Ric Flair's best feuds

[JazeUSA]

So today I was listening to a podcast here & reading some comments about the matches & wrestlers that were being discussed & it got me thinking, if you had to choose 3 guy's that were Ric Flairs best feuds of his career who would you all choose & why?

Personally if I could only choose 3 I'd have to go with Sting, Dusty Rhodes, & Ron Garvin. It's hard leaving out Ricky Steamboat, Terry Funk, Lex Loser, Magnum TA, Blackjack Mulligan, Greg Valentine, Jack Briscoe, Harley Race & so many others but if I could only pick 3 Id have to go w/ the 3 I mentioned above, what do you guy's think, who would make your cut & who wouldn't & why?

[WingedEagle]

Funk, Steamer and Morton/RNR. Yes I'm cheating on that one and proud of it, as it'll let me include a lot of other horsemen material.

[BlueGuy]

So today I was listening to a podcast here & reading some comments about the matches & wrestlers that were being discussed & it got me thinking, if you had to choose 3 guy's that were Ric Flairs best feuds of his career who would you all choose & why?

Personally if I could only choose 3 I'd have to go with Sting, Dusty Rhodes, & Ron Garvin. It's hard leaving out Ricky Steamboat, Terry Funk, Lex Loser, Magnum TA, Blackjack Mulligan, Greg Valentine, Jack Briscoe, Harley Race & so many others but if I could only pick 3 Id have to go w/ the 3 I mentioned above, what do you guy's think, who would make your cut & who wouldn't & why?

I'd go with Ricky Steamboat, Dusty Rhodes and Sting primarily because of how long those feuds lasted and how many times they were successfully repackaged. He first started feuding with Steamboat in 1978 and they had their last program in Steamboat's last year -- 1994. In total, they had four big runs (1978-79, 1984, 1989, and 1994). The Rhodes rivalry was very similar and while it didn't result in matches anywhere near the same level, the promos were head and shoulders above pretty much anything else. Finally, the Sting rivalry began in 1988 and arguably lasted through to their TNA run. It's hard to leave out some of his other very successful rivalries such as those against Luger, Savage, Race, Funk (which may have produced the best all-around six month rivalry) or several others, but I think these combinations provided such outstanding chemistry that they had the greatest staying power.

[BrickHithouse]

I'd go with Steamboat, Luger, and Dusty.

 

Went with Luger over Sting based on personally liking the Flair-Luger matches much more than Flair-Sting matches.

 

Steamboat because their matches spanned three different decades (and were great matches, of course).

[JerryvonKramer]

One rivalry that often gets overlooked in Flair's career which I just LOVE his is one with Savage.

 

The 1992 stuff is GREAT, the 1996 version storyline wise is even better. See my thread on it here:

 

http://prowrestlingonly.com/index.php?showtopic=14222

 

The matches are always very good, but Savage really brought out the total dick side of Flair's character. So that would be one of my three.

[JazeUSA]

I'd go with Steamboat, Luger, and Dusty.

 

Went with Luger over Sting based on personally liking the Flair-Luger matches much more than Flair-Sting matches.

 

Steamboat because their matches spanned three different decades (and were great matches, of course).

I really wanted Steamboat in mine but felt like Garvin deserved the recognition as well...

One rivalry that often gets overlooked in Flair's career which I just LOVE his is one with Savage.

 

The 1992 stuff is GREAT, the 1996 version storyline wise is even better. See my thread on it here:

 

http://prowrestlingonly.com/index.php?showtopic=14222

 

The matches are always very good, but Savage really brought out the total dick side of Flair's character. So that would be one of my three.

I TOTALLY didn't even think about Savage!!!! WOW what a great feud that was & they had some great matches w/ it

[Cross Face Chicken Wing]

Steamboat, Funk and Savage. Flair getting Savage all riled up by hinting at an affair w/ Liz is classic stuff.

[soup23]

1. Steamboat - I can't deny the quality of these matches

2. Garvin - As mentioned on latest podcast, I think Garvin's demeanor and style match up the best with the flamboyance of Flair

3. Luger - Great matches that spanned multiple years

 

Honorable Mention: Sting, Funk, Savage, Kerry Von Erich, Jumbo, Dusty, Ricky Morton

[Alucard]

I'd go with Steamboat, Luger, and Sting. Always loved the 88-90 Luger matches. Honorable mention to Kerry Von Erich. One of my fav Rumble '92 moments is Kerry coming in and going at it with Flair right away like the old rivals they were.

[spudz25]

My 3, in order would be:

 

1) Funk

2) Savage

3) Steamboat

[cm funk]

Funk feud in 89 and the two Savage feuds (92 and 95/96) are my favorites. I actually prefer the WCW rekindling of the feud to the more famous WWF one, with great stuff like Flair attacking Angelo Poffo and Liz turning on Savage. And the Funk feud is the best example of babyface Flair IMO. I'd have to put Sting in there too simply because it was the most enduring over the years. Tough to leave out Dusty & friends vs. The Horsemen, and Luger, but what can you do? Luger feud is hurt IMO by him never getting the big win against Flair.

[El-P]

Steamboat, for the great matches all over the years (characher wise, Steamboat sucked in 89), Luger (for the great matches and the characters), Savage (for the storylines, glamour and intensity).

 

Sting is probably the worst long time Flair feud. Their match together in 1990 really did bring Flair down a few notch to me, with a shitload of annoying no-selling from Sting, and since this match was the routine match they would work over the years, Flair vs Sting was never very compelling to me and was the stereotype for lowest common denominator Flair match.

[JazeUSA]

Funk feud in 89 and the two Savage feuds (92 and 95/96) are my favorites. I actually prefer the WCW rekindling of the feud to the more famous WWF one, with great stuff like Flair attacking Angelo Poffo and Liz turning on Savage. And the Funk feud is the best example of babyface Flair IMO. I'd have to put Sting in there too simply because it was the most enduring over the years. Tough to leave out Dusty & friends vs. The Horsemen, and Luger, but what can you do? Luger feud is hurt IMO by him never getting the big win against Flair.

I agree, I never considered Luger due to the fact that he never once beat Flair in a big show or meaningful match

[JerryvonKramer]

I really dislike Flair vs. Sting both in terms of the matches over the years (Flair is never more boring or formula) and in terms of the stories, which are seldom memorable or compelling, save perhaps the awesome horsemen double cross, but then Sting should have seen that coming.

 

 

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I am going to give another shout out to a feud that hasn't been discussed much: Vader in 93. Just a "one shot", but what a one shot it was. The build to and execution of that angle is exceptional, and for me both the culmination and peak of babyface Flair as an onscreen character. Tears everytime from me and the stuff with Race going back to Starcade 83 is legit great.

 

Perfect angle.

[JazeUSA]

How about the Flair vs Von Erich family in WCCW? I thought those matches were great as well

[BlueGuy]

I really dislike Flair vs. Sting both in terms of the matches over the years (Flair is never more boring or formula) and in terms of the stories, which are seldom memorable or compelling, save perhaps the awesome horsemen double cross, but then Sting should have seen that coming.

 

 

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I am going to give another shout out to a feud that hasn't been discussed much: Vader in 93. Just a "one shot", but what a one shot it was. The build to and execution of that angle is exceptional, and for me both the culmination and peak of babyface Flair as an onscreen character. Tears everytime from me and the stuff with Race going back to Starcade 83 is legit great.

 

Perfect angle.

Which Horsemen double cross? Are you referring to the 1990 altercation where they removed him from the Horsemen, or 1995 when Flair went face only to turn on Sting at Halloween Havoc? I feel both times worked quite well and served as great catalysts to relaunching the rivalry that first began in 1988. Considering the frequency that the two of them feuded, I can see how you might feel it was formulaic, but I do think you may be underestimating the feud.

 

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Regarding Vader, I completely agree that it was another great feud starting with their November Clash match and lasting through to SuperBrawl IV. It was easily one of Flair's all-time best feuds in the 1990s. Looking back, Flair had more memorable feuds in the 1990s (Sting, Luger, Piper, Hogan, Savage, Hennig, Vader, Steamboat, etc), a time when he was already written off, than many guys have in their entire careers.

[Dylan Waco]

Flair v. Funk is what made me a fan for life. Flair v. Steamboat was a transcendent rivalry that lasted on and off for almost twenty years. The final slot is the hardest for me personally. In the end I have to go Flair v. Luger because at it's peak it was absolutely red hot and actually felt like something you could have built a major promotion around for some time.

[JerryvonKramer]

Which Horsemen double cross? Are you referring to the 1990 altercation where they removed him from the Horsemen, or 1995 when Flair went face only to turn on Sting at Halloween Havoc? I feel both times worked quite well and served as great catalysts to relaunching the rivalry that first began in 1988. Considering the frequency that the two of them feuded, I can see how you might feel it was formulaic, but I do think you may be underestimating the feud.

I had the 95 one in mind. I genuinely love Flair as a character around that time. He's such an evil psychotic son of a bitch, really ramps up his heelishness. Remember when he dresses up as a woman? Ha ha ha. Also think Arn was at the peak of his powers in 95-6, and like their relationship.

 

It's an underrated little period because there was so much Orange Goblin vs. Dungeon of Doom total shit going on that people forget the good stuff.

 

Naturally once NWO comes along it's all swept away. Flair in 95-6 may well be my favourite version of him as a character, even if he wasn't having the 5-star matches by that point.

 

With Sting, I just don't think the two guys ever had any chemistry. Flair seems to work Sting like he's "just another guy". Sting always feels like a cookie cutter opponent vs. Flair to me, whether it's 88, 89, 90 or 95. In terms of the matches, easily I'd take Garvin or Luger over Sting.

 

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I think I'm ready for my three:

 

1. Steamboat - it was mentioned that Steamboat's character kinda "sucked" in 1989. I disagree. I think he was merely uncool. But what a perfect foil for Flair. Can't remember which show it was but we talked about that for like 30 minutes once. I reckon there's something in that contrast of characters that transcends wrestling.

 

2. Luger - how many times do you get to see a feud develop over 3 years with the two guys swapping roles at least once and then back again? You get the young lion vs. the arrogant "god of the world" champ in 88; you get the narcissistic now more experienced, no longer a rookie but oh-so conceited overachiever vs. the babyface legend in 89, and then the real total package world beater face vs. the "still up to his old tricks" champ in 90. And every match is great. Does it get much better than that?

 

3. Savage - reasons noted above.

 

Honourable mention: Garvin. I don't think the story was really there for this, but just for the chemistry between the two and the sheer intensity of those matches.

[BrickHithouse]

1. Steamboat - it was mentioned that Steamboat's character kinda "sucked" in 1989. I disagree. I think he was merely uncool.

I wholeheartedly disagree with your disagreement and agree that Steamboat's character sucked in 1989.

 

Watching 1989 NWA TV now, it was hard to watch. I'm a huge Steamboat fan and the Flair-Steamboat matches were responsible for sealing the deal on my full-fledged lifetime wrestling addiction, but Steamboat's character sucked, and sucked hard, in 1989.

[Death From Above]

To me Steamboat is an automatic. Steamboat's character was too sugary, yeah. But DEM MATCHES.

 

The Flair/Luger matches tended to be good more often than not, but are booked badly in that Luger never, ever gets over the mountain. They really fucked up not having him win at Starrcade that year they did the blood stoppage, in my opinion (or not having him win a rematch). The Sting matches have better booking on the whole (well, Black Scorpion aside), but I never really saw the definitive great match from Flair and Sting you would have expected. I can see the argument for and against each. I still firmly believe Luger could have been the third biggest star in wrestling other than Hogan and Flair, and maybe for a time he was, but for whatever reason bookers wouldn't put the ultimate faith in him.

 

I never watched enough NWA/Georgia at one time to get as burned out on Dusty as some. I like seeing him and Flair go at it a lot, and I also think Dusty's GAB '86 win is a pretty great match.

 

I love the Flair/Funk stuff there is but it feels really short in the context of this discussion. Still...

 

Hogan should be here, but isn't, because it was just a political clusterfuck plus both guys were on the decline by the time they were in WCW. WWF wasted the chance entirely. I still like some of their stuff, but it's not an all-time feud. There's at least as much dreadful stuff as there is positive, quite easily.

 

I might be the biggest fan in the world of the Flair/Garvin Starrcade 87 match, but it failed out of the context of the wrestling. The fans just didn't dig Garvin as champion. I can't call it a great feud, even if I love that match to death.

 

I really like the Flair/Kerry I've seen but would need to see more to really give a serious rating. I'm pretty limited on Texas, personally.

 

I haven't revisited the Savage/Flair WCW stuff in a million years and also feel like I don't remember enough about it to rate it properly.

 

I guess I would take Steamboat, Dusty, and Funk. Two long burns and one really good short one. Luger should be one of these three but the booking undoes the big picture story for me.

[JerryvonKramer]

Death from Above - have you seen the Garvin title win or their studio match from 85? If you are a fan of the Starrcade match, you simply must.

 

Some of the Hogan stuff in 94 is pretty good, but Flair's anti-Hogan promo's in late 91 was just a thing of beauty for me. "When you were making movies Thunderlips, I was winning world titles" Bam.

 

"I'm gonna burst that bubble Hogan!"

 

I am open mark for Flair.

 

Brick - is him sucking just him being not very cool though? What about him sucks beyond the fact he's bringing his kid out and being a generally slightly dated goody-two-shoes?

[BrickHithouse]

Brick - is him sucking just him being not very cool though? What about him sucks beyond the fact he's bringing his kid out and being a generally slightly dated goody-two-shoes?

Yeah, that's enough, isn't it? It was for me anyway. I found it lame as a (lame) 11 year-old and find it borderline unwatchable as a 35 year-old asshole. Not a fan of any of his '89 promos, either (though they get better in the Luger feud).

 

But then the matches start and all is forgotten in about 10 seconds, so it's really no big deal.

[El-P]

I still firmly believe Luger could have been the third biggest star in wrestling other than Hogan and Flair, and maybe for a time he was, but for whatever reason bookers wouldn't put the ultimate faith in him.

That's a way to put it. Another way to put it is "Flair screwed him around by losing his smile each time he was supposed to drop the belt to Luger."

[JazeUSA]

the more I read old blogs & articles the more feuds I think about, what about Flairs feuds w/ Bret Hart, Roddy Piper & Hulk Hogan?

[Al]

Bret, no. Barely a feud. Roddy Piper is a strong possibility considering their mid-Atlantic feud around 1982.