This was for Flair’s NWA World Heavyweight Championship.
I have searched high and low for this for a while now. I know it was on some WWE DVD in the past, perhaps Steamboat’s, but all of my old WWE DVD’s are in storage and probably not playable at this point. For the longest time, I could somehow find this whole entire event online, just not this match outside of a 2 minute clip on WWE.com. It didn’t make sense. But thanks to the deepest corners of the internet, I uncovered a copy of it in HD, and I couldn’t wait to dive in.
The Flair/Steamboat rivalry has always been special to me. No disrespect to Sting at all, as I love that feud too, but Sting/Flair always felt like JCP/WCW’s answer to the hero chasing the villain in the world of sports entertainment. Basically, Hogan’s entire 80’s WWF arc only inverse, since Flair is the heel everyone’s chasing.
Steamboat/Flair, to me, was Flair’s greatest fear because Steamboat was the only one Flair, in character, viewed as his equal. This was because they had a blood feud that took Mid Atlantic by storm in the late 70’s, that eventually led to Flair’s first major babyface turn when he went to war with “his cousins” Gene and Ole Anderson. Flair needed help to fight this war, and none of the other babyfaces could trust Flair. But Steamboat stepped up, and they actually won the Tag Belts from the Andersons. Steamboat respected Flair, and a rapport had been built up that made them great partners. Steamboat didn’t trust Flair as much as he knew him inside of that ring, perhaps better than anyone. And that story thread sort of plays into their entire run throughout the 80’s and early 90’s. Steamboat always respects Flair the performer, not the person, and he knows he knows how to beat him. It’s why Steamboat is able to take Flair by storm upon his valiant return to JCP in 1989, and what Steamboat is even able to take him to his limit and cause the title to be vacated in 1994. And it’s why Ric Flair, the character, always feared Steamboat more than Sting. Because he knew Steamboat knew how to beat him, and he respected him for it. It’s why he created the Horsemen, it’s why he threw everything he could at Sting and even guys like Magnum and Dusty and Nikita, because he was going to be god damned if he ever let someone get to him the way Ricky Steamboat did.
The match is great mostly. Steamboat has Flair’s number in the first half, keeping it on the mat, doing basic, long drawn out, mat work to wear Flair’s whole body down, but focusing a lot on the arms and wrists.
Flair keeps trying to test Steamboat out with test of strength spots, hoping to sneak a low shot in to gain an advantage, but Steamboat stays one step ahead of him each time. Flair’s frustration starts to show as he takes a powder and orders the camera man out of his way.
Back in the ring, Steamboat stays on him. Flair has the presence of mind on a big back body drop to land close enough to the ropes that he can break the forthcoming pinfall attempt. Finally, Flair’s frustration boils over as he gets back up and shoves Steamboat, and tries to goad him in to a fist fight. But then IMMEDIATELY bails to the floor, which finally gets Steamboat angry now.
This is all interesting, because Flair just won the title from Race 4-5 months prior in the big “Flair for the Gold” moment, and he is a babyface in Mid Atlantic, but seemingly a heel everywhere else based on the list of guys he’s working in other territories. This can also build up the fact that Steamer is Flair’s greatest rival, as mentioned before, and he’ll do anything to beat him, even if that means breaking some rules again, and even getting some cheap shots in on him.
They exchange moves and holds back inside and Steamboat goes for a spinning toe hold, but out of the refs eye line, Flair yanks down on Steamboat’s tights to trip him backwards and he falls. As they get back up, Flair continues to taunt Steamer and gets him in the corner with all his weight against him, and now Flair goes to work on Steamboat’s midsection.
Flair’s offense begins to wane and lead way to Steamboat’s first big comeback attempt. Steamer capitalizes on a missed Flair chop in the corner, and lights him up with some of his own before trapping Flair in a long sleeper spot. And Steamer’s doing a legit sleeper spot here — he’s wrenching his arms, getting the hold on tighter. He’s actually using it as a move in his arsenal in an attempt to win the match, not just a rest hold to catch their breath (which he’s obviously doing also, but it’s about how it’s disguised. It’s what so many are missing from rest hold spots the last 20+ years.)
Flair slumps down in the hold, and he seems out, but he keeps his arm up so Steamboat flips him over for a quick pin, but Flair gets his foot on the ropes to break it up. Steamboat tries to do a quick splash while Flair’s down, but Flair gets his knees up, crushing Steamboat’s midsection and sending him bouncing up and through the ropes to the floor!
They both start playing the hits which, in 1984, probably wouldn’t be considered that just yet. But after their 89 and 94 matches, I think you get the drift. So for someone viewing this for the first time in 2024, it kind of loses my interest. Seen it once, seen it a million times. Hence some of the biggest criticisms of Flair’s work.
Steamboat goes on a wild run of offense at the end and really has Flair reeling. Steamboat ignores the time limit warning from the ref, and instead of pinning Flair, he goes up top for a big splash off the top and THEN pins him. The ref counts, the bell rings, Steamer thinks it was three AND HE WON — but the ref has to tell him NO, the bell rang due to the time limit expiring and Steamer is crushed!
Post match, Flair and Steamboat shake hands and hug and Steamboat hands the belt to Flair and Flair raises Steamer’s arm since they are both faces at the end of the day.
They have a rematch two months from now at a Mid Atlantic House show in NJ that’s apparently one of the best matches they’ve ever had, but I don’t think it made tape. At least, I can’t find it.
The first 30-40 minutes of this are really, really good, but the last 20 minutes or so (sans the finish) are pretty standard fare for a match from either of these two at the time. Would’ve probably rated this super high if I watched it live in ‘84, or somehow never saw any of their other matches they had in ‘89 and ‘94. The one thing I loved that I didn’t mention is how Steamboat made his entire focus wearing Flair down and working on his neck. Because of this, he didn’t throw a single of his signature arm drags. And you can kind of build off that. Did Steamer overthink his approach? Did he under-prepare? Could the arm drags and some of his other usual offense have been what got the job done? Is anybody even reading this? Is there anybody out there? Can you help me?
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