DaveyBoy’s Wrestling Menu – The Ultimate Ric Flair DVD Review (Disc-2)
Submitted by DaveyBoy on Wednesday, November 15, 2006 at 9:49 PM EST






THE WRESTLING MENU #204

Welcome one and all to the 204th edition of The Wrestling Menu, the column that is sure to satisfy your taste buds when it comes to discussing all things wrestling.

Well, it's still Wednesday... if only just. So the streak continues. Today sees Part-2 of my 3 part DVD Review on ‘The Ultimate Ric Flair Collection’. If you have not yet had time to read my review of Disc-1, you may still do so by clicking on the following link: http://www.lordsofpain.net/news/2006_/articles/1163222734.php

Just a reminder that the final part of this DVD Review will be posted some time this Saturday the 18th of November. That column will obviously include my overall conclusion on the 3 disc DVD set.

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!

On with the show….. Wooooooooooooooooooooo…..


ENTREE – Ricky Steamboat

RICKY STEAMBOAT – THE RIVALRY: A useful 4 minute introduction of sorts which is pretty informative when it comes to both men’s early years. This segment goes out of its way to highlight that both men were practically opposites outside of the ring, but always managed to create something special inside of the ring.

RIC FLAIR & BARRY WINDHAM vs RICKY STEAMBOAT & EDDIE GILBERT (NWA World Championship Wrestling. January-21, 1989): Steamboat returns to the NWA in this match as a mystery partner for Gilbert. And check out a very young Teddy Long as the referee! Steamboat begins at an excellent pace with his patented deep armdrags & running the ropes. But he also shows his strength during this stage, truly showing his versatility. Ricky genuinely dominates the first 5 minutes & then Gilbert continues the momentum for the faces. At this point, the DVD is clearly edited & it resumes with the heels in control, but Gilbert about to make the hot tag to Steamboat. More fast-paced action ensues with Steamboat totally in control & finishing off Flair with a top-rope Cross Body-Block. I’m actually not going to rate this bout as the edit was clearly there to only show Flair vs Steamboat & who knows how good or bad the middle section was. But the 7 minutes we did see was very frenetic & entertaining, even if it was all Ricky The Dragon! Deserving of a place on this DVD. Match Rating…N/A

Steamboat’s 3 Man Workout: An in-ring training session of sorts, where Steamboat sort of wrestles 3 opponents who attempt to wrestle with Ric Flair’s style. The first opponent is actually a young Dustin ‘Goldust’ Rhodes. Flair interrupts the commentary of Jim Ross & Magnum TA, and later gets in the ring for some action with Ricky. 6 minutes in length.

Flair Calls Out Steamboat (Clash Of The Champions 5. February-15, 1989): In ring segment where Flair (complete with 4 lady escorts) calls Steamboat to the ring & offers him his choice of ladies! The Dragon points out what a disgrace the World Champion is & how the 2 men are so different, before the 2 go at it with some intense action in the ring & into the crowd. Very good set-up to their eventual title match. All in all, 12 minutes in length. Segment Rating…7.5

vs RICKY STEAMBOAT (Clash Of The Champions 6. April-2, 1989): This is a ‘best of 3 falls’ match emanating from The SuperDome in New Orleans & was for Steamboat’s World HeavyWeight Title. Terry Funk provides special comments for this bout, which begins rather methodically with both men trying to get into the head of their opponent. Some decent mat-wrestling is showcased & the 2 thankfully keep the intensity up, in what is obviously setting up a longer than usual match. The first 20 or so minutes is clearly not without a few restholds, but the action is sufficiently intense & physical, while there are enough near-falls & good storytelling to make it all work sufficiently. The first fall goes to Flair after he reverses a small package at the 20 minute mark.

What was missing from the first fall was some of Steamboat’s fast-paced, high-flying action & it didn’t take too long for him to turn it up a few gears to begin the 2nd fall. The Dragon then retains control by pounding away at Flair’s knee & then hooking in the Figure 4 Leglock. Flair escapes, but then finds himself in a Boston Crab, further weakening him. The Nature Boy gets back into the bout by taking the action to the outside where his heel ways help him regain control. Back in the ring, Flair cleverly uses an abdominal stretch to gain numerous 2 counts, but Steamboat fights back with a Superplex & then goes to work on Ric’s back with many blows. He then locks on a painful looking double chicken-wing for the submission to equal the bout at the 35 minute mark!

Flair begins the final fall by focusing on the legs of the champ by any means necessary. It’s all a set-up for the Figure 4 which he hooks on at the 41 minute mark right in the center of the ring. The Dragon finally escapes the hold, but clearly favors the leg when trying to put together a subsequent flurry of offense. Both men get 2 counts from top-rope cross body-blocks, as the pace begins to pick up. But Flair logically slows it down with a sleeper-hold, which predictably gets the crowd involved. Ricky does escape, but gets brutalized by the challenger who once more goes to work on the weakened leg. Following a flurry of intense chops & strikes by Steamboat, he locks on the double chicken-wing once more. But his leg buckles under him & both men appear to have their shoulders pinned to the mat with a leg under the ropes. The referee counts to 3 & awards the bout to Steamboat at the 55 minute mark in a clearly controversial finish!

Terrific match which has many things in common with the Hart vs Michaels Iron Man Match from WrestleMania 12. So if you liked or disliked that 1996 match, you will most probably view this similarly. Great effort from both men in this rather natural & competitive bout, especially Steamboat who sells everything well & portrays his mental & physical tiredness perfectly. To be critical, Flair doesn’t sell quite as well & the match could have had a little more action in the first fall. But that’s being picky & overall, this is enthralling & entertaining action & drama that is great viewing. It’s always difficult to rate such a lengthy bout (as they are so difficult to pull off). My initial thought was a 9, but I really liked the way the controversial ending was pulled off, so I’ll go with a….. Match Rating…9.5

Flair’s Lawyer On The Controversial Finish: Flair’s lawyer quotes the rules of the NWA in demanding a rematch for Flair within 30 days, or else he will file a lawsuit against Ted Turner, WCW, Steamboat, etc… 3 minutes in length.

Jim Herd’s Response: The Executive Vice-President of WCW at the time responds to Flair’s lawyer by stating that there will be a rematch between Steamboat & Flair, which will include 3 judges at ringside. 2 minutes in length.

Ricky Steamboat Agrees To The Rematch: The Dragon admits that the finish to their title bout was not clear-cut in this 90 second interview.

Ric Flair Comments: The Nature Boy stakes his claim to be World Champion & puts over how motivated he is to regain the title. Just over 2 minutes in length.

WrestleWar Pre-Match Interview: Loud & intense one minute backstage interview given by Ric Flair.

The Greatest Match: A modern-day Flair gives his opinion on some fans’ view that his WrestleWar bout against Steamboat was the “greatest match of all time”. He says it’s much of a muchness, as the 2 of them had some classic house show encounters as well which only the live attendance had the pleasure of witnessing. 2 minutes in length.

vs RICKY STEAMBOAT (WrestleWar. May-7, 1989): Three judges sat at ringside just in case this 1 fall bout went to a 60 minute time limit draw. A nice mix of everything is included in the first 10 minutes or so with Steamboat getting the better of the offense & predictably working on Flair’s arm (presumably setting up for the double chicken-wing submission hold). There are some flashes of Ricky’s pace & aerial skills during this time, but it’s not as much as I would have hoped for. What The Dragon does do very well is up the intensity with each time that Flair begins to fight back. Both wrestlers do a great job of telling the story that the face champ has an answer for everything the heel challenger throws at him, whether in the ring or at ringside. The tide changes after Steamboat misses a cross body-block & Flair gets many nearfalls following minutes on end of The Nature Boy delivering some solid, if unspectacular, offense.

A few bone-crunching moves to ringside at about the 25 minute mark really lifts the pace, as both men earn nearfalls. A Superplex by the champ sets up a failed chicken-wing attempt, but then he subsequently takes a huge fall to the outside when perched on the top-rope. This leads to a leg injury which Flair predictably targets & locks on the Figure 4 Leglock. Ricky escapes, but continues to be the target of an attack towards his leg. That is, until he hits a desperation enziguri to seemingly halt Flair’s momentum. The finish comes soon after at the 32 minute mark though when Steamboat attempts a body slam, but Flair holds on to his leg & rolls through for the pinfall.

Afterwards, Jim Ross interviews Flair in the ring where he puts over Steamboat (despite being a heel at the time), but then gets challenged & attacked by (judge) Terry Funk. This includes a very awkward looking piledriver on a table! Definitely not the greatest match ever. In fact, I prefer both of the 2 other matches that I have seen between these 2. That’s not to take too much away from this bout though, as it’s still rather entertaining, tells a good story & is a solid mix of everything. But to me, this match lacked something to make it a classic. It’s difficult to put my finger on it, but something was definitely missing. Match Rating…8.5


MAIN – Terry Funk

TERRY FUNK – HARDCORE: Short 1 minute introduction where Flair talks up Funk, if not as much as some of his other adversaries.

Press Conference: June 1989 press conference where World Champion Flair announces his return to wrestling after sustaining a neck injury at the hands of Terry Funk. He & Jim Herd announce that his return bout will be against Funk in July. 4 minutes in length.

Bagged: From a September 1989 match of some sort involving Flair, Terry Funk interferes & ties a bag over the champs head. One minute in length.

”I’ll Shake His Hand”: A backstage interview conducted by Jim Ross in early November 1989, where Terry Funk agrees to shake Flair’s hand if he makes Terry say “I Quit”.

Flair’s Rebuttal: Later on in the same day, Flair yells for a minute or so stating that he doesn’t trust Funk & will win the match.

”You’re Gonna Say ‘I Quit’”: JR conducts this interview with Flair just a week before the big match. Good promo by The Nature Boy where his intensity is just right. 3 minutes in length.

New York Knock-Out Promos: One minute promo where both men state the “I Quit” Match is for nothing but pride.

Terry Funk Pre-Match Interview: JR interviews Funk (with manager Gary Hart) at ringside. Terry points out the differences between he & The Nature Boy, and also states that he does not need Hart’s help during the bout. Approximately 90 seconds in length.

Ric Flair Pre-Match Interview: Another very good & intense 90 second promo from Flair.

vs TERRY FUNK (Clash Of The Champions 9. November-15, 1989): This is an “I Quit” Match & it should be noted that it is a non-title bout! Flair does a good job in transitioning his intensity to his face character to begin the match. He also chops Funk outside of the ring a few times, and Terry does a great job in playing crazy by attacking the crowd & a cameraman. Both men ambitiously head for the microphone in the first 10 minutes, as both wrestlers take turns in punching or chopping their opponent constantly. Funk hits a piledriver on Flair in the ring & then follows up with another on the concrete at ringside! Flair doesn’t quit though & he even fights back with some genuinely intense offense around ringside.

Back in the ring, Flair goes to work on Funk’s left knee, while also throwing in the occasional loud chop to the chest. While Funk fights out of an initial attempt to lock on the Figure 4 Leglock, he can’t get out of it the second time & eventually quits after being locked in the move for over a minute. A little short at just 18 minutes in length, this bout still did have a fair bit of action, while also being rather entertaining. I’m unsure if it was because he was playing the face, but Flair did a great job in acting out his intensity, while Funk’s crazy character fit in well with that. I wouldn’t put this anywhere near the upper echelon of greatest matches ever, but it’s still very good. Match Rating…8


DESSERT – Miscellaneous Segments

THE PLANE CRASH: Flair & fellow passenger (promoter) David Crockett tell the story of the infamous plane crash of a Cessna plane that occurred on October-4 – 1975, when 3 wrestlers & the promoter were traveling from one show to another. Flair broke his back in the crash & states that he really began living large after the insurance settlement. While it sounds strange, a wrestling fan also gives his perspective & it actually adds to the segment. Good 8 minute look at this factual event.

HISTORY OF THE HORSEMEN: A good 6 minute segment from the ‘WWE Confidential’ television show which looks at The 4 Horsemen from their early years with the original members of Flair, Tully Blanchard, Ole & Arn Anderson (with JJ Dillon as their manager). The group are put over as successful heels who made the company a lot of money, but didn’t quite ever capture their original best after Arn & Tully left for the WWE in the early 1990’s.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE HORSEMEN: Another ‘WWE Confidential’ segment where Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard state that The Horsemen genuinely lived the good life 24/7. They traveled in private jets and/or luxury cars, while wearing expensive clothing. Amazing stuff!!! 5 minutes in length.


COFFEE – Easter Eggs

(1) In the ‘Chapters’ menu, highlight ‘Main’ & press ‘right’ once to see a 2 minute backstage interview with Flair just after he turned heel on Dusty Rhodes in 1985. Very good & intense.

(2) In the ‘Chapters’ menu, highlight ‘A Day In The Life Of The Horsemen’ & press ‘left’ once to see a ringside promo from Flair where he waffles on about nothing in particular for just under 4 minutes.


Ok, so that concludes the second part of this 3 part DVD Review series. Once more, if you can, please try & hold back on feedback & questions until after the final part of this series this coming Saturday. 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

So look out for the third successive weekend edition of 'The Wrestling Menu' this Saturday the 18th. 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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