DaveyBoy’s Wrestling Menu – The Ultimate Ric Flair DVD Review (Disc-1)
Submitted by DaveyBoy on Saturday, November 11, 2006 at 12:25 AM EST






THE WRESTLING MENU #203

Welcome one and all to the 203rd edition of The Wrestling Menu, the column that is sure to satisfy your taste buds when it comes to discussing all things wrestling.

I know this is a first for me, but it’s the way I’ve decided to go anyway. What I am going to do with the Ric Flair DVD Review is spread it out into 3 different columns. I will review Disc-1 today. Disc-2 will be looked at on my usual posting day of Wednesday. While my review of the final disc, along with concluding comments on the 3 disc set, will be here for all to see next weekend some time.

Now I know some of you may be saying that I have reviewed 3 disc WWE DVDs previously (Greatest Superstars of the 80s & The Undertaker’s) & squashed those reviews into one column. But I think that most people would agree that they were a chore to read due to their length. While I can also tell you that they were a little bit of a chore to write. This way, I have a little bit of extra time to write these in-depth reviews & you can print them off to read without requiring a heavy duty stapler to keep all the pages together! Trust me; My review of each disc will still go close to covering the length of my usual columns anyway!

On with the show….. Wooooooooooooooooooooo…..


RIC FLAIR DVD REVIEW

The full title of this 3 disc set is ‘The Ultimate Ric Flair Collection’. Believe it or not, almost 10.5 hours of footage has been crammed into the 3 discs. The set is structured differently to all other WWE DVDs released thus far, in that it predominantly concentrates on specific matches & the feuds surrounding them. But in covering the feuds, the extras contained on this set are rather lengthy, whether they occurred before or after the relevant bout.

NOTE: One thing that I really would recommend if you have this review handy & are watching the DVD for the first time, is to view it in the order I have written out my review. While everything is set out rather neatly in the sub-menus of the DVD, each match is listed following a short introduction of sorts on Flair’s particular opponent being highlighted. The extras, even if they took place before the match chronologically, are rather foolishly listed afterwards. And I can assure you that watching some of those extras before the actual bout will make you enjoy the match that much more!


APPETIZERS – Harley Race

HARLEY RACE & THE NWA CHAMPIONSHIP: Solid & handy 4 minute introduction of sorts that sees Flair talk about winning the World HeavyWeight Title for the first time in 1981, his controversial title loss to Race in June of 1983, and how important the rematch at Starrcade ’83 was to him.

$25,000 Promo: 90 second backstage promo from Harley Race saying that he would give $25,000 to anyone who could eliminate Flair.

Orton & Slater Collect: During an August ’83 bout between Flair & Race, Bob Orton Jr & Dick Slater come out to attack Flair in order to collect the bounty. 3 minutes in length.

Ric Announces Retirement: Complete with neck-brace, Flair does a good job in looking serious while announcing his (storyline) retirement. 2 minutes in length.

”It’s Only Just Begun”: During a September ’83 tag-team bout, Flair crazily attacks Orton & Slater with a baseball bat (although he never actually makes contact) & then announces his return in an excellent & intense interview. 4 minutes in length.

NWA Press Conference: Actually done as a proper news story & not a bad one at that. Basically, the NWA President announces that the Starrcade title bout will be promoted by Jim Crockett & held in Greensboro, North Carolina. Also includes reaction interviews from Race & Flair. 10 minutes in length. Did territories really bid for matches like suggested so here…???

Harley Race Pre-Match Interview: Short 1 minute interview where Race states that he has spoken to those that know Flair & he now knows his weaknesses.

Ric Flair Pre-Match Interview: Subdued, but confident, 1 minute interview from The Nature Boy.

Race, Orton & Slater Pre-Match Interview: 2 minute interview closer to match time where all 3 men speak & Race puts a target on Flair’s neck.

Flair & McDaniel Pre-Match Interview: Flair is once more subdued but confident, as he speaks next to an injured Wahoo McDaniel. 2 minutes in length.

vs HARLEY RACE (Starrcade. November-24, 1983): This was a Steel Cage Match for Race’s NWA World HeavyWeight Title, and an attempt at a rather elaborate Flair entrance is shown in full. Special Guest Referee (& former World Champion) Gene Kinisky calls for the bell & Flair has the better of a rather methodically paced first 5 minutes or so. Race eventually takes control though & targets Ric’s neck with moves such as a piledriver, a swinging neckbreaker & many throws into the steel cage (which predictably busts Flair open). Flair gets revenge by opening a wound on Race’s forehead soon after, as The Nature Boy doubles his intensity.

A Figure 4 Leglock gets the crowd right into it, but Race escapes & is able to put together many minutes of offense to weaken Flair. But Ric eventually fights back with a flurry of offense & an interesting looking top-rope cross body-block for the pinfall at the 24 minute mark! This bout will hardly have modern-day fans on the edge of their seat, but it was solid & sufficiently put together & performed. It told a good story & was rather intense, although I thought the brutality factor could have been taken up a notch. 24 minutes was about the correct duration for these 2 & while the action was not exactly fast-paced, it wasn’t boring either. Match Rating…7.5

Ric Flair Post-Match Interview: A bloodied & emotional Flair is interviewed by a young Tony Schiavone & pretty much thanks the whole world while getting champagne sprayed all over him. Dusty Rhodes makes a congratulatory cameo hinting at a future title match between the two. 2 minutes in length.

Harley Race Post-Match Interview: A circumspect Race promises future revenge in this 90 second locker-room interview.

Flair, Steamboat & Youngblood Post-Match Interview: The 3 new World Champions (HeavyWeight & Tag-Team) are interviewed for 2 minutes in the locker-room.


MAIN – Dusty Rhodes

DUSTY RHODES – TALKING THE TALK: 4 minute introduction of sorts which pretty much solely consists of well-edited promos & interviews by both men. Good stuff!

Flair & The Andersons Break Dusty’s Ankle: Following a cage match defeat of Nikita Koloff by Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes comes out to save Ric from a post-match beatdown. But Flair turns heel by helping Ole & Arn Anderson take apart Dusty & break his ankle! Rhodes sells the injury perfectly. 9 minutes in length.

Flair Cuts A Promo: 2 minute promo where Flair tries to further his heel character by stating that winning is the bottom line.

”That’s Hard Times”: Dusty’s first interview after his ankle injury. Intense, direct & definitely successful, despite initially getting a mixed reaction. 4 minutes in length.

vs DUSTY RHODES (Starrcade. November-28, 1985): This match was for Flair’s NWA World HeavyWeight Title, and while there were some cheers for him, Flair was predominantly booed here. Rhodes gets the better of a chop & punch-fest that begins the bout, and Flair takes a couple of time-outs to get his mind back on the job. A kick to the ankle area of Rhodes evens the bout up a little, but it is still Dusty in control as he gains revenge by targeting Ric’s ankle. Many minutes of back & forth action follows, but it is Rhodes who seemingly always has the answers, as Flair struggles with his sore ankle. But when Dusty lands awkwardly & re-injures his ankle, Flair goes to work & constantly tries to apply his patented Figure 4 Leglock.

Following some brawling at ringside, the face challenger regains control in the ring, as the pace starts to quicken. That is, until Rhodes misses a kick & ends up further hurting his ankle up against the ring-ropes. Flair subsequently takes over & finally applies the Figure 4, but Dusty won’t quit & somehow fights back to even up the match. A ref bump then follows, which predictably leads to interference from The Andersons. With the arrival of a new referee, Rhodes kicks out of a pinfall attempt & rolls Flair up for the win at the 22 minute mark. Another very solid bout that isn’t anything too special, but is well-performed & told a good story (despite some arguably dodgy selling). I was glad that the bout was kept at 22 minutes & I couldn’t say that the match ever got boring. Please note that the result of the match was later inexplicably reversed to a DQ win to Dusty Rhodes. Match Rating…7.5

Controversy Explained: Referee Tommy Young recalls his vague experiences of the title bout finale & how he actually had disqualified Flair at the end of the match, thus keeping the title around The Nature Boy’s waist. 3 minutes in length.

The Man: Flair compares himself to JR Ewing from the television show ‘Dallas’ & then talks himself up in a typically cocky fashion. 3 minutes in length.

The Legend: Disappointed at the title reversal, Dusty still finds time to rhyme in this solid 2 minute promo where he calls himself a legend & vows to come after Flair once more.


DESSERT – Barry Windham

BARRY WINDHAM – KEEPING UP WITH THE CHAMP: Flair speaks very highly of Barry Windham in this 2 minute introduction which features quite a few clips of Windham in action around the time of the highlighted bout.

Attacked By The HorseMen: With tag-team partner Ron Garvin, Windham discusses being attacked by Flair, Blanchard & The Andersons, while we see some footage of such an event. 2 minutes in length.

”You Cried The Blues”: 2 minute ringside promo from Flair directed at Windham & highlighting Ric’s World Title.

vs BARRY WINDHAM (January-13, 1987): Emanating from Columbia - South Carolina, this is practically a Lumberjack Match, despite not officially being so. Dusty Rhodes & the Rock ‘N’ Roll Express negate the ringside presence of The 4 Horsemen. Starts frenetically with the crowd very much into it & cheering on the face Windham. Flair risks disqualification (with chokes & low-blows) to get control of the bout, but it is Windham’s energy that continues to regain the momentum. The challenger even locks in the Figure 4 Leglock, but it’s broken up by interference from JJ Dillon.

Despite another low-blow of sorts, Windham continues to run Flair ragged & even hits a missile dropkick from the top-rope. But following a huge lariat from the challenger, the bout breaks down into an 8 man melee as Windham officially wins by DQ at the 7 minute mark. Too short to amount to anything special, but the non-stop pace & entertainment value of this match was difficult to ignore. Excellent set-up bout for something bigger & longer. Match Rating…7.5

vs BARRY WINDHAM (World Wide Wrestling. January-20, 1987): Taking place exactly a week after Windham’s DQ win, this match was for Flair’s NWA World HeavyWeight Title. Windham attempts to begin at a frenetic pace, but Flair successfully keeps the action grounded, where both men hold their own. Windham surprisingly uses many headlocks in an attempt to weaken Ric, but each time Flair fights out, the challenger has no trouble in upping the pace with a flurry of offense. Nothing amounts from it initially though, as Flair masterfully takes time-out at ringside following most of Windham’s flurries.

We come back from a mid-match commercial break with Windham in control with a head-scissors. But the champ eventually takes the action to ringside, where his greater experience regains control. Back in the ring, Flair targets the challengers arm with a couple of submission holds. Windham fights out though & the bout soon turns into a brawl with both wrestlers getting in their fair share of haymakers. We come back from another commercial break with more of the same, until a battle of suplexes leads to Flair locking in the Figure 4. Windham escapes though & subsequently earns a few 2 counts as he quickens the pace despite looking very tired. The challenger then locks on the Figure 4 himself in order to get the victory, but Flair reaches the ropes & attempts to start a comeback as we head to yet another commercial break.

Back to the brawling we go, until Windham locks on an abdominal stretch. But a ref bump follows that sees Flair escape the hold successfully. The challenger then hits a top-rope missile dropkick, before locking in a sleeper-hold with only 4 minutes remaining in the (time limited) bout. What follows is Windham hitting Flair with everything but the kitchen sink & getting nearfall after nearfall. The match then ends in a time limit draw just after Windham hits Flair with his flying lariat finisher. We see 31 minutes of action (excluding commercial time) & it is terrific action at that. The bout did begin a little disappointingly with Windham employing far too many restholds & any spurt of action ending prematurely. But apart from some questionable brawling at times, the final half of the bout is tremendously involving & entertaining with both men to be praised for their efforts. Judging by this, Windham was indeed a potential World Champion. Match Rating…9

Dusty’s Analysis: Special Comments man Dusty Rhodes sums up the excellent World Title match for 3 minutes.

Flair Post-Match Promo: Locker-room interview with Flair & The Horsemen where the champ refers to himself as the “winner” & Windham as the “loser”. One minute in length.


COFFEE – Easter Eggs

(1) In the ‘Dusty Rodes’ page contained within the ‘Chapters’ menu, highlight ‘Flair Cuts A Promo’ & press ‘left’ once to see a 2 minute ringside interview with Flair rambling on & on about himself.

(2) In the ‘Chapters’ menu, highlight ‘Barry Windham’ & press ‘right’ once to see a ringside Flair interview directed at Tully Blanchard, Dusty Rhodes, Magnum TA, Nikita Koloff & Buddy Landell. This is a strange combination of humor & intensity lasting 4 minutes.


Ok, so that concludes the first part of this 3 part DVD Review series. If you can, please try & hold back on feedback & questions until after the final part of this series next weekend. But it’s no sweat if you do want to ask me, or comment on, something right now. You are more than welcome to do so by emailing me at DaveyBoy123@bigpond.com. Alternately, if you are an LOP Forums member, it would be much appreciated if you could leave feedback on my thread at http://www.lopforums.com/showthread.php?t=217&page=2

So please remember that the second installment of this 3 part series will be posted on Wednesday. Please not though, that it may be a little later than usual. That's right Mr Wednesday Morning may branch out to Mr Wednesday Night this upcoming week! Until then, this is DaveyBoy signing off & asking you to remember that dinner is best served in 3 courses.


DaveyBoy’s Wrestling Menu. 2002-2006

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