[1996-03-25-WCW-Nitro] Ric Flair vs The Giant

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

Talk about inventive cheating. This match is worth seeing just to see Flair find all sorts of new ways to break rules. This is built almost entirely around low blows, choking, eye pokes, etc., but it's kinda well done. The Giant does a dive off the top rope and takes a Michaels bump over the top rope to the floor also.

[Tim Evans]

It still amazes me how athletic Giant was in 96. Especially his bumping and how easily he got on the top rope. This was a typical Flair match that kinda fell apart at the end.

[Ditch]

It still amazes me how athletic Giant was in 96.

When I re-watched a bunch of Nitros that really stood out. For instance the way he'd jump into the chokeslam.

[El-P]

Flair's entrance with Liz & Woman throwing Savage's money is amazingly obnoxious. Woman slapping Savage with his own money while he was being restrained is the icing on the cake. The dive over the rope to the floor is something to see. Not much of a match since the Giant since impervious to pain here (Hogan must really be special, or Flair is just a bitch), but all the ways Flair finds to cheat his ass off are really well executed. Fun post-match too when Sullivan grabs the chair from Arn just at the wrong time so the Giant thinks *he* was the one hitting him from behind. Arn's reaction is classic too, especially when he realizes the Giant will not spare him either. Good stuff.

[PeteF3]

God, this was fun. It's mostly bullshit, but it's really well-done bullshit, like the greatest possible USWA-TX Sportatorium main event. Except here, Ric cheats his ass off because it's his only option, not because that's what the Memphis Heel Rulebook says. Good post-match--it appears to be a full-blown Giant babyface turn but I think they'd hit the reset button on this in short order.

[soup23]

Fun match with Flair working hard and Giant doing what he can even though he was really limited. I also enjoyed the pre match stuff with Woman being a complete jerk to Savage. Giant had effort and athleticism at this point and it showed here. Solid main event. **1/2

[tim]

Woman and Liz throwing away Savage's alimony money as Flair struts down the ramp is front of them is a true work of art. Savage is so furious he has to be restrained on the ramp and Woman walks up and slaps him! Great stuff. This is building to what should be a super heated match between the two, it's too bad WCW has ran the match up so many times this year, hard to get excited for it again even though the feud is still so good. The match was a ton of fun with Giant being invulnerable so Flair's offense consisting entire of heel tricks. Giant takes two pretty eye-popping bumps as well. Screwy finish but at least the angle it leads to features some sweet chokeslams. Very good segment and this was a damn good episode of Nitro.

[dawho5]

This segment in particular really puts the Giant over.  Imagine if WCW had run mostly stuff like this involving a 7"+, 400lb. monster.  Can't imagine that would have gone well...