[1989-02-20-NWA-Chi Town Rumble] Ric Flair vs Ricky Steamboat

[Superstar Sleeze]

NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair vs Ricky Steamboat - NWA Chi-Town Rumble '89

 

What a crowd! There have been hotter crowds, but this crowd really lent a real sports feel to this match by how they were reacting. They cheered a Steamboat headlock takeover. The Steamboat double chop early was an electric moment and the following nearfall was treated like a big deal by the crowd. Every nearfall was getting big reactions and they were all on their feet for the finish. Of course, the reason why the crowd was so damn invested was because it was two of the greatest wrestlers of all time going toe-to-toe for the World's Heavyweight Championship. Ric Flair gave an absolutely masterful performance. It is incredible how well he sells in the early part of the match to shine that babyface up, but it also sets up his desperation heat segment. This was a great example of the three-pronged Flair strategy: breaking momentum on the outside, crowding in the corner and creating movement to cause mistakes. As Jim Ross said, "The Dragon was breathing fire tonight!". Steamboat was always one step ahead of the Nature Boy. Flair would BLAST him with a chop and he would fire two right back. In a battle of quickness, he was always getting the upper hand. What really sent Flair to the hills were all those pinfall attempts he was racking up early. In the shine segment, Steamboat was great, but I thought Flair took it to the next level. The transition was Flair dragging Steamboat outside into his domain and ramming him head first into the railing, clawing the eyes and hitting such a tremendous chop it had the Chicago Bears sitting ringside marking the fuck out. Flair is so good at turning the violent streak on in his heat segment. Loved the Steamboat hope spot on the roll through that got a great pop again a crowd totally 100% invested in the match. Flair, who has been freaking out about these nearfalls, pouncing on Steamboat and immediately putting him in the figure-4. EXCELLENT PSYCHOLOGY! I don't like to complain in these reviews, but anyone who says Flair does not have psychology can suck it. Steamboat is money during the heat segment as he rallies the crowd behind him. If Flair is the better seller during a babyface shine, it is Steamboat's selling that takes the heat segment to the next level. Amazing, how the wrestler underneath is dictating the energy of the match! In the post-modern world where offense rules the roost, that never happens anymore and that's why crowds are not 100% invested like this amazing Chicago crowd. Steamboat tries to make his last stand firing back with chops but Flair looks to have an insurmountable lead as they take a big tumble over the top rope onto the floor. Flair is throwing suplexes and is in command. He just cant put the Dragon away and Flair gets frustrated pushing the ref around and jawing with the crowd. Then we see the rays of hope as Steamboat starts building momentum with a string of nearfalls. Steamboat comes roaring out with a flying karate chop. All of sudden, Flair is on the defensive and it looks like Steamboat will hit the flying bodypress that got him the pinfall victory on Flair in January and the visual pin at the Clash. Except, he wipes out the ref! OH NO! Flair with the trunks, but no ref! STEAMBOAT CRASHES AND BURNS ON THE FLYING BODYPRESS Flair goes for the Figure-4, inside cradle and Steamboat wins the World Championship!

 

Given Crockett's past, the finish has you believe something screwy is going to happen, but Steamboat does win the championship to a huge pop. It was almost like swerving on the swerve, so that finish is put this decisively behind Clash VI for me, but I have this above Wrestlerwar. Spectacular match! Both wrestlers hit it out of the park! Those chops exchanges, HOT DAMN! Flair knocked this one out of the park, he did all the right things every single time. Steamboat's selling carried the day set himself up for a hot comeback. My knock against Steamer will always be offense on the comeback, but they did such a great job building up the flying cross body and his cradles that it felt super hot and you were totally invested through his selling. Incredible pace! Easy, easy top 50 match of all time if not higher. *****

 

[Jingus]

Given Crockett's past, the finish has you believe something screwy is going to happen, but Steamboat does win the championship to a huge pop. It was almost like swerving on the swerve, so that finish is put this decisively behind Clash VI for me, but I have this above Wrestlerwar.

The deal there was to make a political statement: "fuck Dusty Rhodes and fuck Dusty finishes". It was the first world title change since Rhodes was fired from WCW, and they were making a point to say that his tired old ref-bump-apalooza swerves wouldn't be ruining main events under the new regime.

[Microstatistics]

The best match of the series. Underdog family man challenger vs. arrogant and cocky yet resourceful champion. Classic storytelling and classic wrestling. 

[cactus]

This technical masterclass starts out with some simplistically brilliant matwork. The audience lets out a loud gasp when Steamboat gets an early nearfall on a headlock. A HEADLOCK! The knife edge chops start getting busted out by both men and they are nasty, even 30 years on. Ric's heel work is sublime. It never goes into cartoon territory. The spot where Flair flops over the top rope and sprints to the other side for a cross body always catches me off guard. They tease a Dusty finish, only for Steamboat to get the clean win.

Crazy to think this isn't their best match. I sometimes think Ric Flair is overrated, but then I watch a classic match of his and I am pleasantly mistaken. 

★★★★¾

[Superstar Sleeze]

I just rewatched this and I think that this match does so well is be so competitive without being "my turn, your turn" everything is earned. It is two combatants just throwing everything they have at each other. There is no waiting for the other to make a comeback you gotta go take it. It also never feels like a blowout. Steamboat takes an early lead but Flair is a master of breaking momentum. I like gradualism of the heat segment with Steamboat slowly losing that fire as the match wears on only to finally break through. If there is one flaw in the match it is the transition to Steamboat's comeback. To me this is the pinnacle of 80s workrate. I think there are better examples of Flairism as a style as this tones down a lot of the Flairism tropes in favor of being a workrate spectacle. We talk 5, 10 minute sprints, these two had a 20+ minute sprint. Insane!

[Jetlag]

Wonderful match which always holds up. I love the basic but increasingly elaborate rope running opening sections. They never go for the obvious while mixing in leapfrogs and slides and keeping the theme of Steamboat one upping Flair. Obviously the chop battles are just awesome. It's not rocket science but Steamboat is a nearly perfect babyface by simply bouncing back constantly and just slugging away at Flair. Also check out how much resistance Flair put up against a basic drop toe hold. Flair came across as the highly precise, more vicious champ who would bully Steamboat to the ropes and and try to beat him down. The finishing stretch is great edge of your seat stuff with the classic reversals and misses. I actually didn't remember who won the match and the finish once again got me. As far as criticism goes, I thought the heat section didn't reach all time levels of intensity and Steamboat could've made a bigger deal of the Figure 4, but the you can only really criticize this match in regards to all time level stuff.

 

[cactus]

On 3/6/2019 at 10:34 AM, cactus said:

This technical masterclass starts out with some simplistically brilliant matwork. The audience lets out a loud gasp when Steamboat gets an early nearfall on a headlock. A HEADLOCK! The knife edge chops start getting busted out by both men and they are nasty, even 30 years on. Ric's heel work is sublime. It never goes into cartoon territory. The spot where Flair flops over the top rope and sprints to the other side for a cross body always catches me off guard. They tease a Dusty finish, only for Steamboat to get the clean win.

Crazy to think this isn't their best match. I sometimes think Ric Flair is overrated, but then I watch a classic match of his and I am pleasantly mistaken. 

★★★★¾

Gave this a rewatch. Going to go ahead and give it the full five. I sometime overthink things when I'm watching a critically acclaimed match like this or Steamboat/Savage. I feel like I have to like it, but truth be told, it's as good as it's repetition suggests. It's simple pro-wrestling storytelling done to perfection. The high roller yuppie versus the humble family man. 

★★★★★