[1990-11-03-NWA-World Championship Wrestling] Ric Flair and Teddy Long

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

Ric Flair makes an offer to Teddy Long. The Horsemen want a rematch at Starrcade. The challenge for the Clash: one person from each team faces each other, and if the Horsemen win, they get a shot at Starrcade. Flair is willing to put up $50,000. Long scoffs, so Flair ups it to $100,000. Long laughs at that as well, so Flair ups it to $200,000. Long laughs at that too and walks away.

 

Later in the show, Flair ups the offer to $250,000, and Long still says it's not a lot of money compared to the tag titles. Flair is getting furious and finally makes it $500,000. "That's worth more than the neighborhood you grew up in." Long still says no. Long says he has a real offer for Flair a little later.

 

Later, Long makes a counteroffer. He doesn't want Flair's money. He wants his limo and his yacht, so he can change the name to TEDDY LONG'S SOUL MACHINE. Flair says no way -- that's his stuff, not Horseman stuff. Long says take it or leave it.

 

Flair plays hardball later on and re-offers $500,000. Long again says take it or leave it, and he's out of here if Flair won't take the offer. Flair is livid, but takes the deal. The match is made.

 

Since Flair was going over anyway, he should have put up something like his hair to really guarantee a big TV rating. A Clash built around the possibility of Flair getting his head shaved would have been huge.

 

This is well done, but I HATE THAT THIS IS ALL HAPPENING IN FRONT OF A GREEN SCREEN.

[PeteF3]

Flair is fantastic here and Long is pretty good, too. This all seems rather convoluted, though. I'm not sure why fans would be compelled to care whether or not Flair loses his limo or yacht.

[soup23]

I didn't like this at all and the amounts seemed ridiculous far fetched. Also shouldn't the promoter decide who Doom has to face? I like Flair's hair idea much better.

[Kevin Ridge]

Flair and Teddy do some bargaining on TV. Flair wants a one on one match at the Clash between the Horsemen and Doom and if they win they get a tag title match at Starrcade. Flair starts at $50K and ends up at $500K and Teddy still declines! That’s a lot of money Long. Teddy has a counter offer. Flair puts the limo and yacht instead on the line. Flair doesn’t like this offer at first but ends up agreeing. Ric putting a lot on the line there.

[garretta]

This whole bunch of segments was ridiculous. Half a million bucks for a singles match to determine if you get a tag team title shot? I wouldn't pay that much for a tag team title shot itself, especially if I'm a six-time World singles champion like Flair. The yacht and limo bit is just as bad, and this whole sequence is out of character for Flair who, Horsemen aside, has been all about individual glory, not tag team glory. Half a million or the limo and boat for a shot at Sting? That would have been a memorable main event no matter when or where it was held, and if they wanted to do a segment like this, those should have been the stakes. Let Barry and Arn fight Doom, and either ditch the Scorpion crap altogether or blow it off for good at the Clash, with Flair/Sting possessions vs. title headlining Starrcade.

 

Also, Teddy's acting like too much of a punk around Flair. During an actual match, when you're trying to inspire your team, mouthing off to Flair or even slapping him like Teddy did is understandable if not acceptable. During a segment like this, it knocks Flair off of the pedestal he still should have been on as WCW's most decorated wrestler.

 

I agree with Loss about the green screen, and also that it took four separate segments to hash all this out. Two would have been plenty.

[drew wardlaw]

I really appreciate Teddy Long's commitment to the gimmick. He seems to always go for it and sell the character. Love Teddy.

[dawho5]

Teddy did great here, but this is so not Ric Flair. Since when did he negotiate with managers for title shots?