Who was better?

[Chill]

Ric Flair and Bret Hart are considered by many as two of the greatest pro wrestlers in history. Flair is thought of in some circles as the greatest wrestler ever while Hart is viewed as one of the all time great ring technicans.

One of my favourite Flair matches was when he faced Ricky Steamboat in a 2 out of 3 falls match for the NWA World Championship at Clash of the Champions (it was a long match but a great one imo), while one of my favourite Hart matches was when he fought Shawn Michaels for the WWE Title at Suvivor Series '92...if you haven't seen those matches you should check them out.

Anyway, this got me thinking, who had the best wrestling ability? I think that's hard to answer but I would probably put Flair ahead of Hart (obviously comparing the two in their primes), he put on some great shows, particularly in the NWA and wrestled for considerable periods of time. His matches with Dusty Rhodes, Sting, Steamboat and so on were really great imo...of course Bret Hart was no stranger to putting on a wrestling clinic once he stepped between the ropes but still, Flair just grabs it for me.

So my question for you is, who do you think was the better wrestler? (not who hard more charisma, not who cut better promos etc, just who had the better wrestling ability in your opinion?)

 

[Genius_Deadman]

i'd say Bret. Bret was limited in his promos and others so he had to build a greater strength, which was his ring work as a whole

 

[JohnnyB41]

There really is now way to answer this. It completely depends on what you as a fan enjoy. I'm personally one of the biggest bret fans on the planet, so obviously I would choose him, but Im always willing to compare.

Flair is the most decorated wrestler ever, although Ive never thought of him as having very much wrestling ability. The man simply had more charisma than anyone else....ever. Ric Flair could walk out on raw monday and read from a phone book, stomp around, and wooooo a bunch, and the crowd would go nuts. He can have great matches, but usually needs a great opponent to help him.

Bret on the other hand, couldnt cut a decent promo if he was at a fire station with flaming testicles. He always seemed nervous and confused when on the mic, but he could put on a 5 star match with anyone. Seriously, Bret Hart could turn a triple threat match with rikishi and a broom into a match of the year candidate.

So, I would personally choose bret, but Im not gonna argue anyone if they like flair more.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

I'm going to go with Ric Flair. He could make anyone look good, and his ring psychology was second to none. Flair has had classic matches with Sting, Ricky Steamboat, Randy Savage, Harley Race, and Dusty Rhodes. Flair was even able to put on some pretty good matches as he got older with Undertaker, HHH, HBK, Edge, and hell he even got a decent match out of Vince on Raw when he was on his win or retire storyline. Bret Hart was a great ring technican, but he just didn't have the overwhelming charisma Flair did. Bret did put on 5 star matches, but the amount of classics Flair has out numbers him by a lot.

 

[The Brain]

My insinct is to say Bret Hart. If you're talking about just better in ring perfomer I say Bret. Overall it is probably Flair. Flair had arguably the greatest gimmick ever. A lot of people don't think Flair had a gimmick and he was just being himself. That's partially true which is why it was such a great gimmick. Everytime Flair was on tv it seemed like a big deal. From the expensive suites, to the jet planes, to the rolex watches, Flair always looked like a champion. He had a way of drawing the viewer in and making them believe every word he said.

I am a huge Bret Hart fan and probably enjoy watching him more than anyone else. I say if you're talking about from bell to bell give me Hart anyday. If you're talking the overall show it probably goes to Flair. By the way, I would have liked to see the two main event WrestleMania IX against each other. Oh well.

 

[hinkey1]

Well According to Ric Flair, Bret was not a big draw. Flair says Bret was encouraged to go to WCW because he was a financial liability to the WWF

[youtube]GCcVtMbFZKo&hl[/youtube]

 

[yoshi_doce2006]

Hart was like the Kurt Angle of his day. A technical wrestling master with attitude. But while Brett had to endure a period of time where he was facing Doink the Clown and Kamala during his early to mid 1990's period Ric Flair was wrestling men like Barry Windham, Vader, Sting, and to a lesser extent Luger. Then when WCW went through their early 90's downturn Flair was in the WWE wrestling Savage, Hogan, Sid, Shawn, and Taker.

In his early years Hart was a Tag Team wrestler while in Flair's early days he was wrestling Brisco's, Funk's, Harley Race, Ricky Steamboat, and Dusty Rhodes.

The competition was much more difficult for Flair overall and he was constantly prevailing with better competition. So due to just the overall body of work and who the work was against I would have to say Flair.

 

[xJAYxJAYx]

It's a tough call. I'm a huge fan of both Ric Flair and Bret Hart. Both have put on classic matches and both could make almost anyone they step in the ring with look like a million bucks. Both had GREAT story telling ability once inside the squared circle.

But, I would have to say Ric Flair was the better overall wrestler.

It's a shame that Bret's career got cut short the way it did. If he would have gotten to finish his career out on his terms, the way Ric got to, my answer could have possibly been a tad different.

 

[Slam Master]

I'd say Bret Hart. I've watched a lot of Flair matches from both past and present. All of his matches were the same, and seemed like they featured silly or goofy spots. Bret always had great matches, made his opponents look good, could wrestle guys of all sizes and strengths and make it seem believable, and he was respected by the locker room. I can't say I can say the same about Flair.

 

[RKOhead84]

Im going with Flair. This is a very close call IMO. I just think longevity I have to go with Flair bc he has stayed relevant since the early 80's. Hart had almost 10 good years in the business before he went to WCW. I guess you could put alot of the blame on WCW, but still, he did not do anything over there. Again I think Hart has had some great, great matches. But at WM24, Ric Flair at 60 years old, put on another classic with Michaels. Ric went out the way he has always been, on top.

 

[oldschoolfan123]

Ric Flair was the greatest of all time, hands down. He made big stars bigger just by working with him. And IMO Bret wasn't even the best wrestler in his family so he definitely isn't the greatest of all time. Owen was a much better wrestler but just never got a program to put him over as a Main Eventer. Flair wins..... Not even a contest!

 

[Emmet]

Bret easily, basing it on pure wrestling Bret wins hands down. Watch a Flair match from 1984, 1994 or 2004 and there all the same. Same silly spots etc. All you will get is 30 minutes of non-stop non-pyschology. Flair was a great executioner of moves, but Didn't really tell a great story in the ring. Bret did both.

Flair was the better promo cutter though. I'll give him that.

 

[Lu Nortd Court]

First post. Inside the ring it's easily Bret. Actually this is not even debatable in my mind. From bell to bell Hart owns flair. I belive he is the greatest "in ring" performer of all-time.

 

[PayneKiller79]

I would say Bret myself. I've seen him wrestle a few times and he always amazed me. I should have seen Flair, but he no showed and was replaced by Kamala, which shows you something. Flair has the ability to make anyone look good, but I think Bret really has it in the ring on so many more levels. As Emmet says, a lot of Flairs matches look exactly the same. Flair is a great talent and it would be interesting to see a mid 80's Flair vs a mid 90's Hart. I know their match from October '92 when Hart won the title is a classic to me. Both were great in their eras, but still, my vote would go to Hart.

 

[Debisibmania]

Bret Hart is, by far, my favorite of all time.... BUT i would say as a professional wrestler, I'd put flair one notch above Bret. However, that is just an overall claim.

If we are talking in strictly wrestling terms, bell to bell, as people are saying, I think Bret is the best of all time. He has the ability to make everything look fluent. Yes, Flair was exceptional in the ring as well, and he put on some insane matches, but Bret's ability to have a good match with scrubs, was something I never saw in Flair. I think Flair tells a great story in the ring, but technically, bret could make an armdrag or a headlock takeover look beautiful... to the point that people would buy it in a reality sense.

I think my favorite aspect of Bret was that he made it look real. Flair made it look FAKE more often than not, with his crazy falls and over selling. Dont get me wrong, its awesome, but its not as technically precise as the things Bret did. Bret didnt feel he needed to do things like that. His punches looked real. His stomps looked painful. And he was just so good at submissions and basic chain wrestling that if u had two Brets in the ring, you might actually believe pro wrestling is REAL.

If we were talking greatest of all time, I think Flair would be 2 and Bret would be 3. But greatest of all time strictly in the ring, technically and realistically, Bret is 1, and i dont think flair even breaks top 5.

 

[supersayian]

As far as all around wrestler it is no question Bret Hart. the guy could go in the ring. if you wrestled him you were promised to be big because of the rub you got. hell look at HBK and Austin they are now considered all time greats and Bret helped do that. Not to take anything away from Flair who is great to. but he is far better then Bret in promos and mic speaking. Flair just seems to old school to put over Hart who had similar styles but Hart had the better ring time.

 

[The Greenius]

I'm going with Bret, sure he has no flash, sure he's an average promo cutter, but he can put up a damn match. But Flair was awesome too, he gets good reactions, he can cut a promo,and i respect the fact he wrestled until his mid 50's.

 

[Ryanhitman316]

what the hell Flair is compare to Bret? Benoit, Angle, Jericho and people who Bret defeated are better than Flair. Bret Hart will always be greater and better than Flair. If it wasn't for Bret, I wouldn't have got into wrestling.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WilVYilItb0

This video can show you that Bret has tons of moves compare to Flair, we don't even need a video for Flair because he doesn't have as much moves compare to Bret.

 

[SinCityBlitz]

what the hell Flair is compare to Bret? Benoit, Angle, Jericho and people who Bret defeated are better than Flair. Bret Hart will always be greater and better than Flair. If it wasn't for Bret, I wouldn't have got into wrestling.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WilVYilItb0

This video can show you that Bret has tons of moves compare to Flair, we don't even need a video for Flair because he doesn't have as much moves compare to Bret.

Who a wrestler defeated shouldn't even come into play because you beat who the FED wants you to beat. BUT if we are going to go that route Flair would win hands down. The list of legends that Flair beat is insane. Bret wouldn't even come close in that regard.

Wrestling is not only about wrestling but also showmanship. Flair could make one of the Ding Dongs look like a million bucks.

This is one of those questions that is extremely hard to answer. But I would go with Flair. I hated the guy growing up and don't like him much still but you knew when it was main event time his opponent would look great. Bret did that at times but not as much as Flair did.

 

[Chimera]

I have to go with Bret. Most of Flairs matches had him getting his ass kicked , then raking someones eyes, a few chops, that irish whip top rope thing he always did that never worked, a Flair Flop and a figure four[holding the ropes as a heel and not as a face]. Not to say that Flair didnt have moments of greatness, because he did, but The Hitman was able to carry a match against any opponent and make it look good. Flair is famous for his promo skills and his 60 minute matches. Sometimes less is more.