WWF/E vs WCW vs NWA: Ric Flair

[Ruthless-RKO]

The "Nature Boy" Ric Flair, one of the most known professional wrestlers in the world!! Recognised by WWE as a 16-time World Champion, however Flair recognises himself as a 21-time world champion.

In NWA from 1974-1986
WCW from 1986-1991, 1993-2001
WWF/E from 1991-1993, 2001-2009

In NWA he had feuds with The Andersons, Ricky Steamboat, Buddy Rodgers, Jimmy Snuka, Roddy Piper, Dusty Rhodes, Kerry Von Erich, Harley Race, Nikita Koloff....Also started professional wrestlings greatest stable: The Four Horsemen!!

In WCW, he had feuds with Sting, Lex Luger, Ricky Steamboat, Terry Funk, DOOM, Tatsumi Fujinami, Rick Rude, Vader, Hulk Hogan, Arn Anderson, nWo, Vince Russo...

In WWF/E, he had feuds with Randy Savage, Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, Mr. Perfect, The Undertaker, Vince McMahon, Chris Jericho, Booker T, Shawn Michaels, Chris Benoit, Batista, Orton, Triple H, Mick Foley, Carlito...With Triple H, formed Evolution, recruited Batista and Randy Orton...

Championships & Accomplishments
NWA
8-time NWA World Champion
5-time NWA United States Champion
1-time NWA Television Champion
3-time NWA World Tag Team Champion
NWA Hall of Fame (Class of 2008)

WCW
6-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion
1 time WCW International World Heavyweight Championship
1-time WCW United States Heavyweight Championship
3-time WCW World Tag Team Champion

WWF/E
2-time WWF Champion
3-time World Tag Team Champion
1-time Intercontinental Champion
Royal Rumble Winner (1992)
WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2008)

So based matches, promos, feuds, impact created when he was there....What would you say: Ric Flair in NWA, WWF/E or WCW??

I have to say considering everything, i'm going to have to choose...(wow, this is tough)....NWA...but not by a long shot...i think WCW and WWF/E are very close behind...IMO, NWA made him, he wouldn't have been the Nature Boy if it wasn't for NWA...his feuds were just great...he had averaged every match more than 30 minutes, defending titles every week...He spent 12 years there although it could be counted as 17, if you say his first WCW stint was also part of NWA... I can't wait to hear from what you people have to say!!

So what would you say??

Please keep this thread on topic!!

 

[Ferbian]

Ric Flair has had an amazing career, and it's mostly due to NWA, because they build him into the legend he is, let's remember part of the WCW career he has was while WCW was under the NWA banner as well, so it's inevitable not to credit NWA for a part of his WCW career as well.

Ric Flair was in his prime during the NWA days, he had hour long matches on a regular basic, he had great matches and became known as one of the greatest of all time with his NWA time, he had the greatest promo skills (which he carried with him to WCW and WWE) and he founded the Four Horsemen in NWA.

So I think the choice is definitely NWA.

 

[Davi323]

NWA all the way. How could it not be? He was in his prime, and he was "the man". The original incarnation of the Horsemen was NWA, his legendary feuds with Dusty Rhodes, Ricky Steamboat and Harley Race were NWA as well. Flair always said "To be the man, you gotta beat the man". Well, in the NWA, the Nature Boy was "the man". No ifs ands or buts. Flair was a notch higher than everyone else.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Well, technically, WCW was really still kind of linked to the NWA up until around late 1993 before WCW and the NWA split. However, Ric Flair was definitely at his peak during the NWA years. During the 1980s, Ric Flair virtually was the NWA. He was easily the biggest star, he had the biggest feuds, he was the biggest draw and he was NWA World Heavyweight Champion most of the time throughout the entire decade. During the 80s, Ric Flair held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship officially for 2,859 days, which is roughly 8 years total. And, of course, Flair helped found the Four Horsemen during this time.

By the time the early 90s came around, Flair was in his early 40s and guys like Sting were already making their way up and Flair simply did not have nearly as much overall dominance in the 90s, in either WCW or the WWF, as he did in the NWA during the 80s.

 

[Schizophrenic]

NWA without a doubt. In the NWA Ric was "The Man" and showed it every night while in WCW he was a top guy and main event draw but was never really given the ball to run with like he was in the NWA. His first WWE run was forgettable (hell sometimes I forget he was a WWF Champion) and didn't do much for his career. His second run was much better but nowhere near the likes of his NWA or even WCW days. But the NWA made him Ric Flair. It made him the best in the buisness. No question.

 

[Mr. Marvelous]

I will say he is as funny as he has ever been in TNA.

But NWA is the true Ric Flair. That's where he became "The Man".
I think that is where he was happiest also.
You could see that he wasn't comfortable in his first WWF run. And all the backstage turmoil that went down once Turner Took over WCW didn't help either.

 

[It's...Baylariat!]

The NWA Ric Flair is far and away the best of this bunch. Winning the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Title 8 times, beating the best wrestlers in the world to keep that belt, and also helping stars like Sting, Lex Luger, Ricky Steamboat, and others get over even more than they were already.

Ric Flair in the NWA was on par with Hulk Hogan as far as popularity in certain areas. Not overall...because Hogan was more mainstream and had more of a PR machine than Flair did, but for wrestling purists who just watched for the matches and not the merchandise and bells and whistles, many say Flair was the superior wrestler during this time. And on top of this, Flair was the BAD GUY! Yea, playing the heel and being as popular as he was has to be a feat on its own.

Flair just did so much more in the NWA than in WCW and the WWE. Sure in WCW, he was the focal point, but once Hogan signed, they put Flair on the back burner. Same in the WWE with Hogan, Savage, and in the later years, Undertaker, HHH, HBK, etc. In the NWA, Flair was the main attraction and managed to keep the NWA from going under a lot sooner than it actually did.

 

[Ferbian]

In the NWA, Flair was the main attraction and managed to keep the NWA from going under a lot sooner than it actually did.

^ This!

So true Lariat, and also considering the fact that when Ric Flair got fired from NWA-WCW he left to WWF with the World Championship belt, and as far as I remember, it was one of the ultimate blows in killing the popularity of NWA, not only because their championship appeared on another promotions tapings, but also due to the fact that you can't deny Ric Flair, one of the greatest (yes even the announcer / interviewer that was present with Heenan and Ric Flair when he debuted on WWF television acknowledged him as one of the greatest) moving to another promotion, has to do somethimng for the promotion he's in, and the promotion he's leaving.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

Has to be NWA - Flair in his prime was regarded as the best wrestler in the world. The WWF might have become the biggest promotion in the world on the back of Wrestlemania but the NWA World Title was regarded as more prestigious because of Flair, Race, Steamboat, Rhodes etcetra. While he had good feuds in both WCW and WWF, in both promotions they 'proved' that Hogan was the greater wrestler - bollocks. Beating the man did not make Hogan the man.

 

[Mr. Marvelous]

^ This!

So true Lariat, and also considering the fact that when Ric Flair got fired from NWA-WCW he left to WWF with the World Championship belt

You could also look at it that Flair was the true World Champ, because he worked the territories back then also.
Where as Hogan was just the WWF chump...i mean champ.
And WWF's blurring out of the belt on TV made it worse for WCW.
The REAL Worlds Champion....Woooo.

 

[mikeyboy]

No contest,NWA. His feud with Race for the world title is where Flair went from good wrestler to a legend and the 4 horseman were born in the NWA. so NWA all the way,WCW can get some credit also since it sprang from the NWA but his time in WWF/E does not even come close.

 

[Ruthless-RKO]

but his time in WWF/E does not even come close.

The thing is here, i think in his later career with WWE from 2001-2008, he still showed us he had it in him, he still did have great feuds, hell he won the Intercontintal champion...was part of a great stable and had multiple tag title reigns with different wrestlers...

 

[The Incredible Mr. C]

I'll be honest... when someone says NWA, the first names I think of are Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Eazy E, MC Ren and DJ Yella.

But when it comes to wrestling and the NWA, it's no contest. As a wrestling fan growing up in the 1980's, Ric Flair was the NWA, the NWA was Ric Flair. No doubt.

Back then, Flair created, and more importantly, was allowed to be Flair. He was put on such a leash in WWE for fear of him giving his "80's rasslin' promos," that it was silly. He was way better in the ring too.

Not to mention, in the NWA, I never thought, "Dammit, Naitch... put on a shirt."

 

[WorldHeavyweightChampion]

Well, I started watching the NWA back in the mid-80's, but quickly got caught up (thanks to my cousin) on who Ric Flair was and the 4-Horsemen. Though I started off a Lex Luger fan, the first time I saw Flair take off one of those $15,000 robes and saw The Big Gold Belt, I knew THIS guy is THE World Heavyweight Champion!

Not to mention my cousin telling me how when Flair was hurt he became even more dangerous and harder to beat.

Ask (kayfabe) Sting, Harley Race, Kerry VonErich, Ricky Steamboat, Terry Funk, Nikita Koloff, Dusty Rhodes, Hawk, Ricky Morton, Magnum T.A., Sam Houston, Michael Hayes, Buddy Landell, Bobby Eaton, Scott Steiner, Lex Luger, Barry Windham, The Great Muta, Ronnie Garvin, Manny Fernandez, Jack Brisco, Roddy Piper, Bob Backlund, Carlos Colon, Rick Martel, Tatsami Fujinami, Jimmy Garvin, etc, etc...

ALL of this under the NWA-JCP banner, not to mention:

10-time (NWA) World Heavyweight Champion
4-time (NWA) United States Heavyweight Champion
3-time (NWA) World Tag-Team Champion
1-time (NWA) World Television Champion

plus, also under the NWA banner:

1-time NWA Missouri Heavyweight Champion
4-time NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion
3-time NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag-Team Champion
1-time NWA Mid-Atlantic Television Champion

BUT.... keep in mind his "first" run with WCW was STILL under the NWA banner. The NWA did not become WCW, but Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP) became WCW. WCW was just a "territory" and member of the NWA.

So, add in the following as accomplishments in the NWA (with WCW until WCW cancelled its membership in the NWA and left it):

3-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion (beat Sting in 1991, Fujinami in 1991, and Vader in 1993)

*Funny how there's no mention of his AWA days. Oh well. lol

Naw, his accomplishments in WCW after it left the NWA, then him in both WWF and later WWE.... none compare to his NWA days. So, yes, I voted NWA all the way jack.

And whether you like it, or ya don't like it, you're gonna learn to love it.... 'cause it's the best thing goin' oooooonn today! Whoooooo!

 

[Goliath Uterus]

Im gonna have to agree with the majority here, Flair most definitley had his best years in NWA. He was in his prime, stylin, profilin, and winnin hella championships. He was still great in WCW and even later on in WWF/E just because he stayed in such good shape and because he was still the Nature Boy but yea, like most everyone said you can't compete with his time in NWA.

 

[Reddannihilation]

NWA no questions asked. In WCW Flair had some great matches, especially against Sting. But nothing compare to Flair in the NWA. His first WWF stint was average at best and his second run with the WWE wasn't anywhere near what he was doing in previous decades. All of his runs had highlights but WCW and WWE Ric Flair just doesn't come close to Flair in his best years.