The return was planned for several weeks, with several angles for him being pitched, including one where he would introduce his daughter, Ashley, who is currently training at NXT as Charlotte.
Flair initially was not going to be doing anything physical, but those plans quickly changed. When Flair arrived in Philadelphia, he was ordered to undergo an EKG to make sure his heart was healthy enough for him to get physical on RAW with Punk, Heyman and The Shield. The return was kept a secret from the crew, and while there was buzz internally that he could appear, he was kept in a traileraway from everybody else.
While it is said that Flair will not be wrestling for WWE, he will be doing some kind of on air feud with CM Punk, likely after Punk’s match with The Rock at the Royal Rumble.