wrestling / Video Reviews
Views from the Hawke’s Nest: The Ultimate Ric Flair Collection – Disc Two
Loading...Ric Flair puts Ricky Steamboat over huge (notice the pattern). He knew Ricky was going to special from the beginning. He said they were always really good friends, but that they were never best friends because their lifestyles were so different. Flair talks of the mutual respect they have for each other. Much like the Flair/Dusty rivalry, the differences in their characters made them perfect foils. There is also some footage from their feud in this section. For recaps of that footage, check out JD Dunn’s review.
January 21, 1989
Ric Flair & Barry Windham vs. Ricky Steamboat & Eddie Gilbert
This was Steamboat’s return to the NWA after his run in the WWF. Flair was the world champion, and Windham was the US champion at the time.
Steamboat dominated the early portion of the match. Gilbert tagged in, and he had a lot of success on Flair. There was a completely unnecessary cut so that we skipped to the end of the heat segment on Gilbert. Steamboat did a hot tag. Steamboat caught Flair with a diving crossbody: 1…2…3!
I watched this match because I thought it would not be clipped. It was clipped. Regardless, this was effective in terms of letting us know what it was like to experience Steamboat’s return to the NWA.
April 2, 1989
Clash of the Champions VI
Ricky Steamboat© vs. Ric Flair [WCW World Heavyweight Championship]
This was the middle chapter in their legendary trio of 1989 matches. Steamboat had won the title in the first leg of the trilogy. They are having a two out of three falls match here.
The first fall featured them going back and forth for a while. Steamboat managed to get control, and he got a number of nearfalls. Flair could not get anything going for the longest time. Flair finally managed to come back, but Steamboat roared back with a series of chops that had Flair reeling. Steamboat went for a splash, but Flair got his knees up. Flair worked him over after that. Steamboat got a small package, but Flair reversed it into one of his own: 1…2…3! Flair is up one fall to none.
Flair was in control at the start of the second fall. Steamboat came back and relentlessly went after the left leg of Flair. Steamboat got a Boston Crab, but Flair managed to get to the ropes. They ended up on the floor, and Flair powerslammed him onto the mat. Steamboat came back and got a double chickenwing. Flair tapped out! They each have a fall.
Flair must have a bad back by now. Flair came back by going after the left leg of Steamboat. Steamboat caught him with a huge chop that dropped Flair on the apron. Flair tried to use the ropes for pinning combinations, but Steamboat always managed to get his shoulders up. Flair went after the injured leg some more. Flair got the figure four. Steamboat survived, but Flair hit a diving crossbody for a nearfall. Steamboat came back with diving crossbody of his own for a nearfall. Flair got a sleeper. Steamboat escaped, but Flair took out the injured leg. Steamboat caught him with an enzuigiri for a nearfall. They went back and forth some more. Steamboat got Flair in the double chickenwing again! They fell backwards though, and it looked like a double pin: 1…2…3! Who won? The referee called it for Steamboat.
This is a great middle chapter in this trilogy. It was essentially a way of doing a draw while still giving the match a finish. That being said, the shady finish knocks this one down a bit for me compared to their first match in the trilogy. Generally, I’m not a fan of main events and world title matches having finishes that are just designed to solely set up another match. Within the context of their rivalry, this is The Two Towers of their story. It had a finish, but not really. You have to watch a whole other movie to get the finish to the whole story.
Match Rating: ****1/2
Flair briefly discussed how he was honored that so many people consider these to be some of the best matches ever. However, he still thinks that they had other non-televised matches over the years that were better.
May 7, 1989
WrestleWar
Ricky Steamboat© vs. Ric Flair [WCW World Heavyweight Championship]
This match had three judges: Lou Thesz, Pat O’Connor, and Terry Funk.
They were going back and forth a lot obviously. They traded chops and did their usual stuff. Steamboat started working over Flair’s left arm. Steamboat made to dive to the floor from the top rope, but the ref stopped him. Flair came back with chops. The commentators informed us that the judges had Steamboat ahead on points after fifteen minutes. They ended up brawling on the floor. They scrambled back into the ring, and Steamboat essentially hit a springboard sledge. Steamboat crashed to the floor after wilding going for a crossbody. Flair was in control after that. Flair hit a suplex on the floor. Steamboat started to fight back, but Flair hit him with a crossbody that took both men out of the ring. Steamboat was building momentum, and he got a number of nearfalls. Flair hit a superplex and then got the double chickenwing. Flair immediately got his feet in the ropes. Steamboat hit the diving chop. Steamboat went to the top rope again, but Flair jerked the ropes. Steamboat crashed to the floor and started selling his left leg. Flair locked in the figure four. Steamboat escaped and hit a kick. Flair caught him with a sloppy inside cradle: 1…2…3!
My one issue with this match has always been the fact that it ended in another small package. I know it was a somewhat fitting finish for the story (these two men were actually equals, and either them could win a match on any day), but I just think the finish of a feud should end more decisively. That’s a nitpick though, as this was another great match.
Match Rating: ****1/4
Flair and Steamboat shook hands after the match. Steamboat even raised Flair’s hand. Flair was speaking to Jim Ross after the match. Terry Funk came into the ring to put over Flair. Funk then challenged him to a championship match. Flair said he’s been inactive for a while and that there is a top ten list of challengers. Funk said he was just kidding before, but then he punched out Flair. Terry Funk beating up Flair in a suit is many buys. He gave Flair a piledriver on a table. This angle has always been discussed favorably for a reason. It’s absolutely awesome. Flair started selling the neck right away. Funk hit him with a chair to the head area. Funk then screamed about how Flair said he wasn’t a contender. AWESOME. AWESOME.
Flair put over Terry Funk for being innovative and for being a great wrestler. There is also some footage from their feud in this section. For recaps of that footage, check out JD Dunn’s review.
November 15, 1989
Clash of the Champions IX
Ric Flair© vs. Terry Funk [I Quit match for the WCW Heavyweight Championship]
These two had a great match at The Great American Bash after the big angle. This is the blowoff that did not happen on Starrcade for reasons that I’ve read about but disagree with.
Flair was on fire to start the match. They were brawling all over the place. Funk took out the microphone and bashed Flair in the head with it. They brawled some more. Flair started to come back, but Funk managed to cut him off. Funk mocked him for his neck. Funk hit a piledriver on the floor. Flair still would not quit. Funk brought a table, but Flair fought back. Flair started to beat up Gary Hart Flair started to go after the left leg of Funk. He was setting up for the figure four, obviously. Funk tried to limp to the back, but Flair brought him back. Funk desperately avoided the figure four. Flair suplexed Funk onto the apron. He then went after the injured leg some more. Flair finally got the figure four locked in. Funk screamed “Never!” when the referee asked him. He screamed about his leg breaking. “Yes, I quit!”
This has always been my favorite Terry Funk match that I have ever seen (I have not seen nearly enough Terry Funk though for that statement to carry much weight). Funk brought out a different side of Flair, and it’s amazing that Flair had this match in the same year he had the classic trilogy with Steamboat. It shows the tremendous diversity Flair was capable of. These two sold their hatred with a perfect level of intensity, and the finish was executed as well as you could hope for. You cannot ask for much more than that.
Match Rating: ****1/2
Disc 2 also features a talking head segment on the plane crash in the seventies that broke Ric Flair’s back in three places. It obviously sounded like a horrifying experience.
There was then a talking head segment on the Four Horsemen. Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard talked about how the original group was the most beloved because it was the original group. I need to pick up the WWE DVD on the Horsemen. There was also a segment called “A Day in the Life of The Horsemen.” Anderson and Tully discussed Horsemen life. You’ve heard the stories before.
Watch some Ric Flair matches for free!
Ric Flair vs. RVD vs. Matt Hardy vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Finlay vs. Bobby Lashley
Ric Flair & Hulk Hogan vs. Sting & Lex Luger
Ric Flair & The Undertaker vs. Hulk Hogan & Sid Justice
Ric Flair & Goldberg vs. Kevin Nash & Hulk Hogan
Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels & Triple H vs. Edge, Randy Orton, & Kenny
Ric Flair, Matt Hardy, Abyss, & Bully Ray vs. AJ Styles, Kazarian, James Storm & Bobby Roode (wtf)
Ric Flair & Roddy Piper vs. Edge & Randy Orton
Thanks everybody for reading! You can send feedback to my Twitter or to my email address: [email protected]. Also, feel free to check out my own wrestling website, FreeProWrestling.com. Check out a full/organized list of all the wrestling show reviews I’ve done at 411mania.
