wrestling / Columns

The Art of Wrestling: Flair vs. Steamboat (Part 3)

February 24, 2015 | Posted by Len Archibald

No intro this week…Reasons to be explained in 7 days.

I have made it known that I am a sucker for analyzing the artistic merits of professional wrestling and have wanted – for my non-wrestling companions – to break down the details of a match so they can better understand the nuances of the artform I have been in love with for over 30 years. Breaking a match down to its basic functions is similar to breaking down a film for film students, or a dance routine for enthusiasts of that art form. There are common tropes, elements, components and “rules” – or better yet – guidelines that all matches entail. These basic functions allow fans to become invested in the match that is laid out before them.

There are the matches that take the basic match structure, lengthen it and just allows the natural elements of the face/heel alignment, the audience reaction, the commentary and the overall atmosphere take fans on an emotional journey that ends up being nothing less than a spiritual awakening for all involved. These are the special matches – and the ones that I would like to focus on. These matches for me are akin to the 1001 Movies to See Before You Die, or Roger Ebert’s list of “Great Movies” – the best of the best. Some of these matches are universally praised across the board as classics, while some are underrated gems that leave more detail than meets the eye upon a second or third inspection. Some are matches that were panned when performed but have gained a greater appreciation and are heralded as events way before their time.

APRIL 2, 1989
RICKY STEAMBOAT (C) VS. RIC FLAIR
2 OUT OF 3 FALLS MATCH FOR THE NWA WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE
CLASH OF THE CHAMPIONS VI: RAGIN’ CAGUN
LOUISIANA SUPERDOME; NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA
COMMENTARY BY JIM ROSS AND TERRY FUNK

In 1989, Ric Flair continued to hold a deathgrip on the NWA World Heavyweight Title via nefarious means – barely holding on his championship through technicalities and maneuvers that earned him the moniker of “The Dirtiest Player in the Game.” With his Four Horsemen stablemate, Barry Windham, Flair had been utilizing his time over the past month to make the life of “Hot Stuff” Eddie Gilbert’s life miserable via sneak attacks and interference. Gilbert had enough and challenged the two to a match on WTBS Saturday Night. Gilbert promised a mystery partner would help him even up the sides against foes once and for all. From there, Steamboat returned to the NWA on the January 21, 1989 edition of World Championship Wrestling as Gilbert’s surprise tag team partner and emphatically put his stamp in the rankings where he pinned Flair. This earned The Dragon a shot at the NWA Title at Chi-Town Rumble where Steamboat defeated Flair by rollup in the first of the now classic “Holy Trinity” of matches.

Flair and Steamboat would wrestle all over the country, stealing the show on a nightly basis. The second of the trilogy took place in New Orleans, LA on a free Clash of the Champions special: Ragin’ Cajun. The show was huge for NWA/WCW on several levels; Flair/Steamboat II would be the biggest match NWA/WCW gave away on live television since the first Clash main-event between Flair and Sting and the show went head to head with WrestleMania V where The Mega Powers exploded. This was a match that pitted perennial babyface in Ricky Steamboat and his family values against the ultimate villain, the egotistical and debauchery-drenched Ric Flair. Newcomers to the match would be able to decipher who played what role just by the trunks; Steamboat in white, Flair in black.

THE THIRD FALL

CLICK HERE FOR PART 1
CLICK HERE FOR PART 2

To emphasize the grueling nature of the match, both men are barely able to make it to their feet at the start of the final fall. Steamboat goes on the offensive, nailing big overhand shots to Flair’s back to continue the strategy that culminated in Flair submitting to the chickenwing. Steamboat ends the flurry by lighting the challenger up with two chops. Flair Flops headfirst onto the mat, selling his pain and fatigue. Steamboat, understanding his own aggression contributed to his dominance of the last fall keeps on the attack.

Flair immediately begs off at a screaming Steamboat, who orders Flair to “Get UP!” Steamboat will not succumb to Flair’s stalling techniques anymore and instead plasters Flair with another chop in the corner. Steamboat continues to work on Flair’s back, clubbing it unmercifully after hitting a HIGH backdrop.

Flair strikes back with a chop on Steamboat, whose arms fly out of control. Steamboat rushes back to his feet – and using the ropes as leverage – slingshots himself to deliver a whopping chop of his own. Steamboat attempts a side headlock, but Flair has the move well scouted by now, takes Steamboat off his feet and plants the champion’s shin on the mat. Steamboat wobbles and plants himself for balance. Flair kicks Steamboat’s face for good measure to put Steamboat on his back. Both are on the mat, now, panting from exhaustion. Tommy Young counts.

Flair hops up and knowing it is now or never, locks in the Figure-4 Four. Steamboat, also realizing Flair’s desperation quickly rolls towards the ropes. Tommy Young forces Flair to break the hold. An absolutely LIVID Flair approaches the referee and shoves him into the ropes – but Tommy Young will not be intimidated and shoves Flair right back. Always remember where Triple H got that spot from when he and Earl Hebner got into their shoving matches. The New Orleans crowd cheers wildly at Young. Flair stares at the referee for a brief moment, before going right back to a hobbling Steamboat and continues his assault on The Dragon’s knee.

Flair coldly observes Steamboat using the ropes to keep his balance and plants more kicks to Steamboat’s damaged leg. Steamboat shoves Flair to create separation as he drags his left leg to make it to the turnbuckle. Flair rocks Steamboat with a chop and Steamboat responds in kind. A shot to the gut stuns Steamboat before the champion hits another MASSIVE chop on The Nature Boy. Flair clubs Steamboat’s back only to be hit with a double chop and throat shot by Steamboat that takes Flair back into the corner. Steamboat launches a rare closed fist to Flair’s head before he whips Flair into the corner. Flair flips to rush the adjacent corner, but is met with a demolishing chop that sends the challenger flying and crashing on his back onto the apron. The shot was so devastating that it took Steamboat off his own feet. Steamboat’s leg is still weak and he needs to use the ropes to bring himself back up. Steamboat makes the attempt to pull Flair in, but Tommy Young is aware of Flair’s placement on the apron and pushes Steamboat away to count. Foreshadowing!

Flair slowly pulls himself back in – and in a reverse visual of Steamboat hanging on by one arm on the railing, Flair’s arm dangles on the second rope as The Nature Boy sells pain and fatigue. Flair uses both arms to pull himself vertical. Knowing Steamboat is approaching, Flair spins and immediately drops to his knees to beg off. Even Tommy Young is finding Flair’s antics ridiculous, now. For the first time in a while, Steamboat hesitates for a second too long and allows Flair to go for a double-leg takedown for a pin attempt with both feet on the ropes. The crowd is SCREAMING at Young whose eyes are fixated on Steamboat’s shoulders. Steamboat struggles to keep his shoulders up. Flair attempts his cheating pin attempt a few more times, but Steamboat will not be denied. The entire time, Tommy Young is so focused on Steamboat’s shoulders that he does not pay attention to Flair’s placement in the ring. More foreshadowing!

An upset Flair pulls Steamboat up by the hair and chops Steamboat so hard that the champion almost flies over the turnbuckle. A shot to the jaw and another chop proceeds Flair whipping Steamboat into the corner. Steamboat weakly leaps onto the second turnbuckle to leap frog Flair, but the challenger has finally been able to counter Steamboat’s speed because of the Dragon’s bum leg and connects with a boot to Steamboat’s face. The Dragon falls in a heap, holding is head. Flair drops down with a double ax handle to Steamboat’s back. Steamboat rolls, writhes and uses the ropes to move around. He attempts to use the ropes for leverage to stand, but cannot. Flair drops a knee into Steamboat’s left leg. Steamboat, in obvious pain, leans over the bottom rope shaking his fist to will himself. Forty minutes have now elapsed.

Steamboat reverses a Flair whip into the corner, charges and leaps for a high-knee attempt, but again Flair is able to move quickly because of Steamboat’s injury and side steps. Steamboat’s injured leg is now hung up on the corner. Steamboat, now hanging upside down on that damaged leg writhes in more pain with all the weight on his injured knee. Even Jim Ross and Terry Funk can feel it in their voices. Flair allows Steamboat to hang a little longer before pulling The Dragon down unmercifully onto his back. Flair drapes Steamboats leg over the middle rope and drops on it several times. Tommy Young pushed Flair away to check on Steamboat. Calling back to the first fall, Flair takes Steamboat’s legs and slingshots the champion up so he crashes on his back. Flair soars with a knee-drop right across Steamboat’s injured leg in the middle of the ring. Steamboat clenches the leg in agony as Flair ominously eyes his fallen foe and nods approvingly to himself before tugging on the Dragon’s leg HARD. At this point, Flair locking in the Figure-4 is elementary.

Steamboat screams, waves his arms and wiggles his body from the pain. Tommy Young leans over Steamboat, asking if he will submit. Steamboat responds by quickly tugging on Young’s shirt and shaking his head. Steamboat flails his arms to find the nearest rope, but he is nowhere near any sanctuary. Flair tugs on the hold and one can feel the pain circulating through Steamboat’s body. Steamboat’s shoulders hits the mat. Young raises his arm to start a count, but Steamboat will not even allow that. Both men are sweating profusely now – Steamboat’s shouts are heartbreaking as Flair tugs on the hold even further. During the first fall, Steamboat attempted to get Flair to submit to his own hold, but now Flair – the master is showing Steamboat just how it is done. Flair tugs at Steamboat’s hair and smacks his face with a smile. Tommy Young glares down at the challenger in disgust at the tactic. Steamboat attempts to pull Flair’s hand away in retaliation. As Flair drops himself back to wrench the Figure-4 in more, Tommy Young winces. Steamboat bangs on the mat in pain and finally succumbs to dropping his shoulders a few times for Young to count to two. Steamboat finally reverses to the ropes.

From the outside, Flair continues to assault Steamboat’s leg, slamming it on the apron. Young has to reach through the ropes to get Flair to halt his attack. Steamboat can barely stand and uses the ropes for leverage, not only to regain some balance, but to land a chop to Flair, who returns inside the ring. The two trade chops and shots in the corner before Steamboat whips Flair into the corner, who flips and makes a second attempt to barrel across the apron and to the top rope. He hits Steamboat for a cross body and a hot two count.

Steamboat meekly makes his feet and drops a shot on Flair’s back, hoping to re-start his old strategy from the earlier falls. The Dragon attempts a body slam, but his leg buckles out from underneath him, giving Flair another two count. Steamboat whips against the ropes and nails a flying headbutt. After a chop to Flair’s head, Steamboat hobbles to the ropes and attempts to shake off the pain in his leg. He struggles to the top rope and hits a cross body of his own that took Flair off guard so much that he barely gets a shoulder up in a vein similar to Hogan barely getting his shoulder up at the very start of WrestleMania III after an early bodyslam attempt on Andre the Giant failed him. Steamboat double takes at Young, who was certain he had Flair beat.

Steamboat limps to the corner and attempts an elbowdrop, but Flair rolls out of the way. Flair lands to his feet first, gets a few chops and elbows of his own. Flair sends Steamboat into the ropes, but Steamboat again will not give up and hits the swinging neckbreaker on Flair. Steamboat’s “fighting spirt” is in full effect, now. Notice though – even with the neckbreaker, Steamboat could only perform the move on one leg. Flair powers out of a pinning attempt and sends Steamboat of the ring. He falls to his knees and catches his breath as Steamboat circles around the outside of the ring, still shaking his leg as he makes it to the apron and catches Flair with a shoulder to the ribs.

Steamboat hurdles over Flair for a sunset flip attempt with Flair grasping for the ropes just out of his reach. Steamboat has to FIGHT to eventually take Flair over for another two-count. Flair sends Steamboat to the ropes and gets a shoulderblock upon the Dragon’s return. Steamboat whips himself against the ropes again but Flair catches the champion for a sleeper hold. Flair hops on Steamboat’s back to gain leverage. Steamboat’s eyes glaze over. Tommy Young takes Steamboat’s arm and raises it. It drops. A second attempt sees Steamboat’s arm flop down on the mat once more. Young raises Steamboat’s arm and casually makes his way to the timekeeper to call for the bell, but he turns and sees Steamboat’s arm did not fall. The camera angle made it look as if it did, though as Flair and Steamboat’s backs are to the camera and the champion’s arm fell out of view.

Young attempts to get Steamboat to respond. Steamboat’s boot hits the mat hard and startles the referee, who stares at the champion’s defiant leg in shock. Young at himself, knowing that the match will continue. Steamboat raises a fist and works himself to his feet. Steamboat rushes the corner and lowers himself at the last moment, sending Flair headfirst into the turnbuckle. Flair falls to the outside and collapses to the ground. In the meantime, Steamboat bangs his head to get the blood flowing before he stands. With Steamboat’s back to a returning Flair, he is unaware of the challenger’s presence as Flair kicks Steamboat’s leg. He grabs the Dragon’s leg for another takedown, but Ricky musters the strength to land the enzuigiri right to the back of Flair’s head for another two-count. Even Tommy Young is showing fatigue, stretching his shoulder and shaking his head.

Steamboat SLOWLY goes up top for a splash, but misses. Flair reaches his feet and picks Steamboat up from the injured leg and repeatedly crashes the knee on the mat. Steamboat is on the ground in agony, and slithers towards the corner. Flair is methodical in his attack as Steamboat begins to back away from Flair, now pointing and screaming “NO!” at the challenger. It is enough that they have wrestled for nearly an hour, but Steamboat has to now think about his career – any more damage to Steamboat’s leg may end it for good. Flair grabs Steamboat up and rocks the champion’s leg with a knee strike and follows up with a chop. Flair repeats his tactic, levels the Dragon with a shot to the gut and face and shoves a retreating champion down to his knees.

Flair LEVELS Steamboat with another chop. The Dragon is hobbling helplessly but refuses to go down. Steamboat hits the Nature Boy with a weak chop. Flair retaliates with a shot to the gut. Steamboat responds with an even HARDER chop. Steamboat needs to use the rope for balance as he fires off another HARD chop. Jim Ross and Terry Funk are in awe of Steamboat’s fortitude. Another chop by the Dragon has Flair reeling. Steamboat whips Flair into the ropes and chops the challenger down to his back. As Flair convulses on the mat, Steamboat – on one knee poses like a superhero about to catch his sixth wind to the crowd. As Steamboat reaches a vertical base, Flair once again feels the need to beg off. Flair shouts “NOOO!” Steamboat simply responds with a wild, primal scream and sets up Flair for the tried-and-true Corner 10-Punch at the turnbuckle. Each shot is delivered VERY slowly to further sell the punishment endured. Steamboat gets four punches in before Flair grabs Steamboat and attempts an inverted atomic drop. Steamboat blocks and clothesline Flair to the ground. Steamboat makes the pin attempt, but is so weak that he can’t hook Flair’s leg and it just falls to the bottom rope at the last possible second.

Steamboat whips Flair to the ropes and lowers his head, opening himself up for Flair to drop an elbow to the Dragon’s neck. A high and tight shoulder suplex delivered by Flair drops Steamboat on his back. The Nature Boy drags the champion to the center of the ring and nods approvingly to himself again. Flair reaches the top turnbuckle slowly and to his surprise is met by Steamboat, who lands some hard shot to Flair’s ribs. Steamboat finally grabs a hold of a screaming Flair and tosses him off the top with velocity. Flair’s back literally bounces off the mat when he crashes. Steamboat stalks and hooks the Double Arm Chicken Wing, but his knee gives out and Flair falls on top of him. Flair’s foot lands under the bottom rope, out of Tommy Young’s line of sight – Young is laser-focused on the two competitor’s shoulders and counts to three, with Steamboat getting his left shoulder up just in the nick of time. As the bell rings and Flair rolls to his front, Tommy Young immediately darts towards the Dragon and raises his arm, allowing the crowd to explode. Steamboat bangs his hand on the mat. As Steamboat is handed the NWA World Title belt to celebrate, an IRATE Flair violently pulls Tommy Young to explain his case.

The controversial finish would end up opening the doors for the final match in the Flair/Steamboat “Holy Trinity” at WrestleWar ’89. One of the things I did not mention during this series – but will point out now – is the foreshadowing between the next major feud that emerged from The Nature Boy and The Dragon competing: Terry Funk, at several points during the match would discuss his place as a wrestler on the edge of retirement, but as time wore on became more enthralled with both competitors and would make several attempts to commend them – especially Flair – for their moxy and desire to never quit. Funk would later challenge Ric Flair to an “I Quit” match once The Nature Boy regained the title from Steamboat and Funk laid Flair out with a piledriver on a table.

So, is this the greatest match assembled in wrestling history? Like all art, it is subjective and there are legitimate arguments going either way. For over fifty-four minutes, The Nature Boy and The Dragon displayed their athleticism and stamina to tell a long-form story that challenged the perception of what a professional wrestling match can accomplish. The nuances in the bout were clear from all – including Tommy Young – to what was going on in front of the eyes of all who witnessed. We bore witness to two clear and unique individuals who had two clear strategies to best the other. Each competitor showed flashes of their strengths and highlighted both physical and psychological weaknesses. The match had a clear beginning, middle and definitive ending that was foreshadowed at several interludes. As the match progressed, each athlete’s energy leapt out further as the match progressed and their sense of urgency dialed up as Flair and Steamboat grew more tired. This was a showcase of just how well two people could hold the crowd in the palm of their hands and manipulate their emotions as Flair found ways to cheat and escape with the title via shortcuts and Steamboat battled honorably and persevered through a near-crippling ordeal against a challenger who showed no remorse. Flair vs. Steamboat II was a highlight reel of hundreds of “little things” that shaped and molded an entire spectacular event and for my money is ground zero for budding athletes who wish to enter this industry.

I want to thank all for encouraging me to complete this series; we will look at different matches down the line (shorter ones, I swear) in an attempt to break down the who, what, where, when, why and how of a wrestling match.

Len Archibald is the former Executive Director of the Northwest Ohio Independent Film Festival, and is a current movie reviewer for WLIO in Lima, Ohio.

Agree or disagree with me? Let me know on Twitter!
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