Jim Cornette on Wrestlers Who Defeated Ric Flair For The World Championship

From Episode 220 of Jim Cornette's Drive Thru
Artwork by Travis Heckel!
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[@DMS-pq8]

People need to realize that winning the NWA belt in the early to mid 80s was a lot bigger deal than winning the NWA/WCW belt once the territories died

[@beyondbeleef1013]

Much bigger deal because the title meant so much more. It's been watered down alot since the end of the territories. Hell WWE switches the "title" every couple of weeks

[@mox19380]

to be fair people who didn't live through or don't understand the territory system and what it meant to be the nwa champion will NEVER understand why being NWA champion was the most important title in America

[@DIESEL0759]

@@mox19380 A lot of these pieces are not written by professional sports journalists, they're written by kids who weren't even BORN in 1987. They write things as if they know something. I knew someone like that a long time ago. He actually said he was a "respected journalist" because he was "asked to write for three wrestling websites". Even professional sites like Sports Illustrated have now started letting fans write articles.

[@mike04574]

Same with wwe title

[@mike04574]

It changed much more than wwe?

[@shawnmckeaigg5373]

This is one of best convos I’ve heard. This is a great car ride topic.

[@McMahonHater]

Bar fights have been started over less. LOL.

[@theevilascotcompany9255]

Preferably a car ride with Paul Heyman and the Samoan SWAT Team.

[@stilldreamin26]

I made sure I saved this one💯💯💯

[@daviddavidson8050]

Agreed!

[@thewholefnshow]

Sting and Ric flair was the ultimate WCW rivalry. They were the ultimate heel and baby face of the brand

[@KB-hh8rt]

Agreed.

[@rizzalater72]

I disagree. Steamboat and Flair was the ultimate rivalry. And Steamboat was the ultimate baby face. He was a baby face throughout his whole career. Probably the only wrestler who never worked heel.

[@danielfries5974]

@@rizzalater72 the problem is the length of the rivalry. Sting and Flair go for nearly 15 years.

[@rizzalater72]

@@danielfries5974 Not quite 15 years. 1988 to 2001. Steamboat and Flair started theirs in 1976 or 77 til Steamboat's retirement in 1994. Excluding the 3 years Steamboat spent in the WWF.

[@danielfries5974]

@@rizzalater72 flair built sting from the bottom up. He was taylormade for that spot. Steamboat was great. Loved the trilogy in 89. Sting was Mr. WCW Babyface. Sting was WCW's Dusty. That's saying so much.

[@jeffnettleton3858]

I will lay odds that this list was compiled by someone who wasn't alive for at least half to two thirds of these wins.

[@chisasa9509]

The dude is a Omega fan. Lol

[@jaysantos536]

Hogan should have been #12. Macho Man #5 and Bret #4. Sting #10.

[@TheTitandog70]

I agree

[@beyondbeleef1013]

Jeff I agree

[@TonyDanza4Lyfe]

Dude the sentence structure makes it seem outsourced or written by ai or Dave meltzer. Abysmal writing

[@merrillslaven6921]

I wish they would have ended this by taking the same list and having Jim rate it himself.

[@MrBeavis84]

Kerry being last on the list is ridiculous.

[@maturanita]

@@jaysantos536 except that when he defeated Flair in 84 for the NWA title he still had both feet

[@jaythor70]

Agreed. And even with one foot, he was better than most of these above him.

[@maturanita]

@@jaythor70 indeed, but he wasn’t better than David. David was the best of the Von Erichs, and then some. What a tragedy…I was 9 when it happened and tbh I never got over it

[@scoonman]

You can’t base it on potential, you have to base it on what actually happened, and when you have to practically pull the guy on top of you and hold him there to let him get the three count, that doesn’t sit well in my eyes.

[@maturanita]

@@scoonman are you talking about Kerry? If you are, I concur

[@rizzalater72]

I put Steamboat as #1. He wrestled Flair more times than anybody else on that list. Even more than any other two wrestlers ever did. And due to the fact that Ric Flair himself called Steamboat the greatest wrestler he's ever been in there against.

[@Ijustinsultedyou]

I don’t know him and Harley are up there

[@danieldrayet2364]

You could argue he had just as many with dusty they just didnt have many povs then except starrcade

[@SuperCrazyPsycho731]

Steamboat and Stinger are tied at number one to me. Those were the singles top guys and still are. Then of course you had the Road Warriors in the tag division. What a time to be a fan.

[@SpectrumGamer29]

Flair has repeatedly said that HBK is the best in-ring worker he's ever been in the ring with, with Steamboat a close second.

[@tankwfw]

Steamboat or Sting has to be #1

[@scottfaber3232]

At first Jim seemed not interested in this list but once it got to around 5-6 you could tell he was into it

[@daviddavidson8050]

Yeah! It takes him a minute to get going or come around to things. But once he starts he's like a stone down a hill you can't stop him! 😂😂

[@kitfo18]

I would put Sting on top but he was my favorite WCW guy forever. Plus the level of respect for him sticking with WCW as long as he did.

[@mostroinvestiga82]

Was waiting for Jack Veneno, Carlos Colon and Ravishing Rick Rude 🤔

[@Sir_Everett_of_York]

especially the carlos colon one. ric said himself, he lost that phantom one just so they wouldnt kill him before he go out of the stadium. he said he changed that one in the ring when he saw how nuts the crowd was going.

[@edwinaramirez6063]

The Von Erich rivalry with Flair is underrated. Their NWA World Title matches were classic. World Class was the hottest territory in the early 80's.

[@scoonman]

Kerry was so high during the match where he won the belt that it was ridiculous, and that’s also why his reign only lasted a few weeks. You couldn’t depend on him.

[@edwinaramirez6063]

@@scoonman It was never intended for Kerry to have a long reign anyway, everyone that beat Flair after Kerry, including Rhodes, Steamboat, and Sting, eventually lost the belt back to Flair.

[@dmichael1172]

Flair only beat Sting because he agreed to be the Black Scorpion

[@Sargebri]

@@scoonman there was the infamous match where Kerry fell asleep in the ring after being out all night partying. Flair had to put himself in holds just to make the match look credible.

[@trunks1987]

THE DINGO WARDIOR.........

[@RogerLockridge]

The list according to the article that they are talking about. 13. Kerry 12. Garvin 11. Jarrett 10. Giant/Big Show 9. DDP 8. Dusty 7. Macho Man 6. Hogan 5. Tatsumi Fujinami (NWA but not WCW) 4. Bret 3. Harley 2. Steamboat 1. Sting

[@bradvestby]

* Fujinami

[@JMG_86]

@@bradvestby * 藤波 辰爾

[@rashadwilliams7468]

Whaaaat!!!! (Corny voice)😂😂😂

[@rizzalater72]

NWA but not WCW? I'm not following how that works.

[@davee.dangerously9409]

asinine. Bret is 100x better than any worker on that list. top 5 should be 1. Bret 2. Macho 3. Dusty 4. Kerry 5. JJ

[@trappedintime_]

It seems like it was ranked by who has the best rivalries with Flair maybe, but that would make Steamboat 1 I'd think and have Dusty higher. It seems like they just chose which were their favorites. I have to come to DDP's defense a little though, DDP did carry Goldberg to his best ever match and got a great match out of Crow Sting in 1999. DDP might be slightly underrated as a worker.

[@andrewriley9821]

Seems to me the problem is it is a typical internet list by someone who is a fan and has an opinion and thinks that means they are an authority on the subject (looking at you Whatculture etc) and so presents what they personally LIKED as a objective assessment of the topic when actually it is just their subjective opinion hence the lack of any ranking criteria given with the list. Honestly this list is so all over the place I can't suggest any objective criteria that has been used cause it ain't wrestling ability (Hogan far too high) or how over they are (Dusty too low) or point in their career etc

[@jaydav6521]

DDP isn't underrated by those of us who were actually watching him when he was wrestling. He's definitely underrated by the WWE NETWORK generation of young fans.

[@gothchicksbongrips5712]

Fans would bust a nut at the sight of DDP hitting a Diamond Cutter. People forget how over he was back then. The Original People's Champion. Nothing against Jarrett, ring talent is top notch. And I was a big TNA fan. Just a very boring personality. And never connected with the fans. I'd put Jarrett at the bottom based on the fact that the fans overall never gave a shit about him. Not saying he didnt have fans.

[@yoholmes273]

DDP also had "fued of the year" with Macho Man. While DDP aint no Dynamite Kid, DDP could work. And was super OVER

[@yoholmes273]

@@gothchicksbongrips5712 Jarrett is midcard for life who never drew a dime. DDP was as OVER like rover.

[@rustykuntz94]

Sting beating Flair for the big belt in 1990 was amazing, Sting had been being groomed as the company's Top Babyface for well over 2 years and That POP was unreal when Sting won.

[@Sargebri]

He would have won it earlier, but the knee injury spoiled it.

[@rustykuntz94]

@@Sargebri Yep when he took a awkward fall jumping off a cage. His original prognosis was he might be out a year but Stingers a wrestler and came back in 6 months.

[@Sargebri]

@@rustykuntz94 yep. They originally said he ruptured his patellar tendon and that he would be out for a year. It actually was his ACL.

[@studogable]

And then they had no idea what to do with Sting as champion. Oy gevalt.

[@paulweston8408]

Kerry was fucking amazing in his time!!! NOBODY was as over as Kerry Von Erich in 1984. Not Dusty, not Rich, nobody.

[@maturanita]

@Paul Weston only David Von Erich was as over as Kerry in January of 84, before he died. Although Hogan had already arrived on the WWF and he was over as rover too

[@thomasharris1754]

Dusty Rhodes was a bigger star than Kerry for sure.

[@edwinaramirez6063]

@@thomasharris1754 Not in Texas.

[@rizzalater72]

I think Kerry is a bit overrated imo to say nobody was as over as he was in '84. As manturanita said, that was Hogan's first year back in the WWF after filming Rocky 3. That film made him. It got him more over than over. lol

[@masqerader]

@@edwinaramirez6063 which means nothing.

[@gpviper4145]

As far as what going over Flair to win the title meant for their careers Sting was unquestionably the biggest it made his career

[@LanceJ.]

Sting’s probably my favorite ever, but it arguably meant just as much or more for Bret. Becoming the #1 guy in WWF was bigger than being the #1 guy for WCW, plus Bret had better quality matches with the belt than Sting did.

[@wilcee675]

Jay Lethal has to play Ric in the inevitable movie about his life. He can do the voice and MOCAP for a CGI Flair. WOOO!!!

[@R_A_3000]

Lol I just pictured Jay in the movie poster with a Ric's hairstyle.

[@t-bro9529]

Great American Bash 1990 was a great Sting vs Flair match for the belt.

[@larrycera1943]

When I started watching wrestling and only knew wwf well. I was like seven years old and was already used to assuming TOC flairbwould always win. When Sting won that match I was shocked and it’s still probably the only match from those days that I actually remember

[@whtevr84]

I don't mean to be a hater here, but after watching numerous Flair vs Sting matches from the first one at the Clash through the 90s till the last match at the last Nitro.... .....I don't get it ...they wrestled the same match for a decade...literally the exact same match for a decade, spot for spot, expression for expression...even WWF circuit matches from the 80s had more variation than the televised matches Flair and Sting had with each other I don't understand the appeal, like after the first match (which I find overrated and cartoony), how do you keep on watching the same thing over and over again? I get that they're both over...top (mostly) babyface vs top (mostly) heel....but C'MON!!!

[@larrycera1943]

@@whtevr84 to be honest, sir, I think Flair wrestled the same matches for decades 😂

[@chrischar9428]

Not even their best match

[@kennyhackett1461]

Flair vs Sting was huge to us 80's kids.

[@constablekennedy7705]

Considering Jim Cornette always seems to give Backhanded Compliments to ‘Sting’, the Thumbnail is Hilarious …… 👀

[@charlesezrarevmongoosecane5097]

That article clearly never heard of Jack Venom and Carlos Colon who pinned Flair cleanly. Oh yeah …. It’s true … it’s true …..

[@nocturnalmayhem0]

i like ddp hes a stand up guy in and outside the ring. he saved scott halls life and got him to turn his life around. macho man should of been higher up hes legend

[@Beer_Baron_]

Corny calling him “The Steamer” got a chuckle from me.

[@jaythor70]

That's what Gorilla Monsoon called him.

[@Beer_Baron_]

@@jaythor70 makes sense. That’s totally a Gorilla Monsoon thing. Much like he used to call Brutus Beefcake “Bruti” or “The Beefer”.

[@ksronlinemedia3798]

Then in the ad at the end referring to "Uncle Felcher"

[@corymcthrash]

@@ksronlinemedia3798 Uncle Felcher get's me every time hahahahaha

[@FishJesus420]

Any real wrestling fans heard Kerry was the worst and instantly knew it was bullshit 😂

[@6hundred6ixty6ix]

Flair was the Hogan of the “OTHER” Company.

[@lwplwp]

Except he could wrestle

[@RainmakerXBooty]

No, flair was the REAL worlds champion.. hogan was a action movie actor wearing a movie prop.

[@raymondrufa971]

I think an awesome Dream Match would be Bret Hart vs. Ricky Steamboat when Bret had the WWF belt for the 1st run. That would be fun to watch

[@bigtime4606]

They had a match in 86. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y5K5i32Vp6uhqpo

[@lwplwp]

I took my nephews to see Kerry beat Rick at Reunion Arena..My older nephew was a huge Flair fan and cheered him on. He got a lot of really dirty looks there in Dallas. I wasn't sure we weren't going to need an escort out of there...😝

[@ricflair2779]

Whoever put Kerry last sure as hell didn’t live in Texas

[@rhsvideos1620]

List is invalid because Dusty shoulda been in the top 3.

[@lavarivy2259]

I got to see Flair vs Macho live and in person as a kid! It was awesome!

[@randyhagofsky5860]

I feel like Stinger's recent AEW work may have caused him to lose a few points in the Cornette Camp! That all being said, while I concur that the list seemingly does a poor job of establishing its criteria, Sting can be argued as #1 if a complete rubric were established: not the biggest star on the list or the best worker (which pains me to say as a Stinger mark) but when you take a whole (not Total, sorry Lex) package approach, his COMBINATION of star power, in-ring prowess, chemistry with Flair/heat of rivalry, and career accomplishments (titles won, length of time as a relevant performer, mainly) are hard for anyone else on this list to touch. Anyway, thanks guys, I really enjoyed it, and have been a loyal cult member/Arcadian Vaguard listener for years (and shall continue for many years to come)!

[@aaronrumph3291]

Yeah Sting being number 1 was an understandable choice has he was the glue of WCW, when Ric was at WCW the main events were Ric Flair versus Sting just like when Hulk Hogan went to WCW Sting was the big draw of the NWO rise in WCW

[@757jlhood]

Best comment

[@jjayflash]

I love their reaction when they said Kerry Von Erich was the worst. 🤣🤣🤣

[@Blind_Sexy_and_Taken]

I don’t know the problem with sting. I loved the rivalry between those guys. They are matches always tour the place down.

[@handsolo1209]

Sting was Flair's most perfect rival. Steamboat had no charisma and Harley Race was too old by the time that Flair reached his peak. Sting at least matched Flair's charisma and because of that the was always magic when they wrestled, and the rivalry lasted for years. Cornette really is stuck in 1981 for some reason with some of his weird thinking.

[@happninmojo]

This is a good list in the sense that it gets people talking about the metrics or methods to how they came to a decision. For me personally I would have switched Garvin and Kerry. And Jarret goes straight to the bottom. Also I would switch Dusty and Race. Other than that seems solid.

[@aaronrumph3291]

I think they were trying to go with length of reign maybe, it is hard to tell from the descriptions under each choice? If we wre talking best in ring performer this list would be very different, biggest star this list would also be very different, by a metric of mix of stardom and wrestling ability also very different

[@DMS-pq8]

I would probably put Harley at one and Dusty at two and agree with putting Jarret at the bottom

[@Stoneycomic]

Still no Vader though? Haha

[@RainmakerXBooty]

I base it on the purpose of flair putting these baby faces over; making new stars. The list makes sense when you consider what each man accomplished with the belt and afterwards

[@danieldrayet2364]

@@Stoneycomic vader never beat him for the belt

[@frankstallone5595]

When I think of flair matches I think of Sting, Savage, and Dragon as the best. I personally loved the Sting rivalry, but if we’re talking matches then Savage and Dragon beat sting.

[@richardremick1639]

I absolutely love 💕 it when Jim goes "WHATTTT"!!!! Lmao 🤣 vintage cornette reaction 👍

[@timothygalli9601]

My favorite wrestlers that beat flair for the world title is Kerry von Erich , dusty Rhodes , Ricky steamboat , Harley race and sting .

[@animalmother1582]

Steamboat vs Flair was probably the best in ring world championship rivalry of all time. I would put Savage and Dusty up in the top 5. Hogan near the bottom. But, all in all, wrestling and hype, Sting was his BIGGEST rival. I think it added to it that Sting got hurt and it felt like forever past when it should have happened. The Horsemen couldn't interfere because it was a lumberjack match. Sting was really gracious to Flair in his post match interview. It was cool in retrospect, but at the time, we'd seen Flair bring heaven and Earth down on him. And it just felt like he should have "gentlemanly" shoved it in his face.

[@rizzalater72]

I disagree. Steamboat was his biggest rival imo. They wrestled each other more times than any other two wrestlers ever did.

[@beyondbeleef1013]

Sting was definitely not his biggest rival. Steamboat was easily. That was red hot

[@RainmakerXBooty]

@@rizzalater72 in 89 for steamboat short run. Steamboat also never got another world title run and pretty much peetered out immediately after their 3rd match of the trilogy. Those matches were the best of any of flairs rivals but that was the last real run for steamboat. On the flip side, Sting was made by that title win. Pretty much allowed him to be placed as a main eventer for the next 15-20 years

[@paulbledsoe3392]

@@RainmakerXBooty Flair Steamer wrestled more times for the title than Sting had matches in any one year. Flair Steamer was a 10 plus year rivalry, way more than Sting. by the time Steamer beat Flair they had more matched against each other than Sting had in his whole career when he beat Flair. It really isnt close here if we are honest

[@MONKMONEY-hu1gw]

The DUSTY IMPRESSION WAS EVERYTHING.

[@MelloPintor]

The absolutely worst wrestler Rick Flair lost his world championship to was Jack Veneno in the Dominican Republic back in 84, the story behind that match is hard to pin down but apparently mid match there were cops involved and Flair and his people had to cut lose their plans, take the lost to the local hero under distress and leave the country short after, again the real details about that match are hard to come by but I would love to hear the story from Jim if he happens to know anything about it

[@Sargebri]

Actually, the match was in 1982. Flair was afraid the fans would riot if Venano didn't get the belt so he took the pin. They later said that Venano was stripped of the title because he refused to defend the belt outside of the DR and as a result the belt was returned to Flair.

[@jameswallen9219]

If I remember right, wasn't Piper somehow involved in this match, accompanying Flair to the ring?

[@CMDHistoria]

Who could’ve ever thought that the guy that drove the honky-tonk man’s pink Cadillac at wrestlemania six would go on to beat the greatest wrestler of all time for the world title… What long term storytelling that is lol

[@alphatoddio]

I c what u did there 😅

[@jamirimaj6880]

i think the list ranks the championship victories itself, that's why Sting is #1, because he is the most memorable out of everybody else's title wins.

[@CraigCairney83]

Great topic and conversation. Enjoyed that! ; )

[@DIESEL0759]

Ron Garvin gets a bad rep for being a placeholder Champion, but he was NWA Champion, at age 42, at a time when the title meant something. AND he beat Ric Flair, to boot, at a time when THAT also meant something...

[@ryandavis4448]

In the south, when I was a kid I remember Mello yello cans having images of dusty, Sting, flair, ect...does anyone else remember that?

[@JKimma8080]

Guys didn't Rick Rude beat him for some version of the NWA world title in WCW around 93-94ish or am I imagining this lol?

[@edwinaramirez6063]

@Crazy Eights it's also on Fall Brawl.

[@keithjackson7419]

Rude beat Flair for the Big Gold Belt at Fall Brawl 1993 after WCW withdrew from the NWA. The title was then referred to as the "World Heavyweight Championship as recognized by the WCW International Board of Directors"

[@abdotube1000]

I don't understand the hate for Sting! You have to accept the fact that sting was super over and was extremely loved by the fans. The fans always looked up to him. Besides, ric flair himself said if sting went to the wwe back then, there won't be warrior or hogan or savage.

[@kppodcast5698]

I'm debatably the world's biggest Sting fan, and as for my favorite poeple to beat Flair, sting is #1. BUt if we are talking about the best wrestler... Steamboat & Hart were much better wrestlers. Star power, Hogan and Savage may be bigger.

[@MuhammadFaisal-ed6zx]

@@kppodcast5698 Did you watch WCW? How in the hell do you think Savage had more Star Power than Sting?

[@jbellflower83]

@@MuhammadFaisal-ed6zx i love Sting but c'mon man, Hogan and Savage were 2 of the biggest personalitys in wrestling history. No way Sting had more Charisma or was more beloved in their heyday then Savage and Hogan.

[@aaronrumph3291]

@@jbellflower83 It is really hard to say Sting, Randy, and Hulk all had insane charisma that I can't even dream of saying who was better beyond slamming Hulk for only having insane charisma and not great matches though WCW did at least give me some respect for Hogan as a wrestler because heel Hogan was so much more fun than eat your vitamins hogan

[@aaronrumph3291]

I'd have to disagree if anything Sting would have gotten rid of Ultimate Warrior, but Savage and Hogan would have been huge feuds for WWF, nothing would have really changed beyond those Ultimate warrior matches from WM would have been Sting

[@keithjackson7419]

People forget: Paul Wight wasn't Big Show when he first appeared in WWE. He was briefly called "Big Nasty" before he was turned babyface. THEN, they changed it to Big Show.

[@hollywood21639]

When he showed up at St. Valentine's day massacre to throw Austin through the cage Jr said "that's Paul wight" and then he was the big nasty bastard. Then big show

[@thegreatdivide8684]

The WWE didn't know how to market or promote him. They did a poor job in utilizing his talents and skill. I thought the name Big Show was kinda hokey. They should've used some other catchy alter ego. Instead of properly promoting and marketing him, they basically trivialized and belittled him to the point of irrelevancy. WCW got it right with Paul Wight, WWE got it all wrong...No pun intended. The Big Nasty is often referenced to Tim Washington of the New York Enforcers of Rollerjam, but that's a different story.

[@dannycruz5446]

Kerry's title win was a huge deal in 1984 at one of the biggest shows of the year...hard to think of it as a footnote. Garvin's title win was a near unanimous wtf, at the time and since.

[@edwinaramirez6063]

World Class was a hot territory back then, but everyone nowadays thinks the NWA revolved around the Carolinas.

[@scoonman]

It was one of the biggest shows of the year…but sadly Kerry wasn’t in shape to capitalize.

[@edwinaramirez6063]

@@scoonman He won the belt. It was match of the year in Pro Wrestling Illustrated. What do you mean that he wasn't in shape to capitalize?

[@Sargebri]

Kerry's victory was done to give the crowd in Dallas.a happy ending after David's death. Kerry was never meant to be a long term champion because he was considered unreliable. If any of the Von Erichs was going to be a long term champion it was going to be David.

[@chriss1686]

​@@edwinaramirez6063 Nah, I think people give WCCW its due, but sorry, DFW was very hit and miss. While it was hot under the Von Erichs for a while, including some huge crowds, it didn't have the consistent gates of the Carolinas, Georgia, Tennessee or even Toronto and Houston. When you consider Charlotte-Greenboro's size relative to DFW or Houston, it should be pretty apparent how much more proportionately the Carolinas/Georgia/Tennessee were really the heart of American wrestling after Missouri peaced out in the 40s and 50s.

[@davidworden4470]

Wtf Kerry was my favorite von Eric David was before my time but the Texas tornado was soo underrated

[@DC-hy2rg]

It was great to hear Jim's thoughts on this. And we got a diabolic prank idea for the frame-thingy too!

[@Atomykpimp]

First show I ever saw at the Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis had Brody vs Flair on it. I was 15 at the time and blown away! Also saw Sting vs Flair in 1990 in Baltimore and later that year in St Louis at Starrcade 90. Some great memories for sure!

[@briankregg6329]

It was all Scott Steiner's fault that night in Baltimore

[@elijahchesterthomas5334]

"A FOOTnote in the history books." Good one, Sportsmen. 😉

[@aaronrumph3291]

The hard part about Harley Race is that he was the one that put Ric Flair over, whereas others on this list were more dream matches that may of either done nothing for either or elevated both involved.

[@jamiespencer1041]

More lists dudes, the best thing you guys do (not saying I don’t enjoy the other things) brilliant, thank you.

[@tonyibraham5931]

It's a hate bait article

[@mikehunt1741]

Love listening to Jim walking around work. Cracks me up when he advertises stuff. He’s the only guy that doesn’t make me skip advertisements.

[@Mr.BeastFacts]

“My mouth…is very dry!” - Sting GAB 1990

[@alphatoddio]

Corny as Sting circa 1990...the artwork never disappoints...God Bless Travis Heckle...😎💯🤘

[@chrisle2674]

NWA Exclusive list 1. Harley Race 2. Ricky Steamboat 3. Dusty Rhodes 4.Victor Jovica 5.Kerry Von Erich 6. Tatsumi Fujinami 7.Ron Garvin 8.Barry Windham 9.sting 10. Carlos Colón 11. Victor Jovica Flair had 11 title changes as NWA champion. WCW is not recognized by the NWA

[@RainmakerXBooty]

Windham beat Muta for the title not flair

[@charternicholson9933]

Race should be #1 ...he did not have the name only because when he was world champ it was about event draws in ring not so much cable. Besides who else has an event named for them in the rival of WWF/WWE King of the Ring...

[@ijustlostlol4741]

15:01 the way corny say come on had me dying😂

[@Azgoon69]

If the list was the best title changes then Kerry Von Erich would've been no.1

[@danielfreer8487]

wtf? he had the belt for all of 2 or 3 weeks brother. i guess in the moment it felt special but the moment was ruined fairly quickly.

[@aaronrumph3291]

​@@danielfreer8487 To be fair there is no right answer to this that is how many great rivalries Flair has had, but Kerry Von Erich was big, because Kerry was often looked at as the worst wrestler on the Von Erich family and him beating who was considered the greatest wrestler was a huge moment for Kerry and the Von Erich family. Comparing this to other wrestlers who had beat him were actual big names in their own right: Ricky, Hulk, Sting, Dusty, Randy, Harley, Bret, Diamond. None of them were legitimate underdogs to Ric Flair

[@maxxdahl6062]

@@danielfreer8487 In the moment is all that matters for a title change, it's the moment itself, not the reign.

[@danielfreer8487]

@@maxxdahl6062 clearly the criteria can be different than just 1 thing. saying that only in the moment is all that matters for a title change blablabla is clearly not true because listen to what jim said, he asked how they were grading it and what the criteria was, he wouldnt say that if what u just said was at all the truth. it might be all that matters to you but clearly jim has illustrated how it can be different to different people.

[@danielfreer8487]

@@aaronrumph3291 dusty was 100% booked as an underdog against flair. i agree with what you are saying for the most part though.

[@natesmart9959]

Flair vs Brody, amazing matches. Some of my favorites whether it was in St. Louis or Japan

[@jamirimaj6880]

0:43 Lawler levels of "What?!" there lol

[@ROIDEDCAPS7868]

THE HANDS OF STONE RONNIE GARVIN VS MR WONDERFUL PAUL ORNDORFF IN SMOKEY MOUNTAIN WRESTLING 1992 WAS SPECTACULAR!

[@Mr.Majestic77]

A list of Pro Wrestlers that should have defeated Ric Flair for the NWA 🌎 Heavyweight Championship: (1) Magnum T.A. (2) David Von Erich, (3) Lex Luger (4)" Dr. Death" Steve Williams (5) Brad Armstrong (6) Chris Adams

[@CardShopReality]

WOW that list was in a terrible order. Still THUMBS UP for discussing it.

[@elizabetho6506]

First, great topic. Second, the List is garbage. Kerry was over in the southwest Like hogan in 87. Third let’s listen to the rest…

[@kenrickeason]

DDP was SUPER OVER back then!

[@jaydav6521]

@@kenrickeason actually DDP was going through a bad heel turn during his last two title runs. Flair vs DDP on Nitro in Charlotte in 99 was heel vs heel for the belt. It was awful. The crowd wasn't behind either of them and it was Flair's hometown. DDP had a lot of bad booking in the last two years of WCW with stop and start pushes. As a face in 97-98 and parts of 99 he was extremely over.

[@metalmutherfucker1016]

Thank you Brian for saying what needed to be said about double j

[@MilMaska]

"I had more World Championship than you had women. Wooo" - Ric Flair

[@israeloagiledintlhe4166]

Whenever Jeff Jarrett gets mentioned, I can't get it out of my mind that he was in the " lay down and and let me pin ya" saga involving Hulk Hogan and Vince Russo 😠

[@noezrider6361]

I was already DISGUSTED what the product was, but that just took the damn cake. After watching NWA\WCW from the 70s, I was so relieved when it was over. So glad I can re-live the best wrestling back in the day on YT.

[@soulofanerd9364]

He was turning it back on Hogan who pulled that on Sting in 99. Both cases were terrible but the common denominator is HOGAN

[@noezrider6361]

@@soulofanerd9364 It sucked. Can you imagine Harley Race just laying down, Dory Funk, Brisco, Rhodes or Flair? That's what I grew up on. Then the 80s to early 90s were good, but went shit.

[@soulofanerd9364]

@@noezrider6361 the whole idea of creating more drama and pulling back the kayfabe curtain became big during the Monday Night Wars era. I enjoyed some of that edge that blurred the lines but Russo took it too far. Those laying down ideas I'm sure came from him.

[@moopert86]

Did they seriously say Kerri VOn Erich was a footnote? I am dying laughing at that, not sure if it was intentional or not.

[@jeromebrookter1743]

I can't stop laughing at the light up Conway Twitty suit.. Too damn funny... Great comment 👍

[@slimdigga9100]

The thumbnails be the best lol

[@sergiorovoletto2721]

Wheres Carlos Colon in this list.

[@larryjones4096]

I was actually there in Biloxi when Flair beat Jarrett for the title in 2000,it was no doubt a bucket list moment.Unfortunatly, that time period was marked by so much unnecessary sludge(russo,poor david flair,etc.),i would've preferred either my man Dusty in '86 or Steamboat in '89 as alternatives in the annals of greatest live matches vs. Flair i've ever attended.

[@bahamianshaolin]

I'm actually gonna check out the sky light frame thing😊

[@davethebarber62920]

Harley Race, and Dusty Rhodes, were the guys I initially think of when I hear this.

[@jaythor70]

It's a popularity contest. And there are names missing. Jack Veneno, Carlos Colon, and Victor Jovica all beat Flair, though they weren't recognized until much later, much like Fujinami.

[@ericbradshaw47]

1984 Kerry Von Erich, was a beast! At this time the top three wrestlers on the world were, Hogan, Flair, and Kerry!

[@matthewsmith2308]

Bret Hart has yo be the greatest, in 1997 he was face and heel at the same time. How many people have done that

[@madbrowniac7871]

Depending on where he was inside or outside of his beloved Memphis Jerry Lawler preceded Bret Hart by about a decade and a half with the Territorial schizophrenia number. In Memphis he was Boss. At Super Clash 3 in Chicago he was very much the villain of the piece against Kerry Von Erich.🤔🎤🤴🤼‍♂️B.W.

[@vainalba5162]

One of the funniest thumbnails 😂

[@bicpapermate]

When he said that Sting was #1, I shouted "NO" before Cornette could say "Oh, come on!"

[@soulofanerd9364]

As Jim said there needs to be a distinction on what "best wrestler" means.

[@sugartbube]

I saw this article too in fb

[@dejuans1328]

Awesome artwork by Travis

[@rolltide9547]

Kerry was a regional star in Texas and Oklahoma. Flair worked in every territory and all over the world. WTBS made those guys national stars.

[@SuperCrazyPsycho731]

Sting beat Flair on my birthday. That pay-per-view was one of my presents. Good year, good birthday. I got a lot of cool stuff that year. Sting winning the strap was the icing on the cake. 🤘

[@jamaalmoses8821]

Cornette w the Sting outfit and glasses.😂😂😂😂

[@constablekennedy7705]

I’m Surprised that Jim Cornette didn’t Call Tatsumi a ‘Japanese Schoolgirl’ …… 😂

[@nicholasmantia5031]

OMG!!! Jim as Sting looks AMAZING!!!

[@pjdolont9012]

I think I met Jim's octave when Brian said Kerry Von Erich

[@whytho969]

Jim cornette's Dusty Rhoads impersonation always gets me

[@YoungGrizzly82]

Most memorable one of this list is Sting beating Flair for his first world title win @GAB '90

[@adarbarrush]

Sting is the #1 all day. The evolution of Sting with flair helped Sting become the biggest star in the biz alongside Austin

[@maxfrost5016]

I go by quality of the feud, when Flair was in his prime and when the NWA belt meant something. 1. Race- two great legendary champions 2. Dusty- The Peoples' Champion and great foil for Flair 3. Steamboat- arguably the greatest series of championship matches, in N.A. history (only Misawa vs. Kawada rivals it worldwide)

[@Clubber-Slang]

I like your thought process of the feud being a good indicator. Maybe they should've broken it down into NWA and WCW/WWF. cus when the promoters still had to have a majority vote in the 80s to determine the champion was way different.

[@ThatDonChannel]

I remember Big Show/Giant beating Flair for the world title because of the ending - Giant put Flair in the choke while Flair had him in the Figure Four

[@frankohbk]

This was the best segment in weeks. Please give us more of these and less AEW crap nobody needs!

[@jimreily7538]

Yeah for real. I love this historical stuff. We definitely need more

[@FrankC71]

World Titles in the 70's & 80's were so much special as New Champs were not crowned as much as they are today