Before 1991, Ric Flair joining WWF was inconceivable. Flair was an NWA/WCW guy through and through, he would never join the WWF.Before the internet and before dirt sheets fans were rarely ever privy to the spoilers and backstage happenings of the wrestling world like fans of today are. So imagine everybody’s surprise when Bobby Heenan strutted onto WWF TV in 1991 holding the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, the famous Big Gold Belt. It was truly one of the most shocking moments in wrestling history. Heenan proclaimed that this title was the “Real World Championship,” and that the real World Heavyweight Champion, Ric Flair, was coming to the WWF. Ric Flair had left WCW and joined WWF, bringing the NWA World Heavyweight Championship with him.via wwe.com RELATED: Ric Flair's Wrestling Career Told In Photos, Through The YearsSo what happened? How did WCW not only lose its biggest star to their biggest rivals but lose the physical World Championship belt to them as well?

Why Did Ric Flair Join WWF?

In a 2004 interview with mediaman.com.au Ric Flair opened up about why he left WCW in 1991, blaming it all on then WCW booker, Jim Herd. "Jim Herd is the total reason I left. He had a lot to do with the destruction and bankruptcy of the company – 10 years before it did bankrupt. He will go down as the biggest idiot of all time. It was nothing I did – you know you have a right to protect yourself. It came about over $25,000… There was a time in my life when I thought I was invincible. I knew I was the best at what I did – I never thought of myself better than other people in any other way, apart from the wrestling where I knew I was the best wrestler alive.”

"I went from that character to a guy who was forced to cut his hair, a guy who Jim Herd wanted to wear an earring. He wanted to make me into a gladiator! He was taking an established commodity – who’d been the flagship of the company – and changing it stupidly.”

At the time, Ric Flair was the NWA World Heavyweight Champion and his WCW contract was running out. Back then, the NWA World Heavyweight Champion had to put up a $25,000 security deposit to the NWA Board of Directors as a statement that they would not leave the company with the belt.

Ric Flair Unveils The Big Gold Belt
Ric Flair Unveils The Big Gold Belt

Ric Flair’s situation was slightly different, however, as Flair had personally paid for the creation of the new NWA World’s Championship, the famous Big Gold Belt, instead of paying the deposit since it was roughly the same amount of money. Flair’s stance was that since he had paid for the belt’s creation, it was his personal property.

RELATED: Ric Flair's 10 Best World Title Matches, According To Cagematch.net

As Flair was leaving WCW, he asked for the $25,000 back, though Jim Herd outright refused. On mediaman.com.au, Flair continued, "When I asked for my money back, Herd said, ‘Fuck you and the belt!’ Herd was so arrogant that he just said fuck the belt – those were his ways of talking. He thought he was a tough guy. I said, ‘It’s not fuck me, it’s fuck you – watch where the belt is next Monday…’

"I called Vince, and I said, ‘I’ll come [to the WWE] as the champion if you want me to be… I sent the belt to WWE, and Bobby Heenan took it out on TV the next week.”

Flair started appearing on WWF TV, proclaiming himself as the “Real World’s Champion,” above the current WWF Champion, Hulk Hogan. WCW was forced to strip Ric Flair of the title (although the belt was still in Flair’s possession) and create a new physical championship to continue the linage of the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.

Ric Flair holding the big gold belt
Ric Flair holding the big gold belt

With the NWA World Heavyweight Championship’s appearance on WWF TV, legal threats started flying. WCW accused WWF of stealing their title. Having Ric Flair, their World Champion and their biggest star, jump ship to WWF was a major embarrassment for Jim Herd and now his company’s World Championship belt was on his rival’s TV show.

WWE Ric Flair With Bobby Heenan And The World Championship During A Program Segment

Flair explained on mediaman.com.au, "As soon as WCW realized the damage, they filed a lawsuit to have me send back the belt. All over 25 grand! Here you have a company spending millions of pounds on nothing, and they couldn’t give me my 25 grand. I was really hurt by all that happened, especially after I’d been there so long. I said to Herd, ‘I’ll give you three months [to return my deposit],’ and guess what? Ninety days later, he was gone!”

The story ended a few months later as Flair and Herd came to an agreement with Flair returning the Big Gold Belt to WCW in exchange for approximately $40,000 (the original cost of the belt, plus interest).