[1995-06-18-WCW-Great American Bash] Ric Flair vs Randy Savage

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[flyonthewall2983]

I saw this a few years ago, and I was surprised to find it a better match than WrestleMania VIII.

[Ricky Jackson]

I need to get around to watching this someday. Saying it is better than their Mania 8 match is pretty high praise. I watched the Bash at the Beach Lifeguard/Lumberjack match between these two for the first time about a month ago, and it was sure underwhelming. Basically, it only served to remind me how much I despised 90s Jim Duggan.

[Loss]

Yeah, this blows away Wrestlemania VIII. Blows it out of the water. I don't think Flair still had it on a nightly basis at this point, but in this match, he looked closer to the Flair of old than in most of his other big 90s matches. Excellent performance from him, and Savage's bloody nose adds to this too.

[El-P]

I haven't seen this in a long time, but I don't remember it being as good as WM VIII. If my mind don't blow up until I get to 1995, I'm very curious to see this again.

[Ditch]

Just watched it, really good stuff. But I don't see how it's anything special from Flair. Savage's drive was the highlight.

[KB8]

I still prefer Wrestlemania VIII, but they both have similar themes, and it's not like I'd put a ton of daylight between them, anyway. Savage's sell of the leg wasn't quite as spectacular here as it was at Wrestlemania, but he throws great hopping punches, punches from his knees, punches while he's lying on his back (which is awesome), and comes across as a guy that really wants to hurt Flair. At Wrestlemania it was about Liz; here's about his dad. Finish looked real fucking nasty, too.

 

Feels like the best match they had in WCW.

[Tim Evans]

I don't think this is better than Mania but still a hell of a match. Savage just goes to war and I like how he just calmly makes his entrance instead of running to the ring. Poffo's interference is also good.

[El-P]

Actually I never saw this one before, I was thinking about the Bash at the Beach match. And yeah, this is much better than the WM match (that I like a lot). I do think Flair was better here than he had been probably since the Vader match at Starrcade, but Savage is clearly the one driving the match into "special" territory. He's great at little things, like punching while on his back (something that Tony was legit amazed at) and just never letting his grasp go. There was some brutal shots from behind here, and Savage took a hellish looking bump on the barricade at one point. The final shot looks perfect. And yeah, Savage slowly walking was really building the intensity. Great stuff. Between this, Meng vs Sting and Alex Wright vs Brian Pillman, this PPV had three legit excellent to great matches on the card. (does the WWF looks dumb at this point for letting Savage go because he was "too old" ? What was their main event scene at the time already ? Oh yeah, Sid vs Diesel, Mabel pushed at the top and Bret Hart vs a dentist....)

[PeteF3]

Flair earlier in the show: "I took your WIFE in '92, and I took your father at Slamboree!" Awesome. I love that Flair and WCW didn't ignore that there was a prior history here.

 

Savage while putting over how badly he wants Flair, deigns to put Alex Wright over as well and mentions that he has a wrestling father, too (explaining why he cost him against Flair in the U.S. title tournament). Hey Hulk, taking notes? That little interview spot probably did more for Wright than any dance video.

 

Holy crap, this blew me the fuck away. Savage is a tornado start with--even his axhandle to the floor is done with extra velocity and zip to it. This is just a total personal war all throughout. Flair, for the first time since the Regal series, really works a match outside of his comfort zone. He gets a Flair Flip in and some begging off early, but this is a more vicious Flair than we've seen in awhile, stepping up his game in the intensity department the way Savage upped his. He even pulls out Jumbo Tsuruta's kneebreaker onto the guardrail! And later he adds doing a forward flip off the turnbuckles while holding Savage's leg, hyperextending it. Both men take some incredible bumps on the floor and into the guardrail. Savage pulls out the ringbell in a classic callback spot, but doesn't get a chance to use it. And a well-done finish as Flair clobbers Savage with the cane to finally get a significant win. I liked the combination of Flair & Perfect more than Loss, but this match is helped IMMENSELY by the fact that Flair is alone. Here he does cheat, of course, but this is a Flair having to get by on determination and guile rather than cheap help from a ringside second--it's a screwjob win, but Flair comes off as legitimately dangerous in his own right regardless. Just fantastic action with a great story on top of the intense brawling. This is your U.S. MOTY right now.

 

(Of note: Flair wins this match while wearing the red trunks.)

[Superstar Sleeze]

“Macho Man” Randy Savage vs “Nature Boy” Ric Flair - Great American Bash 1995

 

 

 

 

This may be my favorite match of all time. My two favorite wrestlers competing one of the greatest hate-filled, relentless, fight to survive matches I have ever seen. I remember being so excited to finally see Savage vs Flair, my two favorites of all time, when I finally started searching youtube 2006 and immediately it was the Wrestlemania VII match that I wanted to see it. It is a great match and a great moment in the culmination of the overarching Randy Savage Wrestlemania story arc dating back to Wrestlemania III. Something was missing. It was missing that truly out of control feel and energy that Flair and Savage can bring. Watching this match in shitty quality on dailymotion in 2008, I was transfixed. Savage was a relentless ball of fury. Lunging at Flair at ever turn. There were just these little things that made it feel like a shoot. Savage attacking Flair from behind in such a way that was scary. Or Savage just suffocating Flair even on the begging off section. There just was not the customary time. The selling was selling of exhaustion of a fight. Savage's selling of the knee was spot on and why he was one of the greatest of all time. While Savage gives a truly special performance, it would be an amazing match without Flair. Flair sells the match as a fight to survive. He is blasting the fuck out of Savage and he dives onto Savage from behind, which is another wicked bump. The way he sells. He is in pain and fatigued, but if he even takes one moment to breathe, he may not last. So he just keeps fighting. I can not say how much I love this match.

 

 

 

 

 

My video includes opening remarks from Savage with the interview being conducted by “Mean” Gene Okerlund. He vows revenge against Flair and the momentum is on his side. Incidentally, today is Father’s Day and a happy accident for this storyline He finishes with one of my favorite lines from him: “Too hot to handle, too cold to hold”. Flair is adorned in a black and white sequined robe decorated with Monarch Butterflies in white diamonds. Savage is also donning the black and white and HE IS NOT ALONE. His father, Angelo Poffo, is with him after the attack from the Horsemen, but with the aide of a cane. This is NOT FAIR TO FLAIR. DOUBLE A! DOUBLE A! Where art thou?

 

 

 

 

 

Once Poffo is settled in, Savage hits the ring and Flair heads for the hills. Savage gives chase. Savage wants to kill Flair and any offense Flair can muster is because Savage is overzealous. Savage is hitting hard tonight. This aint a wrestling match. THIS IS A FIGHT~! Flair stops Savage’s momentum by sending him into the steel ringpost and then the guardrail. Flair with an uncharacteristic axe-handle off the apron to the back of Savage. The bump Savage takes was just violent and gripping to watch. I love it, Flair knows that Savage wants to kill so he adapts by pulling out all the stops. Angelo Poffo gets out of the chair with a look of concern as Flair is taking Savage apart with his trademark moveset of chops and kneedrops. Savage connects with a flurry of jabs and in a fit of rage chokes Flair and grabs at his nose. Flair takes the Bret-bump into the corner more choking. Flair tries to powder out, but Savage nails him from behind wicked hard. These are the moments that make it feel like a shoot. Flair takes his usual bump off the top rope. How does he not have crippling back injuries? Flair flip now onto the outside and now he goes after daddy. The Brain and I share the same sentiment as us that was fuckin dumb. Flair is smarter than both of us because he suckered Savage into checking on his Daddy and then clipping the knee. What follows is a shinbreaker across the guardrail, which is another crazy bump. The Brain wonders if “Did Daddy bring two canes because his son is going to need one.” The Brain continues to the tell story well, “Flair was smart he knew he was going to be able to slug it out with Savage, a man possessed. So he went to take a body part out. Flair has a plan.”

 

 

 

 

 

Savage throws punches from his back in a show of valor and courage. Kicking and clawing at Flair with whatever he can muster and Flair like the prick he is just keeps going back to knee. This is masterful psychology. Savage is killing it right now with his selling. NOW WE GO TO SCHOOL!!! Flair of course gets to the ropes for that additional leverage. Savage is fighting only for his father and in a truly moving spot, Mr. Poffo attempts to get the ref’s attention that Flair is cheating. This is one of the most emotional matches I have ever had the pleasure of watching. SAVAGE REVERSE THE PRESSURE!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Savage hops on one leg only to dive on Flair and keep punching. Flair and Savage are just laying it all on the line. Flair flip for a second time, runs down the apron but Savage hits him in the gut as he comes done. SAVAGE HITS HIM WITH BIG ELBOW!!!! He pins Flair, but pulls him at 2. NOT ENOUGH SAYS MACHO MAN as he grabs the ring bell (shades of Ricky the Dragon) and the crowd is whipped into a frenzy. The Brain says Savage is out to maim Flair. At some point, Savage has been busted open under his eye. Holy shit, what a brawl so far. The ref saves Flair from the bell and Savage crashes and burns hard on the guardrail. What a bump, the fans in the front row are freaked out because he hit so hard. Flair is pissed off because Savage has tried to maim him. Flair goes for Angelo, Poffo chokes him with cane, but Flair knocks out Angelo and gains control of the cane. Savage having checked on his dad does not realize this. Flair waffles him with cane. Flair picks up the tainted victory.

 

 

 

 

 

This match epitomizes why I love wrestling: Raw hatred for each other with stiff shots, high-energy no resting with brilliant story-telling and acting. WATCH THIS MATCH! Contender for best WCW match of the decade. The last Match of the Year contender, Flair or Savage would ever have. I would say the best babyface Savage performance of his career in WCW or WWF. ****3/4