The Post’s Joseph Staszewski will be bringing you around the world of professional wrestling every Tuesday in his weekly column, the Post Match Angle.

Ric Flair deserves a chance to have his moment on his terms — albeit a very risky one.

The 73-year-old pro wrestling legend, who has twice retired previously, is set to have his “last match” at the Nashville Fairgrounds on July 31 as part of the Starrcast V convention run by his son-in-law Conrad Thompson. Like most people, my initial reaction was: Why is he doing this? Do we really need to see this? Man, I hope he makes it out in one piece.

“I’m of the belief we should do whatever it is that makes us happy,” wrestling legend Mick Foley told The Post when asked about Flair’s final match. “This sounds like the plot to the ‘Rocky Balboa’ movie, which was an incredible movie and Ric could probably make that speech ‘the pursuit of happiness.’ And he’s pursuing something and people don’t feel too happy about it.”

Yet the more I think and learn what the 16-time world champion is trying to do, the more I find myself rooting for him to pull it off in a big way. Flair, who had his WWE retirement match against Shawn Michaels in 2008 and last stepped into the ring for a match in TNA against Sting in 2011, has said he’s consulted doctors about it and has been medically cleared to compete. Yes, we are trusting a doctor we know nothing about and Flair’s choice of physicians, but it’s better than not asking at all.   

He is working with John Cena’s trainer, Rob MacIntyre, and has posted videos of him pushing the sled, riding the elliptical bike and doing rope workouts to prepare, as well as wrestling training with Jay Lethal. From what we can tell, Flair is doing everything he can to do this right way and is passionate to show he can pull this off.

“That’s just the way he’s always been wired,” Thompson said.  “So to prove to himself that he can do it one last time and on his terms — and he’s in total control, I think that’s exciting for him and I’m glad it’s gonna happen.”

Thompson’s presence makes this a more ideal situation for Flair to pull this off. He isn’t working with any kind of shady promoter and will have greater control of how he’ll end his career than he would in a WWE or AEW. The type of match and his opponent or opponents have not been announced,  but it will happen under the Jim Crockett Promotions banner where Flair became a megastar in the ’80s with announcers from that era Tony Schiavone and David Crockett on commentary. For Thompson, it’s all about sending Flair off right and creating something fun for fans.

“I don’t want fans to think this is going to be some hard-hitting affair,” Thompson said. “This is not going to be a five-star match that people are going write about. This is gonna be fun and that’s what it should be because that’s what Ric is looking to do. Not to put on a five-star affair but have fun. He still knows how to entertain folks, that’s very evident.”

All of this runs a little deeper for Flair than just strutting down that aisle one more time. Thompson mentions Flair being “big on overcoming adversity.” In 2013, he lost his son Reid to a drug overdose. In 2017, Flair had a major health scare that included being in a medically induced coma. Thompson said Flair wasn’t thrilled with where he was physically and mentally for his final match in TNA.

“I just think Ric has — to quote the ‘Rocky Balboa’ movie — has to have some stuff in the basement,” Foley said. “He just has to work through it the best way he knows how, in a wrestling ring.”

Even if you don’t agree with the risk Flair is taking (and the match could end up being terrible) we all should be rooting for him to find the peace he appears to be searching for.

From a financial and business standpoint, WWE president Nick Khan has been a hit-maker for the company since being hired in 2020. After coming out of the pandemic, WWE enjoyed record profits, new media rights deals and stock prices that more than keep shareholders happy. But trying to hold “Money in the Bank” at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas — in an attempt to elevate it into the conversation of WWE’s big four pay-per-views — the same day as UFC 276 during international fight week was a brash move. WWE was also just at Allegiant Stadium last August for SummerSlam.

It became one of the rare about faces of Khan’s tenure, with WWE moving the July 2 event to the MGM Grand Garden Arena and having to resell tickets. Vegas is more of a traveler’s market and most of the people going are spending money for UFC and only driving up hotel prices for any wrestling fans looking to go. Those people would probably rather travel to Nashville — a much more affordable city — for stadium show SummerSlam just four weeks later.  

WWE gets criticized for too often resorting to 50/50 booking, so it’s encouraging to see Alexa Bliss off to a 4-0 start since returning from marrying Ryan Cabrera. They even showed a video package of her winning Money in the Bank and cashing in 2018. Even if it’s not a foreshadowing of what’s to come in July, having Bliss on a track to rejoin the main event scene is encouraging and needed.

— WWE’s championship contender’s matches continue to be some of the lazier and boring bookings around. You either bury the challenger with a loss, pin your champion and give people the pay-per-view match on TV or go to a DQ finish like Shinsuke Nakamura vs. The Usos on “Monday Night Raw.” WWE needs to come up with something better.

— Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens are a just magic on TV right now and they were even better together on the KO Show last week. The old friends got together for affirmation of their situations – Sami being a valued member of The Bloodline and Owens believing Ezekiel is Elias. Watching them slowly go from a hearty hug to frustration and basically calling the other delusional was a joy to watch. We are lucky to have them.

— Athena (formerly Ember Moon) was one of the people, like Ruby Soho, I thought WWE missed the boat on by not making them a main eventer. Soho has yet to get there in AEW. Let’s see what happens to Athena now that she’s just debuted.

— Even Becky Lynch knows there is only one “Wizard” right now in pro wrestling.

— I’d want my boss to defend me with the passion and conviction (but maybe with less expletives) that Tony Khan did for CM Punk after “Double or Nothing” when the new champ was asked about Eric Bischoff’s comment calling him a financial bust for AEW.

— Why does it feel like the best promos sometimes get left off social media and YouTube where they belong? Eddie Kingston’s raw and captivating promo ahead of “Double of Nothing” being the latest.

— The AEW media scrum had a very special WWE guest (Seth Rollins) to listen to new champion CM Punk. It was the “Best in the World” who brought The Shield into WWE in storyline if you remember.

— WWE, please have Raquel Gonzalez turn on Ronda Rousey as she’s currently the only credible title challenger on the “SmackDown” roster despite it being filled with heels.

— WWE keeps dropping some Seinfeld Easter Eggs. Becky Lynch with the puffy shirt and Max Dupri as a close talker. Call Dupri what you want, Eli Drake or LA Knight, dude jumps off the screen and will find a way to get a silly male modeling agency over.

— Here’s what I want to see from NXT before the summer ends. Wendy Choo or Indi Hartwell as women’s champion, Solo Sikoa as North American champion, the Creed Brothers as men’s tag champions and Cora Jade and Roxanne Perez as women’s tag team champions. Bron Breakker needs to hold onto the NXT title for a bit to make whomever sends him to the main roster more meaningful.

(Bonus: Congrats to Charlotte Flair and Andrade on their nuptials last week.)

Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins inside “Hell in a Cell” (Sunday, 8 p.m., Peacock)

This fantastic trilogy will come down to this. Rollins and Rhodes put on classics at “WrestleMania and then “WrestleMania Backlash” with the “American Nightmare” winning both. Rhodes has not been inside Hell in a Cell since losing a tag team match with Ted DiBiase Jr. vs D-Generation X in 2009. Rollins has been in three, last losing to The Fiend by a wonky referee’s stoppage in 2019. Nothing less than a fitting final chapter will do here.

Wardlow, AEW

Yes, CM Punk left “Double or Nothing with the AEW world championship, but no wrestler left the show with more future potential and update than Wardlow – whom MJF luckily did not bail on. The big man did some of the little things around 10 powerbombs, taking a few cathartic seconds to enjoy the first one and then showing a softer side of appreciating when his character officially become All Elite.

NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion Matt Cardona confirmed Tuesday on Twitter that he suffered a torn biceps during a match against Blake Christian at a Game Changer Wrestling show last week and will need surgery. Cardona, who scheduled to face Nick Aldis at the Alwayz Ready pay-per-view on June 11.

AEW teamed up with Diadora for a limited edition sneaker for Pride Month, available only at Champ Sports. In addition, $25,000 will be donated to The Trevor Project, the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people.

The Rock’s daughter, Simone Johnson, has her first in-ring name in WWE. It will be Ava Raine.