Over the course of his remarkable 30+ year Career, "Nature Boy" Ric Flair has had his share of great dance partners that he has had amazing chemistry with. Flair knew how to dance with the best while also bringing others to his beat. When you have won 16 World Titles along with other accolades, you have to have some great opponents along the way to produce outstanding matches. Ric did that and then some.
Now, I would like to explore and discuss the Greatest Dance Partners of the Nature Boy's Career:
Harley Race:
Length of Feud: 1977-1985
Featured Matches:
Texas Death Match
Best Two out of Three Falls for NWA Championship (6/10/1983)
Steel Cage Match (Starrcade 1983 "A Flare for the Gold")
Match Quality: 4/5
Storyline Quality: 9/10
Rivalry Rating: 8.5/10
In order for Ric Flair to emerge into the Main Event Star that he became, he had to overcome the man that stood tall on the NWA Mountain, Harley Race. Both Flair and Race were a very sharp contrast of each other. Harley Race was hard-nosed and hard-hitting with very methodical promos. He was very sturdy and blue collar in every way.
He was even one of the first wrestlers to wear tattoos before they even became cool. Meanwhile, Flair was very flamboyant with the way that he wrestled, the way that he dressed and the way that he talked. Harley was the ultimate predecessor for Flair to defeat. They had a series of matches from the early 70's going into the mid-80's when Race was starting to slow down. Race even put a bounty on Flair's head. That is how serious this feud was.
The feud reached its apex at Starrcade 1983 when Ric Flair defeated Harley Race to win the NWA World Title in a Steel Cage Match. This will forever be known as the passing of the torch for Flair's career. Ric won the title before, but this was the official confirmation that he would carry the company going forward. Harley would briefly win back the title, but ultimately Flair would have the last laugh.
Dusty Rhodes:
Length of Feud: 1977-1987
Featured Matches:
NWA World Heavyweight Title Match (9/16/1981)
Best Two out of Three Falls for NWA Championship (1/1/1982)
NWA World Heavyweight Title Match (Starrcade 1984)
NWA World Heavyweight Title Match (Starrcade 1985)
Steel Cage Match for NWA Championship (Great American Bash 1986)
Match Quality: 4/5
Storyline Quality: 9.5/10
Rivalry Rating: 9/10
The Classic Story of the Working Class Common Man vs. The Limousine Ridin', Jet Flyin' pompous Villain. It was a tale of Rags vs. Riches. Dusty represented the hard working, lower to middle-class common person. Flair represented the high-class, snobbish socialite that lives a lavish lifestyle while looking down on others. Dusty and Ric have a history dating back to the '70s.
Flair patterned some of his styles after Dusty in a roundabout way. In fact, Flair won his first World Title from Rhodes on September 16, 1981, in Kansas City, MO. They would have a number of matches in between, but no real storyline until 1984. Dusty challenged the winner of the Flair vs. Race match from Starrcade '83. As we know, Naitch won the match.
Their feud would soon start to build as they would collide for the NWA World Title at Starrcade 1984 (Million Dollar Challenge). In that match, Boxing Legend Joe Frazier was the Guest Referee. This was not exactly their best match together because Frazier called for the bell when Dusty's eye was covered with blood.
This would transition the feud into Starrcade 1985, which is known for Dusty's passionate "Hard Times" promo heading into the match. This match made up for the year before as it was executed in a much better fashion. The match was at a very solid but intense pace. In spite of interference from Arn and Ole Anderson, Dusty picked up the win to become champion after pulling Flair in with an inside cradle.
However, the decision was reversed by referee Tommy Young. The outcome was changed for Dusty to win by DQ after interference from the Andersons. This launched the Four Horsemen in January 1986. Their feud would reach its peak and pretty much blow off at the Great American Bash in 1986 inside of a steel cage. I would say that this was the best match that they had together because Dusty was able to get his ultimate revenge on Flair with no Horsemen involved. Rhodes defeated Flair to officially win the NWA World Title for the third and last time.
This feud was carried by great matches but an even greater and more intense storyline. Flair and Dusty danced to different beats, but they were still in sync with each other.
Ricky Steamboat:
Length of Feud: 1977-1994
Featured Matches:
Chi-Town Rumble (NWA World Heavyweight Championship)
Clash of the Champions VI (2 out of 3 Falls for NWA World Title)
WrestleWar '89 (NWA World Heavyweight Title)
WCW Spring Stampede '94 (WCW World Heavyweight Championship)
Match Quality: 5/5
Storyline Quality: 9.5/10
Rivalry Rating: 9.5/10
Like his feud with Dusty, this was a clash of two different morals. Steamboat was the clean-cut, straight-laced family man who wanted to do things the right way. Meanwhile, Flair was the opposite. He was all about glitz, glamour beautiful women and living on the wild side. The one thing that they had in common was that they were both technical geniuses in the ring that had the stamina to deliver a great 20+ minute match.
They first crossed paths in the late '70's when Steamboat joined NWA Mid-Atlantic. Their most famous encounter at the time was when Steamboat ripped Flair's clothes. Naitch responded by attacking Steamboat and rubbing his face into the floor. At this time, they battled for the Mid-Atlantic TV Title and the U.S. Title. Flair has even said that he believes those earlier matches were better than the ones that they had in 1989, which says a lot.
When The Nature Boy was elevated to the Main Event picture, Steamboat would be one of his natural opponents for the World Heavyweight Title. They enjoyed a series of classic matches from 1983 to early 1985 before Steamboat left for the WWF. In 1984, Steamboat and Flair had three straight matches that went 60-minutes. They had Ironman matches long before WWE came up with the idea.
When The Dragon returned to NWA/WCW in January 1989, his focus was on Ric Flair. Steamboat revealed himself to be Eddie Gilbert's mystery partner vs Ric Flair and Barry Windham.
The Dragon became the number one contender for Flair's NWA World Title heading into Chi-Town Rumble. Steamboat defeated Flair in this contest of endurance and ring generalship. They took each other to the limit. Flair would have a rematch at Clash of the Champions VI (Ragin Cajun') in a 2 out of 3 Falls Match for the World Title. However, Steamboat remained champion when it was ruled that he had Flair's shoulders down even though Ric fell on him during a submission. This led to the final showdown of their trilogy at Wrestle War. In the end, Flair would regain the title after a remarkable series of matches.
Five years later, their paths would cross for the last time as Flair defeated Steamboat to remain WCW World Champion. The Dragon would retire that year.
Sting:
Length of Feud: 1987-2001
Featured Matches:
Clash of the Champions I (NWA World Heavyweight Championship)
Starrcade 1989 (WCW World Heavyweight Championship)
Great American Bash (WCW World Heavyweight Championship)
Starrcade 1990 (WCW World Heavyweight Championship)
Clash of the Champions XXVII (WCW World Heavyweight Championship)
The First WCW Monday Nitro (WCW United States Championship)
WCW World War 3 1995
The Final WCW Monday Nitro
Match Quality: 4/5
Storyline Quality: 9/10
Rivalry Rating: 9/10
This is the prime example of a guy with less experience who gets elevated by a legend and stays a Main Event Star for the rest of his career. Sting was a guy that was able to get over because he had the image and charisma.
Then, he gets in the ring with the franchise of the NWA (Ric Flair) and gets elevated to the Main Event picture. However, Sting found a way to maintain that status pretty much from the time that he stepped into the ring with Naitch.
Sting was a made man after his classic battle with Flair at the first Clash of the Champions PPV in 1988 (Same night as WrestleMania IV). Sting brought everything that he had to the table and did not disappoint. The match ended in a draw. This shows that you could put someone over without actually losing. Unlike Lex Luger, Flair's investment of Sting paid off in the long run.
Sting was dismissed from the Four Horsemen at Clash of the Champions X: Texas Shootout after refusing to relinquish his title shot against Ric Flair.
Sting was originally going to face Flair at WrestleWar in 1990 but suffered a serious knee injury in a Steel Cage Match featuring the Four Horsemen.
Once he recovered, Sting defeated Ric Flair at the Great American Bash on July 7, 1990. Sting's reign came to an end on January 11, 1991, at the hands of Flair in a rematch of Starrcade 1990.
Flair defeated Sting in a Title Unification Match at Clash of the Champions XXVII. Other notable matches include the first-ever WCW Nitro and World War 3.
This legendary feud came to a close on the final episode of Nitro. They kicked off Nitro together and ended Nitro together. Full circle.
Terry Funk:
Length of Feud: 1981-2000
Featured Matches:
2 out of 3 Falls Match (AJPW- NWA World Championship)
Great American Bash 1989 (WCW World Heavyweight Championship)
Halloween Havoc 1989 (Thunderdome Match w/Sting & Great Muta)
Clash of the Champions IX (I Quit Match- WCW World Championship)
WCW SuperBrawl X
Match Quality: 3.5/5
Storyline Quality: 8.5/10
Rivalry Rating: 8.5/10
This was the Battle of the Master of the Figure Four vs. the Master of Hardcore. Flair vs. Funk at its core was brutal. Funk served as the Guest Color Commentator for Flair's match with Ricky Steamboat at Wrestle War. After the match, Terry came to the ring to congratulate Ric. He would also joke about challenging for the title. Flair said that he would have to wait in line with all of the other challengers. Funk was not cool with that at all as he attacked Naitch after the match with a Piledriver through the announce table. Flair said that he was legitimately hurt for months after Funk's Piledriver. This feud was so intense that Terry even tried to suffocate him with a plastic bag. He was hardcore LONG before ECW.
In his promo leading into the Great American Bash, Funk said that the "Glory Days" would become the "Gory Days" for Ric Flair. Flair defeated Funk at the GAB to remain Champion. At Halloween Havoc, Ric Flair teamed with Sting to defeat Terry Funk and Great Muta in a Thunderdome Match. Flair put Funk in the Figure Four as Gary Hart threw in the towel.
The feud would culminate with an "I Quit" Match at Clash of the Champions IX, where Flair would make Funk say "I Quit" with the Figure Four Leglock.
The feud with Funk was not as Iconic as the feuds with Race, Rhodes, and Steamboat, but it was a feud that Flair was into the transition from his war with Ricky Steamboat to a war with rising star Sting.
In the end, it was still great in its own way.
Randy Savage:
Length of Feud: 1992-1995
Featured Matches:
WrestleMania VIII
Survivor Series 1992
Great American Bash 1995
Bash at the Beach 1995
Starrcade 1995
Match Quality: 4/5
Storyline Quality: 8.5/10
Rivalry Rating: 8.5/10
When Ric Flair made his arrival in the WWF in September 1991, he wasted no time shaking the landscape of the company. Everyone already knew of his reputation as the Wrestling Kingpin of the South. He called out everyone from Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage down to Roddy Piper. The Nature Boy proudly carried his Big Gold Belt from WCW as he proclaimed to be the "Real World's Champion". As we know, Flair won the Royal Rumble in 1992 to win the vacant WWF Championship.
After becoming Champion, Flair revealed how he and Miss Elizabeth had a "relationship" before she even met the Macho Man. Flair and Mr. Perfect called out Savage as a man. Perfect's promo was on point. "Macho Man Randy Savage. What makes you so Macho? What makes you a Man? What makes you a Savage?". They teased the idea of exposing a Centerfold of Liz after the match.
Macho Man was furious about this as he went silent in the time heading into WrestleMania. These ingredients mixed together created a highly intense and greatly executed match between the two for the Title. In typical Flair fashion, he was busted open. Savage won the WWF Title for the second time. This was the high point of their feud in the WWF. Flair would win the title back in September with the Figure Four while Savage passed out from the pain, but it was nowhere near their encounter at Mania.
Their feud was rekindled in 1995 after Savage's arrival in WCW. They had a series of good to great matches from Great American Bash, Bash at the Beach to Starrcade. Once again, the common themes were Elizabeth and the Title.
Conclusion:
Ricky Steamboat:
As I have come to my conclusion, there is no question that Ric Flair's greatest dance partner was Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat. They were like two great musicians with different genres but were on point with the way they danced together in the squared circle. Both Flair and Steamboat were technical powerhouses that never ever disappointed. Their 1989 trilogy was the peak of their rivalry. Steamboat wrestled according to morals and ethics as the ultimate babyface that never went heel. Meanwhile, Flair was at his best as a heel which made him the perfect thorn in the side of the Dragon. It is one thing to bring someone up to your level of rhythm as a dance partner. Flair has had a history of doing that (ask Lex Luger and others). It is another thing to have someone who can naturally dance to your beat during a match, and Steamboat was that guy for Flair. Overall, they made things better for each other as they brought the best out of one another.
Greatest Matches:
1. vs. Ricky Steamboat (WrestleWar)
2. vs. Ricky Steamboat (Chi-Town Rumble)
3. vs. Ricky Steamboat (Clash of the Champions VI)
4. 1992 Royal Rumble
5. vs. Randy Savage (WrestleMania VIII)
6. vs. Dusty Rhodes (Great American Bash 1986)
7. vs. Sting (Clash of the Champions I)
8. vs. Harley Race (Starrcade 1983)
9. vs. Sting (Great American Bash 1990)
10. vs. Dusty Rhodes (9/16/1981)
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