[1990-01-07-NWA-Main Event] Ric Flair vs Bobby Eaton

[ohtani's jacket]

#401

 

Solid match; more notable for being better than their Clash match than anything else. Personally, I prefer Flair as a heel. There were small details to his babyface work that didn't wash with me like his comeback at the end which blew off the figure four headlock segment. Props to Eaton for taking those bumps on the floor, but Flair caught a second wind from nowhere.

[dawho5]

I think we can amend something here. Bobby Eaton - great worker. No need to put "tag team" between great and worker. Flair as a face could have carried WCW much farther than heel Flair at this point for sure.

[Stiva]

It's interesting to rewatch this having just watched Cornette's 1990 timeline shoot as he mentions that Flair would use his status as booker to put together good singles matches with guys he wanted to work with and Eaton obviously fit the bill. Not much to add other than I agree with everyone saying this is a brilliant match that hits every mark pretty much perfectly.

[Superstar Sleeze]

NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair vs Bobby Eaton - WCW Main Event 1/7/90

Saw this before remember liking it so much that I needed to go back and rewatch it again. Babyface Ric Flair is tremendous, great shines and great selling. I am so happy this match exists. Probably two of my ten favorite wrestler ever and they just put on a clinic. I love how Eaton sells that first shot from Flair. Perfect combination of pain and what the hell have I gotten myself into. I marked out at the beginning when Flair hiptossed Eaton. Years and years of watching him get blocked and then hiptossed, I was so happy he hiptossed someone. I love how the shine is earned. Bobby is still connecting with those Sweet Home Alabama rights, but Flair is fighting through that to kick ass. Eaton took some awesome bumps on the outside. The Irish Whip on the apron into the post was great and the rocket launcher from the apron to the railing was even better. Eaton finally earns his heat with a swinging neckbreaker. How did I forget? We get Lance Fucking Russell on solo commentary as an extra special treat and he just rules so hard calling this match. Flair does a great selling especially verbally his neck and head pain. Lance reminds us of the Terry Funk piledriver on the table incident which was about six months ago. Bobby does a great job working the neck, kneedrop and bulldog. Two great sequences were Flair getting jabbed with the racquet by Cornette, his first reaction is to lunge from his knee at Cornette but he is in so much pain he falters and just writhes on the mat. That is excellent! Another is Eaton is beating him down with punches and he leaps from his knees and goozles Eaton. Eaton keeps punching but Flair absorbs the blows and then rifles him with a chop but too little too late as Eaton knocks him down with a big right and then goozles Flair on the mat. That was so fucking heated! I loved it. Eaton uses a figure-4 on the head after that to sap Flair of his energy. He hits a top rope elbow drop as a big highspot but only gets two. Eaton is so smooth. Flair begins his rally. Eaton takes a nasty backdrop on the concrete. Chop abound. Stan Lane is out. Flair catches the kneedrop from the top rope. He wants the Figure-4...Lane hops on the apron...Cornette gets brought in the hard way...Flair nails Corny with the racquet and then Eaton for the finish! I loved the finish as the heels get a taste of their own medicine and the triumphant World Champion stands tall 3-on-1! Terrific TV match with great selling, psychology and action! ****1/4

[Wahoos Leg]

Eaton gets his second shot at the Big Gold Belt in a span of about a month of TV. The last one ended by DQ when Jim Cornette interfered.

This is a very good TV main event with significant stakes and sees two of the best from their era facing off in a rare one-on-one encounter. Both men come out of the match looking strong. My only major complaint is that, in spite of his skill, you never really buy Eaton as having a legitimate chance to become champion, given the midcard status of the Midnight Express at the time of this match. Watching this hits differently now that Bobby is gone. 

Here's my full review of the match, part of my 365 Wrestling project.

[MikeCampbell]

This literally had it all. Believable and hateful exchanges with fists and chops, Flair selling his ass off for Eaton's quasi-Triangle choke, and Bobby flying a mile for Flair's chops and shoulderblock. Flair catching Eaton's knee to setup the figure four was a piece of brilliance, and even the non clean finish works in its own way because Cornette tried to cheat and it backfired on him and wound up costing Eaton the match. At the time this set a viewership record for Main Event, and was praised the moon. So, naturally Herd hated everything about it!

[Calvin]

A total Eaton masterclass here as he bumps his ass off, sells with conviction, and works a brilliant control segment. He's the best plug-and-play wrestler ... maybe ever? I prefer Flair as a heel, but the dynamics are arguably irrelevant given the chemistry these two possess.

****

[Chess Knight]

I would need to rewatch many more matches from the 80s to really find out, but I wouldn't be surprised if I thought these 15-20 minute Flair on TV matches manage the Flair formula better than the 35+ minute arena ones. This one having Flair as a face means it was inherently different to begin with, versus most of the 80s, though. I really liked that because of Flair being face, it lacked Flair taking any shit to start the match off. He got to take most of the first half of the match, enjoying himself and throwing in some violent moments like the ring post shot and chucking Eaton from the apron to the guardrail. Eaton was probably the best wrestler in America in 1990 (more to come on that) and even if he wasn't, the 'worst' Bobby Eaton I can remember is still good at everything he needs to do. I loved how Flair came back near the end, too. he gets a basic stomp and chop in, but the chop sends Eaton outside the ring, who then tries to drag Flair out and go after him before a big ass back body drop reversal on the concrete. Babyface Flair means his Irish whip bump over the top rope actually lets him run all the way across the apron and he can hit a strike off the top rope. Flair getting a revenge tennis racket shot on Cornette really put the cherry on top. Super satisfying tv wrestling.