Ric Flair vs Ricky Steamboat (WCW - 2/20/1989)

This should be on the nominees list. It's an all-time classic. Not sure if it will be in my top 100 though. But, it's Flair vs. Steamboat, so it should at least be considered.

I think this may be the greatest pure workrate match of all time. It is an action-packed thrill ride that leaves you hanging on the edge of your seat from jump. The fact it doesn't go long is the first unpredictable thing. The teased Dusty Finish only for Steamboat to actually win is the second. It is a 20-25 minute sprint. Think about that. We talk about sprints being sub-10 minutes. They sprinted 20+ and never lost their way. A No. 1 candidate.

NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair vs Ricky Steamboat - NWA Chi-Town Rumble '89



What a crowd! There have been hotter crowds, but this crowd really lent a real sports feel to this match by how they were reacting. They cheered a Steamboat headlock takeover. The Steamboat double chop early was an electric moment and the following nearfall was treated like a big deal by the crowd. Every nearfall was getting big reactions and they were all on their feet for the finish. Of course, the reason why the crowd was so damn invested was because it was two of the greatest wrestlers of all time going toe-to-toe for the World's Heavyweight Championship. Ric Flair gave an absolutely masterful performance. It is incredible how well he sells in the early part of the match to shine that babyface up, but it also sets up his desperation heat segment. This was a great example of the three-pronged Flair strategy: breaking momentum on the outside, crowding in the corner and creating movement to cause mistakes. As Jim Ross said, "The Dragon was breathing fire tonight!". Steamboat was always one step ahead of the Nature Boy. Flair would BLAST him with a chop and he would fire two right back. In a battle of quickness, he was always getting the upper hand. What really sent Flair to the hills were all those pinfall attempts he was racking up early. In the shine segment, Steamboat was great, but I thought Flair took it to the next level. The transition was Flair dragging Steamboat outside into his domain and ramming him head first into the railing, clawing the eyes and hitting such a tremendous chop it had the Chicago Bears sitting ringside marking the fuck out. Flair is so good at turning the violent streak on in his heat segment. Loved the Steamboat hope spot on the roll through that got a great pop again a crowd totally 100% invested in the match. Flair, who has been freaking out about these nearfalls, pouncing on Steamboat and immediately putting him in the figure-4. EXCELLENT PSYCHOLOGY! I don't like to complain in these reviews, but anyone who says Flair does not have psychology can suck it. Steamboat is money during the heat segment as he rallies the crowd behind him. If Flair is the better seller during a babyface shine, it is Steamboat's selling that takes the heat segment to the next level. Amazing, how the wrestler underneath is dictating the energy of the match! In the post-modern world where offense rules the roost, that never happens anymore and that's why crowds are not 100% invested like this amazing Chicago crowd. Steamboat tries to make his last stand firing back with chops but Flair looks to have an insurmountable lead as they take a big tumble over the top rope onto the floor. Flair is throwing suplexes and is in command. He just cant put the Dragon away and Flair gets frustrated pushing the ref around and jawing with the crowd. Then we see the rays of hope as Steamboat starts building momentum with a string of nearfalls. Steamboat comes roaring out with a flying karate chop. All of sudden, Flair is on the defensive and it looks like Steamboat will hit the flying bodypress that got him the pinfall victory on Flair in January and the visual pin at the Clash. Except, he wipes out the ref! OH NO! Flair with the trunks, but no ref! STEAMBOAT CRASHES AND BURNS ON THE FLYING BODYPRESS Flair goes for the Figure-4, inside cradle and Steamboat wins the World Championship!



Given Crockett's past, the finish has you believe something screwy is going to happen, but Steamboat does win the championship to a huge pop. It was almost like swerving on the swerve, so that finish is put this decisively behind Clash VI for me, but I have this above Wrestlerwar. Spectacular match! Both wrestlers hit it out of the park! Those chops exchanges, HOT DAMN! Flair knocked this one out of the park, he did all the right things every single time. Steamboat's selling carried the day set himself up for a hot comeback. My knock against Steamer will always be offense on the comeback, but they did such a great job building up the flying cross body and his cradles that it felt super hot and you were totally invested through his selling. Incredible pace! Easy, easy top 50 match of all time if not higher. *****

I just rewatched this and I think that this match does so well is be so competitive without being "my turn, your turn" everything is earned. It is two combatants just throwing everything they have at each other. There is no waiting for the other to make a comeback you gotta go take it. It also never feels like a blowout. Steamboat takes an early lead but Flair is a master of breaking momentum. I like gradualism of the heat segment with Steamboat slowly losing that fire as the match wears on only to finally break through. If there is one flaw in the match it is the transition to Steamboat's comeback. To me this is the pinnacle of 80s workrate. I think there are better examples of Flairism as a style as this tones down a lot of the Flairism tropes in favor of being a workrate spectacle. We talk 5, 10 minute sprints, these two had a 20+ minute sprint. Insane!

It's been a while. Maybe absence really does make the heart grow fonder because the last time I watched a Flair/Steamboat match I figured I could go the rest of my pitiful, sordid days without seeing another one and I'd be a happy man. That was like, what, eight years ago now? So yeah, it's been a while. I don't know if this is the best Flair title match ever - probably isn't, tbf - but it might be the best mix of your classic Flair Tile Defence Formula and a mean old slugfest. It feels like a real fight and it's no surprise that I was digging it the most when they were just lighting each other up. I liked how Steamboat was in no mood for Flair from the very beginning and had an answer to everything, including and especially the chops. Jim Ross can be sort of overbearing when he really tries to sell the shit out of something but he was amazing at getting over these chops. Good grief they were awesome. Flair taking over through questionable means was good and I bought that he'd had about enough playing around. He got a longer stretch than usual working on top as well, which I'm grateful for because even if it's not the thing you most commonly associate with him I much, much prefer him getting surly and lacing into someone than seeing him on the back foot and stooging and such. He even got to roll out a few big suplexes and Flair taking his time before hitting great looking suplexes is always good fun. The bridge sequence felt pretty out of place, like it was just thrown in there because it's a staple and Flair simply likes to do it, but then it basically segued into Steamboat making his comeback so I guess it had a purpose? Finishing run was red hot and even before the finish they had folk biting a few times. Finish itself is great because the crowd know there's a good chance it'll be reversed, but then Tommy Young raises Steamboat's hand like NO there will NOT be a Dusty Finish on the cards tonight and everyone goes even more apeshit than they did for the actual pinfall. Whole thing was just intense as hell from the start and even those token nearfalls off headlock takeovers felt meaningful. It was like a sports contest between two exceptional teams where everyone involved was playing up to their on-paper level. Offences were clicking, everything was fluid, the pace was high, defences had answers to everything, it was an even contest played at the very highest standard. Like, Flair/Garvin is a contest between two teams who do not like each other and it's messy, it's ugly as hell, wild tackles are flying in everywhere, folk are getting ejected. It's a different kind of contest between two great teams, not nearly as crisp or fluid but great in its own way. This borrowed the molten stiffness from the latter and worked it into the former. Great match. I imagine it'll end up being my favourite of all their matches (I intend to re-watch the rest of their '89 series in the near future).