Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Favorite Match #1

1. The Royal Rumble Match at the 1992 Royal Rumble; January 19, 1992 at the Knickerbocker Arena in Albany, New York
At the Royal Rumble in Albany, NY, a 42 year old Flair won the Rumble Match to claim the vacant WWF Championship (only Royal Rumble match ever to have the WWF title on the line) in an "Iron Man" like performance. Slic' Ric drew number three in the Rumble match, and lasted a then-record 59 minutes and 26 seconds (once again proving his 60 minute man moniker), last eliminating Sid Justice with help from (of all people) Hulk Hogan, who had been eliminated by Justice seconds earlier. In addition to Justice, Flair eliminated 3 other competitors- British Bulldog, Texas Tornado, and the Big Boss Man. In so doing, Flair joined Buddy Rogers as the only men to win the WWF and NWA World Championships in their careers. He also became the fifteenth man to hold the WWF Championship. Many wrestling historians say that the '92 Royal Rumble wasn’t just the greatest Rumble of all-time but it also included the greatest collection of wrestling talent ever assembled in one ring at one time. Basically, this means Flair went through the best of the best- Hogan, Savage, Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Piper, etc.- and kept going. Every time it looked like Ric was about to be eliminated he always managed to escape by the skin of his teeth. Flair's performance was off the charts. It really allowed him to showcase his abilities with pretty much every major star in the WWF at the time. The match and its entrants also gave Flair the ability to rekindle some great past feuds in his career, i.e. Piper, Kerry Von Erich. Gorilla Monsoon & Bobby Heenan commentating was classic, as always, and added so much to this match. I'll never forget the line, "that's not fair to Flair" as Heenan kept yelling that (he was a staunch Flair supporter) at Monsoon when Flair was in trouble. It was truly a remarkable accomplishment that will go down as one of the greatest ever in professional wrestling. It is definitely a must see. It's 60 minutes of Flair- what more could you want in a match?


Clip from Ric Flair DVD where he talks about that period and the '92 Rumble...

Ric Flair Pre-Rumble Interview...

Royal Rumble 1992 part 1...

Part 2...

Part 3...

Part 4...

Part 5...

Part 6...

Part 7...

Clip from Flair's DVD that includes a couple of WWF spots as well as his unforgettable post Rumble interview.


Posted by Slic Ric at 7:36 PM 3 comments

Monday, April 28, 2008

Favorite Match #2

2. Ric Flair vs Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XXIV in a Career Threatening Match; March 30th, 2008 at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida
This match may be a little higher up on my list than other people's and that could be because it's still fresh in my mind almost a month later where as the other matches on this list took place over 15 years ago. That might be part of it but a very small part. I put this match at #2 because it literally was history in the making. It was seriously the first match I've seen live where I said "I just got to witness something special, a truly once in a lifetime event that I'll be talking about 50 years from now." It had that kind of impact on me and sure the same can be said for many other wrestling fans. In a career threatening match, the night after a very emotional induction into the WWE Hall of Fame, the Nature Boy Ric Flair "walked that aisle" one last time and turned back the clock at least 10 years. Flair hit all of his old spots (with the exception of his turnbuckle flip) and fought Shawn Michaels blow for blow before falling victim to a second rendition of HBK's "Sweet Chin Music." Naitch did everything in his power to pick up the victory, including a few illegal tactics, proving why he's known as the dirtiest player in the game. However, on this night it just wasn't meant to be and the 35 year career of the greatest wrestler to ever live came to a sad and tearful end. Earlier I talked about the emotions and intensity of the Flair-Vader match from Starrcade, but even that great match doesn't come close to the level of emotions on this night. From Flair's long walk down the aisle to a deafening ovation of "WOOOOOOOs," to the climatic sequence of events that ended the match, to Flair breaking down in the ring afterwards and sharing in the moment with his family at ringside, everything just seemed so real in a sport that everyone knows is fake (yes it is a sport). The cameras panned the crowd as Ric walked back up the aisle towards the back and there wasn't a dry eye in the house. Even grown men wept. It was a storybook ending, a high profile match on the "Grandest Stage of Them All" against a close friend and future Hall of Famer in Shawn Michaels (who has idolized Flair since he was a young kid), and both men stole the show. So every year, on March 30th, I'll stop whatever I'm doing and reflect back to that night in 2008 at WreslteMania XXIV in the Citrus Bowl, when I had the privilege and honor of watching Ric Flair, the man, the myth, and the legend, hang up his wrestling boots for good. It's a moment that will go down in wrestling history and certainly never be forgotten. I'm just glad I was fortunate enough to see the Nature Boy wrestle, whereas future generations will have to grow with the crap we have now.


Flair-Michaels WrestleMania XXIV part 1...

Part 2...

Part 3...

Posted by Slic Ric at 6:30 PM 0 comments

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Favorite Match #3

3. Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship at NWA's Wrestle War '89; May 7th, 1989 at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee
This was the final match (and in my opinion the best) of Flair and Steamboat's historical run that took place back in 1989. It was the materialistic Nature Boy and Ricky "the family man" Steamboat for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. The powers to be in WCW at the time added an extra stipulation, stating that this would be Flair's last shot at the World Title. If he lost, Ric Flair would never again wrestle for the title. Like the champion he was, Slic' Ric never panicked. He continued his flamboyant lifestyle, shoving his $1,000 suits, hordes of women, and $20,000 Rolex down Steamboat's throat. In turn, the Dragon continued to promote wholesome family values. Like I documented in my rivalry piece on these two great athletes, Steamboat had beaten Flair for the title in their first big match of '89 and the outcome of their second match was highly controversial. Everything had been building to this moment and at Wrestle War '89 in Nashville, Tennessee Ric Flair made the best of his "last chance," beating the Dragon for the belt in an epic encounter still talked about and highly regarded to this day. The match definitely lived up to all the hype in terms of both wrestling and intensity. Many wrestling fans and historians cite this match as one of the greatest professional wrestling matches of all-time. In fact, it was even voted as 1989's "Match of the Year" by Pro Wrestling Illustrated.


Recap of Flair and Steamboat's controversial match at the Clash of Champions plus some promos for Wrestle War...

Ric Flair-Ricky Steamboat confrontations part 1...

Confrontation part 2...

Piece from Ultimate Ric Flair collection on the Wrestle War match...

Wrestle War match part 1...

Part 2...

Part 3...

Conclusion...

Posted by Slic Ric at 6:33 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Favorite Match #4

4. Ric Flair vs. Big Van Vader for the WCW Heavyweight Championship at WCW Starrcade 1993; December 27th 1993 at Independence Arena in Charlotte, North CarolinaMany Flair fans may not think of this match as one of Ric's greatest but it's one of my personal favorites so I've decided to include it. WCW planned to have Sid Vicious win the WCW Heavyweight Championship at Starrcade 1993 but Sid was fired after a violent real life altercation with Arn Anderson in London. As usual, when WCW got themselves into a bind, they turned to the Nature Boy to save the company. This time was no exception and Flair was booked in the match in place of Sid. In an emotional storyline, Flair would challenge the seemingly unstoppable champion Big Van Vader in exchange for putting his career on the line. In a brutal brawl in front of Ric Flair's hometown crowd in Charlotte, Flair clipped Vader's legs and rolled him up to win the championship. There was definitely a huge big match feel to this one and the psychology was certainly there. Flair attempted to outsmart and wear Vader down, while Vader tried to overpower and destroy a much smaller Flair. The match goes into detail in regard to small vs. big man and both played their roles perfectly. The match was a huge success. The emotion this match brought out was absolutely incredible, especially when Flair came back out after the match to thank the fans there in Charlotte. This victory is also significant because it was the 10th anniversary of Starrcade, 10 years after Flair beat Harley Race for the NWA World Title in the very first Starrcade.


Starrcade 1993 press conference...

Starrcade predictions (even one from Charles Barkley)...

Ric Flair vs. Big Van Vader at Starrcade '93 part 1...

Starrcade '93 match part 2...

Post match interview with Flair (Vader flips out)...

Posted by Slic Ric at 9:36 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Favorite Match #5

5. Ric Flair vs. Sting at Clash of Champions I; March 27, 1988; Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina

Sting Clash of Champions '88- In a rivalry that includes many classic encounters, this match between the Nature Boy and the man they call Sting at the very first Clash of Champions may have been the best. On March 27, 1988– the same night as WrestleMania IV – Ric Flair and Sting headlined the inaugural Clash of Champions. In a match for the NWA World Heavyweight Title filled with suspense and excitement, the two legends wrestled to a 45 minute draw. Slic' Ric escaped by the skin of his teeth, bearing the Scorpion Deathlock just long enough to allow time to run out. As a result, Flair retained his title. Many people believe it was this match that made Sting a star and a main eventer, propelling him to even greater heights later on down the line.



Flair vs Sting Clash of Champions part 1...

Part 2...

Part 3...

Part 4

COTC I part 5...

Posted by Slic Ric at 7:30 PM 0 comments

Monday, April 21, 2008

My Favorite Matches

This week I'll be counting down my favorite Ric Flair matches. Once again, these might not be his best matches but they're my favorites. I'm going to do my top 6 matches so it will probably spill over into next week. Without further adieu, here's #6...

Ric Flair vs. Terry Funk; "I Quit" Clash of the Champions IX: New York Knockout; November 15, 1989 at the Houston Field House in Troy, New York

After the conclusion of Ric Flair's Wrestle War '89 match with Ricky Steamboat in which Flair regained the World Title, Terry Funk (serving as a judge for the match, as per its stipulations) requested a title match from the newly crowned champion. Flair refused to grant Funk a title match, telling him that he had spent too much time in Hollywood and out of wrestling, and was not a listed title contender. Funk didn’t like the Nature Boy’s response so he viciously attacked him and even gave Ric a piledriver through the judges' table, putting Flair out of action for a while.

Months later, a "recovered" Flair returned to competition in an emotional match against Funk at The Great American Bash. Flair won with a small package but their feud continued through the summer. Ric even reformed the Four Horsemen, with the surprise addition of longtime rival Sting, to combat Funk's J-Tex Corporation. This led to an "I Quit Match" at Clash of Champions IX: New York Knockout in Troy, NY. Before the match, Funk stated that he would shake Flair's hand if he lost, a promise he kept when he shouted "Yes, I Quit!" after being the Nature Boy locked on his famous figure four leglock.




Promos and build-up to the match...

"I Quit" part 1...

Part 2...

Part 3...

Bonus:

Great promo from Flair on Funk on Nitro in early 2000...

Part 2...

Posted by Slic Ric at 7:19 PM 0 comments

Friday, April 18, 2008

More Flair and Sting

In the Ric Flair-Sting bonus section, I've decided to include a match-up from WCW's Clash of the Champions XXVII. The event was held back on June 23, 1994 in the North Charleston Coliseum in Charleston, South Carolina (right in the heart of Flair country). In the main event that evening, Ric Flair, the WCW Heavyweight Champion (top belt), battled Sting, the WCW International Champion (bottom belt), in a title unification bout. As for a backstory, Sensational Sherrie was playing mind games with Sting and Flair, saying she would be in the corner of one of the two men for support but she wouldn't reveal who until that evening. Who would the Sensational one pick? Better yet, how would it affect the outcome of such an important match? Watch and see how everything played out...


Ric Flair vs Sting Title Unification Bout part 1...

Unification bout part 2...

Unification bout part 3...

Posted by Slic Ric at 8:24 PM 0 comments
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