Dark Side of the Ring resumed its third season on Thursday night with a chilling account of the May 2002 “Plane Ride from Hell”.
While the events of the flight led to a 2004 lawsuit being filed by flight attendants Heidi Doyle and Taralyn Cappellano, it appears that few were familiar with the grimier details of the flight.
The episode focused on Doyle, who ultimately reached a settlement with WWE and has never spoken publicly about the charges against Ric Flair. In the documentary, it was outlined that Flair exposed himself to Doyle while wearing his robe and cornered her in the back area of the plane and alleging that the performer took her hand and placed it on his penis.
Flair will likely respond to this story as he indicated when the subject was broached on Renee Paquette’s podcast last week:
We’ll see how it plays out, because I was there and I don’t care whose name I gotta drop if the heat falls on me. I know who was where and what and who and what took place. I know the whole story.
Doyle spoke of being subjected to harassment by Scott Hall, who believed he had been drugged on the flight, and grabbed Doyle by the blouse, and proceeded to lick her.
The lawsuit also alleged that Dustin Rhodes harassed and groped the other flight attendant, although she was not part of the episode.
The retelling of the events and post-traumatic effects were harrowing to hear and ones that have clearly affected Doyle and probably played a major factor in speaking about them all these years later with the idea that “sunlight is the greatest disinfectant” to prevent future behaviors from occurring.
There are so many layers to this episode of Dark Side of the Ring and serves as an expose on the culture of the industry both in terms of what was normalized behavior coupled with today’s mentality of protecting the business at all cost.
It was shameful to hear the accounts from Terri Runnels acknowledging that if she took legal action for every infraction she was subject to, she would be in court for the rest of her life. It was a culture of “don’t sell it”, which meant “don’t rock the boat” and left such discretions unchecked.
It was a surreal moment to hear Jim Ross, given his management capacity at the time, having no adequate reason for Flair’s lack of punishment for the 2002 flight and that “he got a pass”.
To understand the history of pro wrestling culture is an understanding that the rules in the real world don’t always apply. These stories and events are dressed up with glittery terms like “Rock ‘N Roll lifestyle”, “partying”, and “the boys being the boys”. In present-day society, we’re finally breaking down these terms and it’s a harsh exercise in decoding what contributes to these vague descriptions.
The stories struck an emotional chord for several reasons – you had Heidi Doyle’s firsthand account presented on the record, corroboration from others on board the plane, and not too far removed in relative terms to WWE’s history. This was in 2002 when the company was already a publicly-traded one, with figures on the plane that are still players in the industry today including one of the biggest names in the history of the industry.
Tommy Dreamer did not come off well trying to justify it as a joke and downplaying the obvious effects it had on Doyle. I would hope after watching the episode and hearing Doyle’s words for himself that Dreamer would have a different outlook today. But his defense of the situation goes back to “protecting the business at all cost” even when it’s indefensible.
It really irked me on the “cancel culture” theme that was brought up by Dreamer specific to this story. It has become a catch-all buzz term to excuse the most egregious actions knowing that the term will spark an emotion in a certain fanbase that wants to preserve its heroes and ignore reality. The facts are, something like the “Plane Ride from Hell” would never happen today because of both internal and external measures – and that’s a good thing. This is not a perfect industry, but the accountability is far greater and that should be applauded, not dismissed as “cancel culture”.
We are also just a year removed from the countless Speaking Out allegations and cannot lose sight of the fact that the modern scene has been rife with issues, as well.
Jim Ross, to his credit, placed himself in the line of fire on this episode by accepting the responsibility for this occurring under his watch. His explanation for Flair’s lack of punishment was an instance of a question where he could have made up some BS excuse (which WWE would never contradict for its own accountability) and instead, laid it bare that Flair was “a made man”.
I saw this episode on Thursday morning through an advance screener and knew it was going to be horrifying for others to watch and hear. It stuck with me throughout the day and I feel this is the type of episode that should stick with you because to ignore it would be the exact method that contributed to this repeated behavior continuing for generations.
We must be equipped to discuss these complicated subjects because ignoring them is a disservice to those willing to step forward and speak up. I also implore those to view this type of story not through the lens of your favorite wrestler but through the viewpoint of Heidi Doyle, and then imagine someone close to you being in her shoes on that same flight.