-to-Earth attitude.

Flair, for his part, is certainly keeping busy despite his time away from the WWE: he’s got his own podcast, titled — what else? — The Ric Flair Podcast, and he makes personal appearances all over the country.

We will keep you apprised of all of the latest WWE news as it becomes known to us, but for now, leave your thoughts about the latest WWE news in the comments below.

[Image via WWE]

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