Web Conn Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ll-Uso-qPo I thought this match deserved its own thread. I believe this is the only one on one match between The Rock and Ric Flair. I know they met again in that 3 on 2 tag match at Wrestlemania 20. This match is perplexing to me, Rock was world champion and this is a non title match and it only went 7 and a half minutes in Greensboro no less. This could have went longer. I wish it was longer and on a ppv, I guess they figured it was only a matter of minutes before Rock left for Hollywood, so the decision was made to do while it was still possible. It should have went longer. Im not trashing this match its fun while it lasted. The crowd was hot and Rock & Flair made the most out it and had fun. There was a moment that Flair seemed like Flair '87. And there is a clean finish which in this type of matches doesnt happen as often as you wish. Jericho makes his return to Raw after being drafted to Smackdown a couple months ago by hitting Flair with a chair after the match. His outfit embodies what Professional Wrestling is to me. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerjeRUN Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 I didn't even know this match happened, thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonidas Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 Yeah not seen before, Flair lighting Rock up with chops and Rock's selling of it was beautiful. Almost as beautiful as Y2J's glitter suit combo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSC Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 I'm amused how Lilian Garcia puts all the emphasis on the GREAT STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, followed by announcing Ric Flair with all the enthusiasm that is typically given to an 90's WWF jobber standing in the ring post-commercial break. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra Commander Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 I'm guessing that the Rock's signature moves weren't usually countered on TV. Also gonna guess Flair got more offense and counters in 7 minutes than in some of his 90s PPV matches? So, who would be the biggest US name to never work with Ric Flair (who was around before Flair/HBK, at least)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirSmUgly Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 This match is great because The Rock has no sense of needing to protect himself at all. For example, he gets arm-dragged multiple times and then begs off Flair when he gets up and sees Flair with his dukes up. Would any other main eventer give to a guy like that when he didn't really need to? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E.J. Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 WWF 2002 was a really interesting time. They had virtually everyone under contract, except for a few big names but were dead-set on Triple H being the guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Lord Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 WWF 2002 was a really interesting time. They had virtually everyone under contract, except for a few big names but were dead-set on Triple H being the guy. Well that's more Vince's mindset than anything else. Plus 2002 was the start of Triple H's Ric Flair cosplay that he did till like 2005. Honestly I'm surprised they didn't outright reform The Four Horsemen just for him (though Evolution was pretty close). It's great to see Ric Flair still be Ric Flair though. This match was right before Flair's body broke down. He still had a great head of hair, his skin hadn't lost that battle to gravity. Good times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JCM Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 I haven't seen anything from this time period since it happened, but I remember thinking Rock was just starting to get really good around this time. Crazy to think what kind of career he could've had if he stayed around another 10 years as he was just hitting his peak around 2002. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twiztor Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 So, who would be the biggest US name to never work with Ric Flair (who was around before Flair/HBK, at least)? i'm going to do zero research on this topic and submit John Tenta. i don't recall a Flair/Earthquake match or a Flair/Shark match, so it's a possibility anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mco543 Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Is there a Flair/Sabu match out there? If there isn't there really should be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra Commander Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 So, who would be the biggest US name to never work with Ric Flair (who was around before Flair/HBK, at least)? i'm going to do zero research on this topic and submit John Tenta. i don't recall a Flair/Earthquake match or a Flair/Shark match, so it's a possibility anyway. no Flair v. Tenta matches. There was a Flair/Earthquake/Typhoon v. Tenryu/Hara/Takashi Ishikawa match on an SWS House Show. Is there a Flair/Sabu match out there? If there isn't there really should be. there hasn't been. But there's still time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mco543 Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 If I was a money mark I would absolutely book Flair vs Sabu on a show. It's the all-time dream match no one knew they wanted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Lord Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Is there a Flair/Sabu match out there? If there isn't there really should be. If Flair won the ECW title from The Big Show in that bloodletting on ECW on SyFy we could have got Ric Flair vs. Sabu at Summerslam that year. EDIT: Now that I think about it, I think I wrote up some post on here about how TNA should build Bound For Glory in Detroit around Flair and Sabu. Have Flair run down The Sheik and stuff since TNA was doing a Fourtune vs. ECW feud at the time. So it could have happened there but this is TNA. Why would they want to throw a random match together that people might pay to see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jrag Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 I've never seen this before. This match is awesome! Flair looked great at that age, which is sort of incredible when you look back on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brysynner Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Quick google search brought up that I couldn't find a match between Flair and Tully. Seems Flair's wrestled pretty much every other Horseman but Tully Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Nature Boy Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 I've never seen this before. This match is awesome! Flair looked great at that age, which is sort of incredible when you look back on it. The aging process for Flair seemed to kick into hyper drive in late 2002. Just a couple of years later, it looked like Flair had aged a decade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamhock Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Quick google search brought up that I couldn't find a match between Flair and Tully. Seems Flair's wrestled pretty much every other Horseman but Tully There *had* to be a tag match with Flair against Tully/Wahoo in 1984 somewhere... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamhock Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 I've never seen this before. This match is awesome! Flair looked great at that age, which is sort of incredible when you look back on it. The aging process for Flair seemed to kick into hyper drive in late 2002. Just a couple of years later, it looked like Flair had aged a decade. I've always assumed it was the drinking, like he had gotten himself into great shape for his return in late 2001 but then started hitting the sauce heavier again in mid-2002. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuzzy Dunlop Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Yeah, after watching this, I re-watched the Mania 20 handicap match, the Flair/Rock interaction in it is fun as fuck (FLAIR PEOPLE'S ELBOW!) and Flair is the best dude in the match but he looks like he'd aged 400 years since this singles match. Seemingly overnight, he'd gone from cool as shit classy old timey legend to decrepit old as fuck old timey legend...and yet he was still cool as shit and Ric Flair aged 103 is still Ric Flair. You could tell both guys enjoyed the hell out of being in the ring together too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuerrillaMonsoon Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 I'm guessing that the Rock's signature moves weren't usually countered on TV. Also gonna guess Flair got more offense and counters in 7 minutes than in some of his 90s PPV matches? So, who would be the biggest US name to never work with Ric Flair (who was around before Flair/HBK, at least)? Never worked with Cena (sort of - worked a tag with David Flair against Cena and O'Haire at an OVW taping in 2002) Others include: Liger Daniel Bryan Tommy Dreamer Billy Gunn Raven Mark Henry Bob Holly Rikishi The Sandman Taz Jim Duggan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keith_h Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 Okay now I really want to see Flair vs the Sandman. Another dream match we didn't know we missed out on. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Nature Boy Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 I would've liked to have seen a Flair/Raven feud in the late 90s. The promos would've been epic. Why couldn't Eric Bischoff had fired Flair in 98 and somehow Flair found his way into ECW? Crazy old man Flair in late 90s ECW would've been the best thing ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Lord Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 I would've liked to have seen a Flair/Raven feud in the late 90s. The promos would've been epic. Why couldn't Eric Bischoff had fired Flair in 98 and somehow Flair found his way into ECW? Crazy old man Flair in late 90s ECW would've been the best thing ever. Ric Flair vs. New Jack. There's a whole PPV right there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirSmUgly Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 I think Flair/Anderson vs. The Gangstas in some backwoods little arena in Tennessee is the greatest tag team match that this earth never got to see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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