As we all know, Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels has been disputed as some of the greatest wrestlers of all time, if not the greatest wrestler of all time (disputed in the fact that some may say Ric Flair is the greatest, and some may say Shawn Michaels is the greatest) and while this is not gonna focus on being the greatest of all time, this is gonna focus on which one of these two that is the greatest technical wrestler.
And now I know a lot of people will go on to tell me that neither of these two greats are the greatest, that guys like Bret Hart, Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit and Mr. Perfect are / were greater technical wrestlers, but this is about who's the better one of Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels, and that is what I would prefer we keep the subject on, although I will not be one to tell you to.. boldly.. fuck off, if you're to spread your opinion about the matter that Kurt Angle, Bret Hart etc. is the better one, but try to keep it between Shawn and Ric please.
I've read the thread that discussed "Who becomes "The Man" when HBK retires?" (http://forums.wrestlezone.com/showthread.php?t=104902) where you can see the dispute that Kurt Angle took over the spot instead of Shawn Michaels, but this is quite obvious that some may agree that Ric Flair passed the torch as the greatest onto Shawn Michaels, but what I'm asking is, did Shawn surpass Ric Flair before the torch was passed?
I've tried to read through some of the accolades of Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels to try and come up with my own solution to the subject, seeing as Ric Flair has been named the 2nd greatest wrestler of all time by Pro Wrestling Illustrated in 2003, but that I would also go ahead and say it's quite obvious also based on draws and not by technical ability *cough* Hulk Hogan is number 1 *cough* and Shawn Michaels has been placed as number 10 on that list.
And because as stated above, it's clearly not about technical ability, I read further and as many people probably already know, Ric Flair has been awarded the title of "match of the year" 5 times by PWI and 4 times by WON (Wrestling Observers Newsletter) which is quite a feature, where as opposed to Shawn Michaels who has won the PWI version 10 times, the WON version 3 times and 4 WWE Slammy awards for it.
Now this is all just awards that voters and the crew of above mentioned magazines has thrown out for the sake of grading a person year by year, and therefore I've gone ahead and box up a few matches for you to judge from yourself in case you're one of the new-comers of pro wrestling who hasn't taken the time to go back, watch a Ric Flair match in his prime (as opposed to his state in TNA now) and some of Shawn Michaels earlier matches (and a few later)
A great example of a match on Ric Flairs part would be Ric Flair vs Ricky Steamboat at Chi-Town Rumble 89 (one of the few matches I could find between these two, wish I could found the Wrestlewar 89 one that was named match of the year by both WON and PWI, oh well, still a good match)
And a great example of a Shawn Michaels match would probably have to be Kurt Angle vs Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania 21 (here comes the discussions on how Kurt Angle is the greater one.. I can see it for me already..) and I know there's been greater matches that Shawn Michaels has been involved in, like his match vs The British Bulldog for the European Championship in England in 1997 (at least a good match of my own opinion)
And of course why shouldn't we throw in a match between these two just for comparison on how they can work together? and no this is not their match at Wrestlemania 24, while it's a great match, I have my doubts that it's not a match everybody hasn't watched already, as opposed to the chance that some may not have watches their match at Bad Blood 2003.
Both of these great wrestlers has both the accolades of the record books, and the visual accolades that you see in these two when they would step into the ring and put on a show, both arguably the greatest wrestler of all time, both as an overall talent, and as a technical wrestler.
So now I ask you, which one of these two persons were the greater technical wrestler? Ric Flair, the great of the 80's or Shawn Michaels, the great of the 90's (at least according to the commentators in the above linked match between these two)
And now I know a lot of people will go on to tell me that neither of these two greats are the greatest, that guys like Bret Hart, Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit and Mr. Perfect are / were greater technical wrestlers, but this is about who's the better one of Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels, and that is what I would prefer we keep the subject on, although I will not be one to tell you to.. boldly.. fuck off, if you're to spread your opinion about the matter that Kurt Angle, Bret Hart etc. is the better one, but try to keep it between Shawn and Ric please.
I've read the thread that discussed "Who becomes "The Man" when HBK retires?" (http://forums.wrestlezone.com/showthread.php?t=104902) where you can see the dispute that Kurt Angle took over the spot instead of Shawn Michaels, but this is quite obvious that some may agree that Ric Flair passed the torch as the greatest onto Shawn Michaels, but what I'm asking is, did Shawn surpass Ric Flair before the torch was passed?
I've tried to read through some of the accolades of Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels to try and come up with my own solution to the subject, seeing as Ric Flair has been named the 2nd greatest wrestler of all time by Pro Wrestling Illustrated in 2003, but that I would also go ahead and say it's quite obvious also based on draws and not by technical ability *cough* Hulk Hogan is number 1 *cough* and Shawn Michaels has been placed as number 10 on that list.
And because as stated above, it's clearly not about technical ability, I read further and as many people probably already know, Ric Flair has been awarded the title of "match of the year" 5 times by PWI and 4 times by WON (Wrestling Observers Newsletter) which is quite a feature, where as opposed to Shawn Michaels who has won the PWI version 10 times, the WON version 3 times and 4 WWE Slammy awards for it.
Now this is all just awards that voters and the crew of above mentioned magazines has thrown out for the sake of grading a person year by year, and therefore I've gone ahead and box up a few matches for you to judge from yourself in case you're one of the new-comers of pro wrestling who hasn't taken the time to go back, watch a Ric Flair match in his prime (as opposed to his state in TNA now) and some of Shawn Michaels earlier matches (and a few later)
A great example of a match on Ric Flairs part would be Ric Flair vs Ricky Steamboat at Chi-Town Rumble 89 (one of the few matches I could find between these two, wish I could found the Wrestlewar 89 one that was named match of the year by both WON and PWI, oh well, still a good match)
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1zsmq_ric-flair-vs-ricky-steamboat-89-1_sport
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1zt47_ric-flair-vs-ricky-steamboat-89-2_sport
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1ztml_ric-flair-vs-ricky-steamboat-89-3_sport
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1zt47_ric-flair-vs-ricky-steamboat-89-2_sport
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1ztml_ric-flair-vs-ricky-steamboat-89-3_sport
And a great example of a Shawn Michaels match would probably have to be Kurt Angle vs Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania 21 (here comes the discussions on how Kurt Angle is the greater one.. I can see it for me already..) and I know there's been greater matches that Shawn Michaels has been involved in, like his match vs The British Bulldog for the European Championship in England in 1997 (at least a good match of my own opinion)
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4qqr3_shawn-michaels-vs-kurt-angle-wrestl
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4qqnt_shawn-michaels-vs-kurt-angle-wrestl
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4qqnt_shawn-michaels-vs-kurt-angle-wrestl
And of course why shouldn't we throw in a match between these two just for comparison on how they can work together? and no this is not their match at Wrestlemania 24, while it's a great match, I have my doubts that it's not a match everybody hasn't watched already, as opposed to the chance that some may not have watches their match at Bad Blood 2003.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9g36i_bad-blood-2003-ric-flair-vs-shawn-m_sport
Both of these great wrestlers has both the accolades of the record books, and the visual accolades that you see in these two when they would step into the ring and put on a show, both arguably the greatest wrestler of all time, both as an overall talent, and as a technical wrestler.
So now I ask you, which one of these two persons were the greater technical wrestler? Ric Flair, the great of the 80's or Shawn Michaels, the great of the 90's (at least according to the commentators in the above linked match between these two)
