Ric Flair vs Hulk Hogan

[drae2]

Quote: Originally Posted by SPTO

I'm not a Hogan apologists but that statement is a bit of a stretch. Doesn't WM III vs. Andre the Giant and WM VI vs. Ultimate Warrior ring a bell to you?

I'm talking in ring quantity. Hell, Flair made Lugar look good. He didn't want to drop the strap to Lugar because he felt Lugar wasn't ready. He literally pleaded with Scott Steiner to become champ, but Scott didn't want to break up the tag team he had with his brother Rick. How many times did Ric job to Hogan? How many times has Hogan jobbed to Ric? I'm not saying that Hogan hasn't done anything good for the business, hell, he's the reason the business is as big as it is now.

[drae2]

Quote: Originally Posted by DreBly

Goodness please, no more Flair/Hogan matches where Flair constantly is embarrassed/jobbed out/mortified. WCW ruined Ric Flair after having constantly bailed that company out, in large part because of the ego of Hogan, who I still liked as a performer.

Great post!

[sputin]

you name 'em and flair has beat them: legends like harley race, dusty rhodes, sting, kevin von erich, steamboat, luger, funk.

i still can remember some of his great matches with barry windham. he was the GUY! as a champion, he was like royalty. (i can't really explain it any better than that) the robes, the music, the clothes, the aura! he was king slender, on pro wrestling!


you never saw hogan defend his title against guys like jake the snake, steamboat, ric rude. he fought guys like king kong bundy, and big john studd.

don't get me wrong, i was a hulkamaniac too. and to his credit, hogan brought many non-wrestling fans to the industry. he probably was the best wrestler ever from a purely marketing standpoint.

[SPTO]

Quote: Originally Posted by sputin

you never saw hogan defend his title against guys like jake the snake, steamboat, ric rude. he fought guys like king kong bundy, and big john studd. .

To be fair to Hogan you can't really use that as an argument against him because the booking in WWF compared to NWA/WCW was completely different. Vince built Hogan up to be an All-American hero, someone who had to face insurmountable odds against larger then life opponents. It even became formulaic:

1. Hogan befriends a fellow wrestler

2. fellow wrestler becomes jealous (or in later years) wanting to get rid of Hulkamania

3. Hogan gets the tar beaten out of him and Hulkamania is proclaimed dead

4. Hogan comes back and wins the grudge match against opponent

Wash, rinse, repeat.

There were variations to this formula but that was basically it for the true Hulkamania years.


The booking in NWA/WCW favoured heel champions who would often get his title reign challenged by all comers. Oftentimes the champ would look weak in certain situations but most of the time would come out with the title in his hand. That's how the whole Dusty Finish was born. It was created to make the champ look weak in that he'd get pinned but the "winner" would often break some kind of rule and the title would stay with the champion.

I'm not saying Flair was always a weak champion but he was booked to be threatened by all comers.

[CaptainZombie]

Ric Flair vs Hulk Hogan should have been saved for StarrCade '94 and not for Bash at the Beach 1994. WCW could have built this feud over the 6 months, the payoff would have been greater than Hulk Hogan vs. The Butcher at Starrcade '94.

Another WCW booking blunder to add to the books.

WWE never really capitalized on Ric Flair vs Hulk Hogan, which could have been the match of the decade back in the 90's.

[CaptainZombie]

Quote: Originally Posted by Emjay

Nah, after that TLC match Flair had, they'll probably use stunt doubles for them.

that TLC match was nuts.

[JiggidyJames]

Quote: Originally Posted by drae2

He didn't want to drop the strap to Lugar because he felt Lugar wasn't ready. He literally pleaded with Scott Steiner to become champ, but Scott didn't want to break up the tag team he had with his brother Rick.

Did you read Ric Flair's book or do you enjoy making things up?

[MachoMyers]

Poor Luger, turning heel Champion right after Flair left potentially ruined that guy...He couldn't get away from the "We Want Flair" chants that followed him from every arena.