[2000-02-16-WCW-Thunder] Ric Flair & Lex Luger vs Terry Funk & Dustin Rhodes

[soup23]

Luger comes out and gloats about the damage he caused on Monday. He is joined by his close friend Ric Flair. Funk and Dustin Rhodes interrupts. Funk looks like your uncle that has too much to drink at the family reunion here and you wish he would stop talking. I can’t help but compare it to some of the moments of Piper in WCW and that is not a compliment. I mean Flair has some bullshit in WCW for sure between the mental institution and being dressed as a woman but it always seems like he does have these small glimmers where he looks like he did in the 80’s and his peak including here in this promo. The match itself isn’t half bad with everyone again worker a bit harder on Thunder than I would have imagined. I am moderately looking forward to SuperBrawl. **1/4

[Loss]

I remember Luger's first line in this promo causing some controversy ("It's good to finally see a star standing before you, isn't it?") since the show had been filled with midcarders up to this point and it was clear what he was saying. Luger doesn't talk long before he introduces Ric Flair, but which is a good move considering how Luger sounds on this promo. Flair can still cut a strong heel promo, even while not really having anything to say. I crack up that the chicken ranch promo from Flair was like three weeks before this match, Flair only used the line once and Funk is still holding on to it and mentioning it in every promo. Funk gets a good reaction since they are in Philly and they set up the main event to start off the show in this segment. Not much heat when the match proper gets underway for any of the spots these guys do that usually get a good reaction, even though the actual work is pretty decent. Watching Flair-Funk stuff really makes me wish both guys were either in Japan or on the indy scene at this point because I suspect they'd be having great double juice brawls pretty regularly. Flair gets the finish on Dustin after Elizabeth sneaks in a baseball shot. All this sort of makes WCW seem like they are in a time warp. There was a role for Flair in WCW as long as he wanted one, but being the top main event heel wasn't it, even if he was still very good in the ring.

[GSR]

Lex Luger at the top of the show and he is pleased with what he did to Terry Funk and Hulk Hogan on Monday night. He’s not here to brag about having the most beautiful manager, about being the greatest physical specimen in sports entertainment today, he’s here to announce the merger of himself with an ‘old friend’ Ric Flair. Out comes a suited Naitch to join Luger in the ring. Ric says that they’ve found they have something in common (that “they’re great!”), and in their brief association so far they’ve broken Hulk Hogan’s arm and Lex Luger has slammed the ‘King of Hardcore’ Terry Funk through a table and stomped a hole in him! They’re a notch above and they’re about greatness. Funk and Dustin Rhodes interrupt them and ‘the Funker’ says they’re in ‘harcore country’ and these people don’t want to listen to them all night long. He’s got someone with him that will pluck his and Luger’s asses tonight if they’ll accept the challenge. After a few more exchanges between them the match is set for later in the show.

 

Flair and Funk start things off. Shoulder tackle sees the Naitch go down and Funk is on top to throw some punches. A backdrop and Flair rolls to the floor with the Funker following him. As the two of them are fighting on the outside Luger and Dustin are getting it on inside. Funk goes for a piledriver on the announcer’s desk but Luger is able to get there in time and make the save. Flair with a low blow, a knife edge chop and he climbs to the top turnbuckle. Funk is back to his feet and slams him to the canvas. Spinning toe hold and Lex is in to break the hold. The Funker reverses a Flair hiptoss into a back slide for a two and the two go at it in the middle of the ring. Luger with a high vertical suplex but it takes as much out of the Package and Funk is able to tag out. Dustin with a suplex on Flair, a bulldog to Lex and the Naitch breaks up the pin. Luger and Rhodes go at it in one corner, Flair and Funk in another while Charles Robinson tries to re-establish some control. Liz hits Dustin in the ankle with the baseball bat and Luger then wallops him over the head with it. As Funk goes after Lex, Flair with the Figure Four on Rhodes and with him already unconscious in the ring, Robinson counts his shoulders to the mat for the win.

 

It felt like Flair and Funk were in slow motion at the start of this, especially when Funk has to run the ropes, it’s more like a brisk walk! His knees must be ruined. Things picked up when they started brawling on the floor which bodes well for the ‘death match’ at Superbrawl. Match wasn’t bad and is in the top half for the month so far. Liked Funk and Rhodes walking to the ring in their matching ‘Funk U’ shirts.