[1994-07-17-WCW-Bash at the Beach] Ric Flair vs Hulk Hogan

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

There are so many weird things in Michael Buffer's intros that I don't know where to start. Comparing this match to putting a man on the moon and saying Hogan has had a 3-year layoff I guess are the places to start.

 

This is a surprisingly GREAT (yes, GREAT!) match. Extremely well laid out, to a point that you can tell some things were practiced meticulously, but it still feels organic. The match layout is as big and grandiose as you expect Flair vs Hogan on a first meeting (work with me) to be.

 

Most Flair matches are Flair matches. This is not a Ric Flair match. This is a Hulk Hogan match. Ric Flair simply the heel, Hulk Hogan's opponent. He's a guy playing a role. If you're a Flair fan like me, but you can get past that, it's a lot easier to enjoy this match. To Flair's credit, he takes that role about as far as it can go. But this isn't something that resembles his typical layout.

 

Anyone who bought this show and paid to see Hogan vs Flair couldn't have left disappointed -- unless they were Flair fans who wanted him to kick Hogan's ass. But in terms of delivering a satisfying match that seemed like a big deal, in terms of Hogan looking relevant and like a guy that could still go, this did everything it needed to do. I liked it way more than I expected.

[Chess Knight]

Yeah, I'm a big fan of this. I actually preferred the cage match (curious to see what people think about that) when I watched them both last year, but this sort of blew me away because, like Loss, I didn't expect to like it as much as I actually did. I think this was the match that also made me a huge Sherri fan.

[Gregor]

Yeah, what struck me about this was just how different it was from the typical good or better match that features Ric Flair. The spotlight isn't on Flair at all. It's impressive to see his performance here as almost a bit player.

[Kevin Ridge]

Heenan confuses Bockwinkel with Lloyd Bridges. Shaq comes out also. Camera pans to some pro Flair signs in the crowd. Hogan imposters are out in force in the audience. I wonder does Buffer write his own introductions. Hogan doesn’t look all that physically imposing next to Flair. Hulk pulls off an cross armbar!

 

Hogan is busting out some wrestling moves. Crowd seems to be in his corner for most part. Hogan misses leg drop. I don’t like him hulking up after the suplex by Flair but what can you do. Hogan changes up some stuff from the same old usual for finish. Sherri gets involved and clocks Jimmy Hart too. I liked the close up of Flair and Hogan in the corner. Good facials from both. Ha, Hogan goes to clothesline Sherri but she is out of range so he just punches her in the face.

 

Great match as I do enjoy Flair versus Hogan. Match has a special feel and I liked Hogan making slight changes to his regular formula. Added a bit more suspense to the whole thing.

[Exposer]

Yes, this was a great match. There were some tremendous details on the side as well. Heenan "confusing" Bockwinkel with Lloyd Bridges was funny as hell because all I envision is Nick Bockwinkel playing the part of Izzy Mandelbaum in Seinfeld. Michael Buffer comparing this match to the moon landing was bizarre and amusing. Hogan pulling out a fucking cross armbreaker was totally unreal. The crowd was loud as hell and really into the match. Flair wrestled a Hogan match and played the part of the opposing heel perfectly. His bumping was grand and his cheating ways were at an all-time high. Hogan was good in this match. He sold his leg very well for the most part and his offense looked solid. Yeah, this is a surprisingly great match (maybe not surprising, I don't know) and was an extremely fun watch.

[soup23]

Don't know why they kept insisting that Hogan had a 3 year layoff, and also don't know how I feel about Tony constantly saying this was the biggest match of all time. I wish he just would have said WCW history because that point I would agree with and the match and atmosphere for this felt big time. Match was worked so damn well. I agree with Loss that this is a Hogan style match, but it is the best possible case scenerio Hogan match with great cutoffs and actually smart interference from Sherri. I got of sense of Hogan being in real peril in the match instead of heat segment, big finishing move by heel, Hulk up, finish. Wonderfully done match that really feels like one of the unhearalded big time main events from the modern era. I would almost go as far to say that if Austin/Rock from Wrestlemania defines the Attitude style, this match defines Hogan's style of main event from 1984-1996.

[Frankensteiner]

Been watching the 1994 season of Saturday Night and noticed the promo videos for the Bash had shots of Hogan walking down the ramp and posing in the ring with the WWF Title from the May '93 Tokyo Dome show. I'd imagine it had to be the only time the WWF Title was on WCW TV.

[El-P]

Excellent match. I can't believe WWF didn't do that one PPV in 1992, when it was actually the first meeting between those two. Agreed it was a Hogan match and not a Flair match, but it's also the best Hogan match since the Hansen one at the Tokyo Dome in 1990, and probably much better than anything he did during his stay in the WWF. Once I get past the whole hulk up gimmick which I don't care for, the work is about as good as you'll get from a 40+ years old Hogan match. Flair is tremendous adapting to his style, they actually work some real surprising tide reversals (finish could have come sooner in a lesser match), and all felt really like the biggest match in WCW history, and actually the biggest match in US wrestling in years. Judging from this one alone, getting Hogan was indeed a coup, as the PPV felt more major league and big time than any other WCW PPV in history so far (the fact it was a great PPV from start to finish didn't hurt either), with a big and super heated crowd. Under control, Hogan could have worked out much better in the long haul....

 

... but of course backstage you see Brother Bruti and Hacksaw Duggan show up... maybe things won't look that great for too long...

[Jingus]

I'm glad everyone loved this. I've literally been pimping it for the past dozen years. It's a bizarrely forgotten match, considering that this PPV did a pretty massive buyrate.

 

I do kinda wonder if they could have come up with a different finish, though; after Hulk Up, Legdrop, 1-2-3, new world champion... where else was the feud supposed to go? This looked like the climactic blowoff to a big feud, not a first match between these two.

 

it's also the best Hogan match since the Hansen one at the Tokyo Dome in 1990

Depends on how much you like that Muta match in '93. (Not the one with Mutoh sans facepaint, it was forgettable.) And maybe the Tenryu one too, maybe. But yeah, not much else comes to mind from that timeframe. Hogan/Warrior is probably next on the list, and everything else good tends to be of the "well, that Yokozuna rematch didn't suck nearly as hard as I feared it would" variety. By that period, Hulk was clearly more interested in acting than in wrestling.

[goodhelmet]

Unbelievably great spectacle! Seriously, the atmosphere was amazing. It felt liek one of the most important moments in wrestling history and I don't think that is hyperbole.

 

As for the match, I don't get where this is a Hogan match but not a Flair match. It doesn't have the matwork of a Flair-Steamboat but it has the stooging, bumping, showing ass, attack the weakened opponent, cheat at all cost Flair we all know and love. In fact, I think the reason it works so well is because it isn't just a Flair OR Hogan match but you get a greatest hits from both guys. I also want to show Sherri Martel mad love in this. She was great. First as Flair's shield then as his tag team partner, his manager, big bumper off the Hogan strike and then kicking and screaming to the back. She deserved a big paycheck. I agree that the layout was awesome. In fact, the final stretch run was superb. You kept looking fopr the big boot but they would do the ref knocked out spot. Then the Hogan figure four that I thought was going to end it. Then the brass knux spot that should have won it for Flair. Then the final ending. What a run. Completely awesome ending to an awesome PPV.

[dexstar]

First, this entire 90s forum is amazing.

 

Second, I hope it's ok to comment after watching on WWE Network.

 

Third, this match is kinda crazy.

 

I've always been fascinated with the way WCW took the old WWE characters and did a Marvel/DC style crossover with some retooling of the basics. I thought Flair did a great job here of playing heel, where some other dudes might have taken the somewhat mixed reaction and tried to put themselves over. Hogan as the "GOAT on the Comeback" face was well done and I thought he did a great job of projecting strength and ability but not as much invincibility as his previous Hulkamania incarnation. From what I remember, that humanizing aspect is kinda lost over the next few months and then we go into DoD cartoon mode, but whatever. In general, Hogan in a US promotion that has traditionally been much more "real" (ignoring some obvious horrible sports entertainment escapes like the midget movies) than the WWF ring he previously worked in is quite a sight in and of itself. I thought WCW did a great job of presenting this as a Big Event, just lacking a bit of the polish that Vince put on his big events.

 

My only real quibble with this match is mostly hindsight - knowing what we know now about Shaq, it's a real missed opportunity to not slap a headset on him here.

 

There is a second quibble I guess, which echoes Jingus above- where does this go afterward? But at the same time, I don't see how you can NOT have Hogan win here when you've made the decision to go Face/Heel with the two. If they had done some sort of split crowd Cena/Lesnar gimmick I could see coming up with a way to keep Flair champ, but I also don't think that direction would have worked in 1994.

[PeteF3]

As I'm wrapping up watching this match, my Browns are wrapping up a trade to land Johnny Football, so any thoughts I had on this match are pretty much out the window. But this is a tremendous match and a capper to a great PPV that saw 5 good matches out of 6. Hogan works really hard, and both guys as well as whoever the agent was went all-out to make this a memorable event worthy of the hype and build. Very cool twists playing off the Hulk formula, just as the best 2002 WWE Hogan matches did. Hell, even Mr. T and Jimmy Hart were used well. An excellent match and for a moment, it appears that all will be well with Hulk's arrival in WCW--well-laid-out action in the main events with a strong mid-card. We know that won't last, but he did start off well enough.

[...TG]

As I'm wrapping up watching this match, my Browns are wrapping up a trade to land Johnny Football, so any thoughts I had on this match are pretty much out the window.

 

Oh dear, this didn't age well...

 

But anyway, agreed with this whole thread - shockingly good, bordering on great match. I liked this more than any Flair match in 1994 so far, which undoubtedly says more about me than any of his matches.

[Superstar Sleeze]

WCW World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair vs Hulk Hogan - WCW Bash At The Beach 1994

 

It is Flair vs Hogan! You have to get up for this match. Tony calls this the Match of the Century and the biggest match in wrestling history. I mean besides Hogan vs Andre is there really anything else that compares from the modern era. It is pretty crazy that it was WCW that put this together. Having Shaq there in Orlando was a nice touch. Michael Buffer had been doing WCW events for a while, but makes this feel big time. Mr. T & Jimmy Hart make it feel a bit dated, but that's just Hogan being Hogan. They should have done Heenan and Jesse on commentary together. Did that ever happen? Both of them slagging on Hogan, rooting for Flair only for Hogan to win would be great.

 

A lot of people say this is a Hogan match, not a Flair match, which I am inclined to agree, but it does feel 90s Flair a lot too. 90s Flair did not take offense much and definitely relied on his bumping and his tried and true spots, which is what this match has in spades. Late 80s/Early 90s Hogan definitely liked to sell and take a heat a lot in this match there is no as much of that. Standard Hogan shine he is stronger than Flair. Standard Flair shine of letting opponent outwrestle him and this time it is Hogan with a flying cross armbreaker!!! Pretty nifty. Flair plays Savage hiding behind Sherri and attacking Hogan as he gets back in the ring, but to no avail. Sherri trips Hogan and Flair chop blocks the knee. This is really what makes it feel very Hogan-y is that all the transitions and momentum shifts go through the manager. Jimmy Hart saves Hogan from getting hit with the chair from Sherri. It feels like Sherri is wrestling as much as Flair. The Flair chinlock is pretty long and un-Flair like. Flair Flip and clothesline feels more Flair to me. Hogan MISSES the leg drop! Sells the leg, but Flair cant get the figure-4. Flair hits a pretty monster suplex on Hogan that looks amazing! Hogan NO-SELLS! Perfect no-sell timing! Felt like a huge moment. Big Boot and Sherri pulls out the ref. Chop block off distraction and splash by Sherri leads to the figure-4. Everything is worked through Sherri. Hogan makes the ropes and Flair chops in the corner. Well you know that wont go well, but whether it is Sting, Luger or Hogan it is always fun. Sherri misses the splash and Flair takes his press slam. When Hogan clotheslines Flair, he actually takes a swing kinda connects with Sherri, which I thought was weird. Mr. T takes her to the back, but Flair has knuckledusters from her. Blasts him and Hogan kicks out. Hulk Up! You know the rest.

Big moment! Great match felt like Hogan vs Flair & Sherri. Sherri was more integral to the match than Flair was. Very good big time match. ***1/2

[JKWebb]

I just watched this match recently, and probably for the third or fourth time in my life. I really agree with most of what everyone has said in the thread. Really good and bordering great. What a moment! They really delivered here, and especially Sherri - She was incredible.

 

#428 - placetobenation.com/countdown-top-500-matches-of-the-90s-450-401/

[Makai Club #1]

Call me crazy but this was pretty damn great. Flair vs Hogan in 94 sounds like a bad match but this turned out to be a very good, exciting match. Flair doing a Flair, cheating and working over Hogan? s leg, using anything he can to get a win. Hogan making some awesome comebacks and Sherri on the outside - she was the best part of the match which is saying a lot. Gah, love it. ****1/4

[cactus]

I'm shocked by how much I loved this. It might actually be Hogan's best match and performance. Hogan actually has his working boots on, busting out a drop toehold and that floatover arm hold that he brings out when he wants to prove that he can wrestle when he wants to. This somehow lives up the insane expectations that WCW were building for this. They go all out with the presentation, by bringing in Michael Buffer for his over the top announcements and having Shaquille O'Neal and Mr. T ringside to really show the world that this is a big time match. Flair does his usual shtick and Sherri was great when she got involved. Hogan no-sells at just the right times, sending the tame crowd into a frenzy. Even the smark fans were cheering for Hogan at the end, myself included! 

★★★★