Revisiting Flair v Steamboat

Ric Flair v Ricky Steamboat (WCW Chi-Town Rumble, 2/20/89)

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).