Ric Flair vs Kurt Angle

[wtfhappened]

The following are some highlights from a recent Ric Flair interview from UK Sun WrestleCast:

Flair on Kurt Angle: "Kurt is really good. Is he better than me? No. He's better than me now, but not when I was 35! Angle v Flair will happen, we've already got it cooking."

I wanna know what the people think on this one. I think many would argue that Flair's better for longevity alone. Not to mention Flair's heyday was in kayfabe times and wrestling seemed to mean a great deal more to more people.

So, out of curiosity I want you guys to step back and look at these two athletes in perspective and let me know who you think is the better of the two.

 

[thepalaceprince]

Obviously the better technical wrestler and the man that would win in an actual match is kurt angle. But the better pro wrestler is ric flair. His legacy speaks for itself. Flair is wrestling. Flair is the dirtiest player in the game. Every heel tactic kurts ever used flair used and perfected long before anybody knew who kurt angle was. Flair is older then hell yet hes still in the ring almost every week. We may never see another wrestler with the longevity and consistency of ric flair. Im a huge angle fan but he isnt on flairs level plain and simple.

 

[DiscipleofWrestling]

Well, just for the record, Angle vs. Flair has happened before. I was going through some old tapes the other day, and I came across an episode of Raw where the two had a pretty decent match.

If you are talking about what the individual wrestler has given the profession at their perspective age (Angle is in his early 40s so that's what I'm going with), I have to say that Ric Flair is still a notch above Kurt Angle at this stage of the game. Angle's up there though as he is one hell of a performer and deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Flair. I believe Angle still has a lot of good matches left in him. So, we'll see in a few years if he can actually surpass the legacy of Ric Flair.

If you are talking about now as in "now now," Angle would run Flair's 60 year old body into the ground. There's no excuse for Ric Flair to be in the ring except to cut a promo or to participate in a beat down at this age. Whenever Flair wrestles on TNA, I roll my eyes because it is getting pretty sad. The man can still bump as he always could and sell like there was no tomorrow, but as far as wrestling goes, he needs to let the younger wrestlers actually do that. Angle v. Flair DOES NOT NEED TO HAPPEN!

 

[retoocs]

i dont think it should happen. i think what tna is doing with flair right now is good. keep him as sorta of a manger

 

[Ferbian]

I think Ric Flair is right, if Kurt Angle was to face a 35 year old Ric Flair, he would be in for one hell of a fight.

Ric is one of the greatest to step inside of the ring ropes, he has both the ability to work great matches, that we've seen for so many years, and the accomplishments through championships to back up his greatness.

Sure Kurt Angle has one hell of a resume of championships as well, and is one of the best wrestlers out there today, but Ric Flair was one hell of a challenge back in his prime, I think we would be in for one hell of a match, but I ultimately would see Ric Flair coming out the victor if they faced in their primes.

Right now although, yes Ric Flair would be getting his ass wooped back and forth inside that ring, and I don't think it really needs to happen, because Kurt Angle doesn't need to beat Ric Flair to prove himself, he's already done that, on a night where (kayfabe or not, I'm not sure) he praised the hell out of Kurt.

It would be a great match, no matter the age of Flair, but it just shouldn't happen.

 

[Ruthless-RKO]

the fact is flair is not 35 years old...i don't think this match should happen...especially if they're thinking Bound for Glory...

I would say another ppv, victory rd, but not a big one...i would enjoy this match..it's always fun to watch flair wrestle..but just i don't see it happening..

 

[wushady]

I think Flair overall is a better showman than Angle, but Angle is a better wrestler. I've grown up watching Flair and I have nothing but respect for his wrestling skill. I just think Angle has always been more exciting to watch even in Flairs prime.

As far as them having another match in TNA. I think that's a horrible idea there's no way he can keep up with Angle now. Every time he wrestles in TNA he's just tarnishing his legacy in my opinion.

 

[wrestlemaniac]

both angle and flair are good wrestlers and it would be a hell of a match if they were both at their primes. Flair is the better showman, at this point in time Angle is the better wrestler. I'd enjoy seeing them in a program together, I mean if Flair could hang in there with michaels 2yrs ago I don't see why he can't hang in there with angle now. I'd like this to happen when they are both faces though. Some may see this as flair tarnishing his legacy, I see it as him building on it. maybe they could use each others catch phrases at some point

 

[MooseDaddy]

Angle is the better wrestler by far if you look at it from a pure wrestling standpoint. Flair is a legend in the game and a great man on the mic. Angle could hold his own on the mic though and cut some fantastic promos in his hay day in the WWE. Who is better overall? I would say Angle. If Flair didn't have history on his side I don't think he would be as popular. If Flair was in his prime today and we didn't have his history, I don't think he would have ever been a World Champ. He isn't the biggest guy and never was. Was never a power guy and wouldn't have been able to attract the attention of a Vince McMahon I don't think. I think if Flair was exactly the same only transferred to this day and age, he never would have made it. He would have been great on the mic but his style of wrestling wouldn't keep up with today's style. I love Ric Flair from a historical perspective but just don't see him being able to make it today. Flame me if you will, but to me, Kurt Angle is better all around.

 

[beeflange]

How they can have that match go more than 5 minutes would be stupid. Flair is just too old. Here they are on RAW

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[FlairFan2003]

Lotta interesting points. I agree with the sentiment that Angle vs Flair today doesn't need to happen, Flair should be using his character and his skills on the mic to help get younger guys over, guys who can legitimately main event vs Kurt Angle.

Angle and Flair wrestled twice on RAW, in July of 2005 and Jan of 2006. Both matches were VERY good, the first one slightly better.

Flair in his prime was out of sight. Watch him against Barry Whyndam in some of their matches from their 87 series, great stuff. No doubt he could hold an audience for long matches. Also watch some of his stuff from 84-85 vs Kerry Von Erich and see how good he makes him look despite his drug problems. Catch Starrcade 88 vs Lex Luger for another great match, Luger has long been an Internet Community punch line for poor in ring performance despite being pretty popular in his heyday. He looks like almost as good as Ricky Steamboat in this match against Flair, credit to Flair's ability to make matches entertaining despite the limiations of his opponent. Flair also wrestled a wide style of match, easily adjusting from the technical wrestling style needed to battle say Bob Backlund, the slower, grinding brawling style of Harley Race, the fast paced move/counter move style of Steamboat and Savage, to the hard core bloody brutality of cage matches vs Dusty Rhodes. Flair was a great showman, great on the mic, and he could convincingly adapt to many different styles of match. Flair was "hard core" before such a term existed, even though his legacy was built on his ability to carry lesser talents to great matches without gimmicks like cages or NO DQ rules, ala Luger and Von Erich.

Someone mentioned the idea that Angle vs Flair today might not be bad because Flair "hung in there" two years ago with HBK. At Flair's age two years makes a huge difference. There was a big difference watching Flair in 1999-2000 in WCW vs 2002-03 in WWE vs 2007-08. Granted, Flair had some pretty good matches during his final WWE run, his WM match with Taker in 02, his SS match vs Jericho in 02, matches with HHH and HBK in 03, matches with Christian, HHH, and Angle in 05, he carried Carlito in 05 and 06, and looked good in matches vs Edge (TLC Jan 06 RAW) and Foley (SS 2006 I Quit Match) but he wasn't nearly as good as he was in his 80's heday, or even when he was in his mid 40's and wrestling very good matches against guys like Sting, Savage, and Eddie Guerrero on Monday Nitro.

For my money, Flair is the better pro wrestler than Angle in their primes though it is close. The idea that Flair in his prime if he were competing today couldn't win a world title is ludicrous. HBK and HHH practically built their careers copying him, if the imitations were winning titles what do you think the original would do ? On WWE's current roster you would have a hard time finding 5 guys who could entertain and work as hard or as well as Flair in his heyday, and the only guys there now that could keep up would be HHH, Edge, Orton, maybe Cena, Taker. Not much else. Plus, these are the guys who win the titles, Flair would have fit right in.

I hope Flair stays as mgr and avoids full fledged in ring matches, it's just not what TNA needs. Fans are not interested in seeing Flair look bad, especially if he's going to lose (notice his match with Abyss, admittedly pre taped, didn;t draw. Fans aren't interested in seeing Flair lumber out there as an old man and be humiliated). However, I don't think at this stage fans are clamoring for Flair to beat all the top guys, it just gets a little ridiculous thinking a 61 yr old man could take on guys half his age and win. It's a No WIn for Flair and TNA, keep him as an on air talent, manager, adviser, etc. His character draws interest, his mic work is exceptional, and he can still take the occassional big bump to jump start the crowd at big shows. Leave it at that, that's what's best for his legacy, and for TNA

 

[degenxr1]

Well, the personalities are so different. Ric has that old school big match feeling---Kurt has a different style feeling to him. Ric has this weird undescribable charisma that makes you want to watch him. Kurt is technically better; but it so apples and oranges. I too wish Ric would wuit wrestling I want to remember him as a sneaky bad ass; not as this old dude wrestling where you roll your eyes and wish he would stop.

 

[Syborgg]

I can honestly say I've never been sold on Ric Flair. Even back in his glory days in the old NWA/WCW. He was a good heel wrestler, but I personally wouldn't say he was a great wrestler. The majority of his matches were knife edge chops, low-blows, and chop-blocks. I realize the chop-blocks set up for the figure-four, but when you use a move like the knife edge chop like 100 times per match? I mean people bitch about Hogan using the punch all the time because he didn't know any better moves. As far as being good on the mic, Ric Flair USED to be good on the mic. Now, he just talks until his face turns a dark shade of red and it seems to take him forever to say anything. Point is, Ric Flair should have retired about a generation ago, and at the very least when WWE gave him his send-off that should have been it. Could he be a manager? sure. Or a heel authority figure of some sort? Sure that could work too. But his tights and boots should be put under lock and key and throw away the key.

As for Angle, I would say he is better than Flair when Flair was 35. He's bigger, stronger, smarter, and more athletic. He's had very entertaining promos both in TNA and WWF/E. I mean he can show the intensity of Goldberg, or be more laid back and cocky like The Rock used to be. He can cut serious promos or throw in some comedy to lighten things up. To me Kurt Angle is the ultimate package, I mean we've had guys like Benoit and Bret Hart who are golden in the ring but questionable on the mic, then we have guys like Hogan(in his prime) and Cena who have all the charisma and talent on the mic but lack a little in the ring. Kurt is among those few that has it all in one package.

Kurt Angle vs. Ric Flair should not happen, and if it does let it be on Impact for free, because no one wants to pay to see it. Use the ppv time a little better by having Angle fight someone like Styles....the matches they've had are classics.

 

[shattered dreams]

The bottom line is that Flair is a legend and Angle is not yet. Maybe if Angle can elevate TNA to a true competitor for WWE then he will be a legend in his own right. Angle is a better wrestler but it ends there and longevity is clearly on Flair's side and Angle will have his work cut out to match it. The promo Flair cut earlier in the night before they faced off is a great one that sums it up.