It's been a long minute since I last watched this. I first went through the 80s Mid-South set in the late 00s so it's going on about 14 years now (12 since I started the re-watch project), which is...man. That was ages ago. My memory of this was that it was great and very different for a Flair match. It all started in the best way possible, with Flair mocking Jake's scraggly hair metal stoner t-shirt and his baggy pants, looking down his substantial nose at a man he clearly deems unfit to be in there with the champion of the world. Jake putting him in his place with the DDT was sensational and really the perfect response to a jackass like that. Flair sells the thing for about five minutes, face down barely moving while Jake is desperate for the bell to ring. You can hear him pleading with Fergie to start the match and the crowd are itching for it, because they know Flair is fucked. Flair threatens to take his ball and go home so Fergie gets on the house mic and tells him to come back, then puts on the count while Roberts tries to speed him up. It was hard to hear properly but I'd guess Fergie said he'd award Roberts the belt via count out if Flair decided to walk (you'd never see referees afforded such authority today, let me tell you). Eventually Flair comes back, the bell rings, and everyone in attendance is rabid for that next DDT. The perfect way to set up a match. And look, it was good. But it was more of a Flair match than I remembered, even if I was half expecting that to be the case. I think the only person I've seen consistently drag Flair out of his comfort zone is Randy Savage, and while Roberts doesn't achieve that to the same level, he did almost force Flair to change tack a little. Or rather the DDT did, the extent to which it was over with the crowd, even if it was mostly in a foreshadowing sense. I don't remember many other Flair opponents having a signature move so red hot that matches had to be shaped at least to some degree around the threat of it. Maybe Luger's Torture Rack? Jake still wound up doing some shit he never would do against any opponent other than Flair, but on the other hand the DDT is a move Flair had never encountered before so the backdrop of it was at least unique. It added a sense of danger to something like Roberts grabbing a front facelock, so Flair would need to immediately drop to the mat and scramble to the ropes. I like that Flair got a little extra vicious for a few minutes midway through. I say it all the time now but my favourite Flair is cornered animal Flair who'll just light you up. He took over by hitting a diving headbutt to Jake's balls and I really wish he never got rid of those nasty double stomps, because these looked like they could make Roberts puke. Ultimately he was back to the begging off before long, but it was nice while it lasted. And fair play, the finish was great. Jake had hit the running knee a couple times already and Flair bumped huge for both, then he goes for a third, Flair moves and Jake's momentum takes him upside down in the corner. Flair smells blood and goes for the figure four, Jake yanks him into a cradle, Flair manages to turn it over and by luck is close enough to the ropes for a little extra leverage. I wish they'd played up the DDT a little more overtly, but what can you do. This was pretty good.
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