Pages

Wednesday, August 11, 2021

Mt. Rushmore: Ric Flair's 80s Feuds



By Kevin Hunsperger @kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter Listen to the podcast  Follow my blog with Bloglovin  

Last week, I launched a new concept for the blog with the Mt. Rushmore of Hulk Hogan's 80s feuds. So it only seems fitting that we hop over to the NWA side and look at Ric Flair's top four feuds in the 80s. I found coming up with this list more difficult than Hogans. I also discovered last week that most people agreed with my picks (read them here); however, this week, I expect to get some backlash. 

I'll preface this by saying in the 80s, I despised Ric Flair. He was one of those wrestlers I loved to hate. However, today, he's my all-time favorite. Sometime in the late 80s, I began respecting Flair and becoming a fan. By the time he arrived in the WWF in 1991, I was all-in with Naitch. 


Dusty Rhodes
has to be the best foe for Flair of all time and not just the 80s, right? 
I mean, Rhodes-Flair has to be on the Mt. Rushmore of wrestling feuds. Maybe I'll make that list soon. Their battles in the ring and on the microphone were what made Jim Crockett Promotions so great. Saturday nights at 6:05 (5:05 CST) was where I spent my time taking in all the action.

The bloody battles they had in singles, tag team, six-man tag, and even War Games matches were the personification of intense. Trading the NWA Championship, main eventing the Great American Bashes, and Starrcade kept fans at the edge of the seat time after time. The two even battled it out in the final WCW pay-per-view in 2001 in a tag team match with Dustin Rhodes and Jeff Jarrett as their respective partners.  


Ricky Steamboat had a few runs against Flair. Since I'm sticking to just 80s opponents, I feel justified in this as the two had some great matches in the early 80s before Steamboat heading to the WWF, where he spent the mid-80s and returned to the NWA in 1989 to face Naitch.

At that time, the two put on some highly regarded matches, including the night Steamboat won the big gold belt from Flair. Their trilogy is still talked about to this day. (I know both have acknowledged their non-televised matches in the 70s were even better.) 


Harley Race may be a surprise pick to some, but when I was growing up and watching Wrestling at the Chase, I remember Race calling out Flair and wanting another shot at the NWA Championship. The two traded the belt, and Flair beat Race for the gold in the main event of the very first Starrcade. My buddy Chad Smart has told the story of watching these two battle it out in a high school gym at the first wrestling show he attended. So whether on closed-circuit television or a small house show, these two always seemed to go at it.


Lex Luger is probably the most controversial of my choices. But I'll explain as best I can. When Luger came to JCP and joined the Four Horsemen, it seemed like it was only a matter of time before he'd split off and challenge Flair for the belt. As his nickname implied, Luger was the 'total package .' When he was kicked out of the Horsemen, I fully expected him to beat Flair for the championship.

I was genuinely disappointed when he came up short at the 1988 Great American Bash, and the match was called due to Luger's intense bleeding. Then a few months later, I was certain Luger would beat Flair at Starrcade but again came up short. In the meantime, it seems like the company was grooming Sting for that spot. (By the way, Sting will definitely be on the Mt. Rushmore of Flair opponents in the 90s.) 




8 comments:

  1. bahis oyunlarını seven birisi olarak kesinlikle tavsiyelerinizi değerlendireceğim. Vermiş olduğunuz yöntemler çok başarılı duruyor.

    ReplyDelete
  2. What is Fildena 100 Mg ?

    Fildena 100 Mg is also known as a ‘magic pill’ as it helps men all over the world get an erection and keep that erection up for a longer period of time. Sexual impotency, also known as erectile dysfunction is a common problem that is faced by men all over the world. Men all over the world take Fildena 100mg treat erectile dysfunction to combat their sexual impotency and get a good long-lasting erection and sexual intercourse.

    Fildena 100mg is also called the ‘Purple Triangle Pill’. It works by increasing the flow of the blood to the penis. Thus, when you consume this drug, you get an erection that can last as long as 4 hours. It was created to treat pulmonary hypertension, but the main use of this drug is for the treatment of sexual stimulation in men.

    visit Fildena 100 Mg

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm thankful that I was able to find such a helpful blog because it has helped me expand my knowledge. And thanks admin, I really enjoy reading sites like these. I'll be back frequently in the future to read your other articles. go to my blog as well

    Idnplay88
    Idnplay88
    Idnplay88
    Idnplay88
    Idnplay88
    Idnplay88
    Idnplay88
    Idnplay88
    slot jutawan
    playsbobet

    ReplyDelete
  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  5. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Pengobatan Kencing Nanah dapat anda lakukan di klinik raphael. Klinik kami mempunyai keunggulan tempat terjaga privasinya dengan biaya berobat yang terjangkau serta flaksibel dan memiliki fasilitas yang memadai.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Klinik Raphael merupakan klinik pengobatan gonore dan umum di bekasi yang memiliki keunggulan tempat terjaga privasinya dengan biaya berobat yang terjangkau serta flaksibel dan memiliki fasilitas yang memadai dalam melakukan praktek ataupun pengobatannya.

    ReplyDelete