[1986-09-01-CWF-Battle of the Belts III) Ric Flair vs Lex Luger

[paul sosnowski]

Ric Flair defends the NWA World Heavyweight Title

This is a 2 out of 3 falls match, but each fall has a 20 minute time limit.   Three 20 minute periods.   I believe this is the sixth ever meeting between these two.   Gordon Solie tells us that Luger played 5 years on the Green Bay Packers.   This is a lie.   He spent the entire 1982 season on the injured reserve list and was released in 1983.  Never played a single game....     

Luger has been wrestling less than one year, he started his career on 10/25/85 and then won the Florida Southern Heavyweight Title from Wahoo McDaniel about 3 weeks later.

First Fall--    Bill Alfonso is the referee for this match.   Flair offers a handshake, Luger accepts.  Luger outpowers the champion and immediately shoves him down to the mat.  Luger grabs a headlock, powers Flair down again.   Flair takes control with a knee to the midsection and he chops and punches him in the corner, but Luger does not react to the blows!!!    Flair bails to the outside and takes a walk.  Luger backs Flair into the ropes and politely lets him go.  Luger with a big hiptoss, Flair begs off in the corner.   Luger with a side headlock, Flair nails him with two elbows to the gut and a chop to the throat.   Luger is feeling it now but reverses Flair to the opposite corner, and press slams Flair over his head.   Then he does it again, with a great look of intensity and determination.  Luger whips Flair into the ropes, but Flair nails him with a big blow to the gut.  Luger is down!   Flair kicks him repeatedly in the stomach and once in the head.   Flair took a lot of punishment, but now the tide has turned.   Flair nails Luger with punches and chops in the corner, Luger fires back with punches.   Luger runs toward Flair in the corner, but misses and his knee jams into the turnbuckle.   Flair sees his advantage and attacks Luger's injured knee.   Flair hits a back suplex and continues to work over the knee.   He picks up Luger in an atomic drop maneuver and brings him down hard on the left knee.   Flair locks on the figure four leglock, Luger cannot reverse the hold and concedes the fall.  Alfonso counts his shoulders down to the mat for three!!! 

Second Fall --  Luger is limping hard, Flair does not waste time and goes right back to work on the left knee.   Flair extends Luger on the mat and tries to stomp on the knee, but Luger rolls out of the way.  Flair tries to ram Luger's head into the top turnbuckle, but Luger reverses it.  Luger comes on strong with punches to the midsection and chest.  The crowd is going bananas.   Luger comes out of the corner with a shoulderblock tackle, goes for a pin, but gets a two count.  Flair charges at Luger, but Luger catches him with a beautifully executed powerslam and pin!!!   Luger takes the second fall at 2:53.

Third Fall--   The first two falls are exactly timed, but they are shaving right away here in the third.   The five minute call is announced at 3:18.   Flair immediately starts stalling for time.   Neither man is very steady on his feet.   Flair comes off the top rope, but Luger catches him in a bearhug.  Flair is screaming and writhing in pain as Luger takes him down for a two count...twice!  Flair escapes the hold with a rake to the eyes.  Luger hits a terrible looking lariat to Flair's chest, but still gets another two count.   Flair tosses Luger between the ropes to the outside and slams Luger's head twice into the ringside table.  Flair makes several attempts to pin Luger with his feet on the ropes, but to no avail.   Flair goes for the big kneedrop to Luger's temple, but Luger moves and drags Flair to the outside.  Luger punishes Flair's leg on the apron.  Luger hits a sunset flip and comically tries to bring Flair to the mat, finally with an assist from the referee. Flair locks on a sleeper hold and Alfonso checks to see if Luger has gone limp.   Luger escapes and Flair's head goes into the top turnbuckle.   Luger retaliates with a sleeper of his own, gets a two count, Flair gets his foot on the ropes for the save.   Luger poses and flexes for the crowd and intimidates Flair.   They announce the 15:00 call...but it's really only been about 11.  Flair hits another back suplex, and  throws Luger outside and follows after him.   Luger reverses and slams Flair's head into the post, he comes up bloody.   Luger posts him again and slams his head into the table.   Flair is severely lacerated.   Luger whips Flair, Flair hits the flip and flop onto the apron.   Flair attacks Luger's knee and gets the figure four inside the ring.   This time Luger reverses it.  Flair gets up and hits a big elbow drop to Luger's chest.  Luger powerslams Flair and scoops him up in the center of the ring for a bearhug.   Time expires (really was 16:18, but was announced as a 20 minute draw in the 3rd fall).

This was not nearly as exciting as it sounds...Luger was sloppy and green and...not very good.   I can give it about 2 3/4** but all for Flair's tremendous efforts.   But hey...Lex gets that big money contract with Turner in just four months.   He must have greatly improved.   Lol