When Ric Flair left WCW in 1991, why did he take the title belt with him?
Flair owned the NWA Heavyweight title belt that had been in use since 1986. When Flair’s contract with WCW ran out on July 1, 1991, they were unable to come to terms on a new contract. Jim Herd wanted to cut Flair’s salary and reduce his role in the company. When Flair arrived in the WWF in September, 1991, he billed himself as the “Real World’s Champion” and used his NWA belt to back it up. The ownership of the belt and the right to be called the “NWA Heavyweight Champion” was taken to court. Flair and WCW eventually settled the matter out of court in spring 1992. The exact terms of the settlement were not disclosed, but WCW bought the belt for a rumored US$28,000.
