ric flair - greatest ever?

[grum999]

There have been many great wrestlers over the past few decades like hulk hogan and steve austin but in my mind it is the "nature boy" ric flair. He has got everything - style,wrestling ability,mic skills and most of all likeability. He was great as a heel and is also a great monster face on our tv screens. In my mind he has been part of the two best wrestling factions in the last thirty years in evolution and the greatest of them all the four horsemen. He is a 16time world champion and personally the greatest of all. Discuss.

 

[Monkey_Mania]

Yeah I agree Ric is the man. Without him we wouldnt have proffesional wrestling. I agree with everything you said. His time in The 4 Horsemen was just unbelieveable. I can't remember anyone that could make anyone hate them so much but likeing him at the same time because he was so damn cool. I always loved the fact that Ric could toy with the crowd. Like he could come out and be a face one moment and then BAM! right back to being a heel. I cant remember how many times ive seen him do that.

Ric Flair is the greatest of all time. Whether its him being the cocky arrogant leader of the Four Horsemen to the arrogant cocky teacher in Evolution to the fact that he is a 16 time World Champ. In my mind Ric Will always be A Kiss Stealin, Wheelin Dealin, Limosuine Ridin, Jet Flyin' Son of a Gun.


WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

 

[Slyfox696]

Ric Flair can't touch Hulk Hogan in terms of greatness. Clearly, Flair was the head of the NWA and was hated as a heel, but his actual in-ring wrestling was quite questionable, many times repetitive and illogical, and he NEVER had the type of overness that Hulk Hogan had.

Remember this. Hulk Hogan re-invented wrestling, not once, but TWICE. Hogan was mega over in the AWA, mega over in Japan, mega over in WWF and mega over in WCW.

Ric Flair doesn't come close to Hulk Hogan.

 

[X]

That's absolute bullshit slyfox, Ric Flair wasn't good in the ring?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! HAVE YOU EVER WATCHED A RIC FLAIR MATCH?!

Ric Flair's matches with Steamboat, Funk, Kerry Von Erich, all absolute classics. Ric Flair was without a doubt the most skilled wrestler of the 80s with the largest repertoire.

Once again you judge people's worth as wrestlers based on how "over" they were. Terry Funk was never over in the WWE, doesn't mean he isn't one of the best wrestlers of all time (of course you'll probably disagree with that too because he never sold millions of T-Shirts, which is logically the first thing you think of when judging a WRESTLER)

And to judge Ric Flair's moveset as being "repetitive"(which is bullshit), and then rave about Hulk Hogan, is nonsensical. Every Hogan match had the same ending sequence and the same moves. Want to talk about repititive movesets..

Seriously man, that is by far the most ludicrous thing I've heard from you yet. Laughable at best.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

Ric Flair great? Yes.

Ric Flair the best ever? I will say no.

Hulk Hogan better than Ric Flair? Not on any drug you offer me.

Listen, there is a reason why what the New England Patriots have done in the last 7 years or so is much more imressive than the Packers of he 60's, Steelers of the 70's, 49er's of the 80's, or even the Cowboys of the 90's. There is more parity and more competition in the NFL today, yet the Pats keep showing up, winning 3 out of 4 Superbowls. Wow.

Greatness is predicated as much on an individual's surroundings as it is on that individual. Flair is ONE of the greatest ever much the way the Pack, Steelers, Niner's and Boys were. But for sometime, Flair was one of the only choices. He was infinately more talented than Dusty Rhodes (and a hell of a lot better conditioned) yes Rhodes has to be elevated because there was a need. Who else was there before Sting showed up?

Also, some great wrestlers of all time simply lacked a certain peice to the puzzle - Hogan lacked in-ring ability, Chris Benoit lacked charisma for example.

The greatest of all time may be Bret Hart. Bret had the longevity, winning titles in the 80's, 90's and 00's with a mix of technical ability, charisma (to an extent), and amazing ring psychology. He went through some of the best periods of talent between Flair, Nash, Austin, Yokozuna, Michaels, etc.

The greatest of all time probably IS Kurt Angle. He is the total package. In ring prowess, charisma as a face or a heel, strength, pyschology, resilliance, the list goes on. He also has survived: The Rock, Steve Austin, Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit, Triple H, The Big Show, John Cena, Eddie Guerrero, JBL, Undertaker, Kane, Brock Lesnar, Edge, Hulk Hogan...need I go on? Angle has earned more success facing the greatest amount of challengers than anyone, and has more credibility because he earned a Gold Medal at the hardest contest there is - Freesyle Wrestling.

 

[RVDgurl]

X, I agree with you. I am not sure what exactly Slyfox is trying to say. Anyone who thinks that Hogan was a better WRESTLER than Ric Flair needs some sort of psychological examination. Hogan had 5 moves at best, and that includes a leg drop. Ric Flair used more moves than that during his 5 minute match on RAW just this week.
Flair is a very technically sound guy who can cut a promo like no other. Ric Flair pisses charisma and was completely untouchable in his prime. He very well may be the best all wrestler ever.

 

[Jonny B]

This Thread has been done to death.