I've been watching the PPVs from 1996 of late (pre-Bash at the Beach), and the thing that has really struck me is how sadistic and downright EVIL Flair is in that feud with Savage. I mean he doesn't just want to bring Savage low, he wants to humiliate him and take his life away. It's quite a dark storyline -- going back all the way to Slamboree 95 when he beats on Angelo Poffo, then slowly takes away his wife, his title, and his money. The pure dickery of Flair in this period is something to behold. He is particularly cowardly in hiding behind Arn like a little girl quite a lot during this run as well (see promo on McMichael and Kevin Greene at Slamboree '96, which I watched earlier tonight). I've found it striking just how heelish is in that period.

 

Question: is there ever a time when he's MORE EVIL than that? Seems to me that for most of the 80s there was something honourable about Flair's character. Yes, he had the arrogant promos, women, flash suits etc., but then he'd wrestle hour broadways every night and show he was a legit great athlete, etc. '96 Flair is just a bastard and a chicken shit pure and simple. I'm thinking it might be Flair at his most dastardly.

You answered your own question. It didn't last too long because the NWO took all the heat for themselves soon after this period.

Yep, you're right. Last time in his career Flair was a great character.

I fucking LOVED when the Horsemen all beat the snot out the Booty Man on a Nitro shortly before Hog Wild. It was the week after the nWo had beaten up a bunch of WCW guys, including Arn, so they took their revenge on Hogan's best friend.

 

I also found Flair's heel turn in '99 after winning the title to be pretty "evil" of him, because everyone was DYING to cheer and love him.

Loss - I think you could move this to comments that don't deserve a thread. I didn't think it would be so unanimous that 96 was his most evil run. But seems like it is so thread over.

You'd think Ric rubbing Ricky's nose in the concrete was more evil. 1996 seemed more cartoon stuff.

 

John

I always thought when Flair faced Koloff in the cage. Dusty comes out to help Flair, and Flair and the Horseman do the big beatdown on Rhodes to a huge amount of heat.

You answered your own question. It didn't last too long because the NWO took all the heat for themselves soon after this period.

Exactly this. I loved this angle at the time; it seemed so raw and real compared to the hocus-pocus Dungeon of Doom stuff they were headlining with before the NWO. I liked how even though Savage was pummeling Flair almost every time both still came out strong. Flair completely broke the man and took everything from him.

 

Looking back, I remember that as a 14-year old male Ric Flair was way more fun to cheer for than Shawn Michaels during that period.

Looking back, I remember that as a 14-year old male Ric Flair was way more fun to cheer for than Shawn Michaels during that period.

It was around this period I was becoming a big Flair mark (which never stopped, for the most part). Never would have happened, but I think it would have been cool to have Flair as the NWO benefactor character that Bischoff eventually became (and for a short while was thought to be Ted Dibiase).

Can anyone explain how the transition from DiBiase to Bischoff happened?

 

I remember Ted on the shoot talking about that time period as the lowest point in his career.

 

Incidentally, I think it would have been pretty sucky for Flair to be in the NWO. It was all about the old NWA/ WCW vs. WWF.

 

Don't think anyone represents the old NWA/ WCW more than Flair.

The thing about Flair was that he had no chance at being really evil after he was a face in JCP and had his own fanbase. He was at his most evil during his pre-JCP expansion era run through the territories.

You don't think the turn on Dusty and the rubbing of Morton's face in the concrete was evil? I mean... sure... a Flair Fan like me enjoyed it. But it pissed the regular fans off.

 

John

Can anyone explain how the transition from DiBiase to Bischoff happened?

 

I remember Ted on the shoot talking about that time period as the lowest point in his career.

Did Bischoff change the plan? My only exposure to wrestling "news" was the Apter mags at my local grocery during this period and I remember the speculation was that DiBiase was to be the NWO financier.

John, I was at the shows after Flair turned on Dusty and sure he was "evil" he was still heavily cheered by his fans. When it came to outside territories Flair was hated everywhere.

Can anyone explain how the transition from DiBiase to Bischoff happened?

 

I remember Ted on the shoot talking about that time period as the lowest point in his career.

Did Bischoff change the plan? My only exposure to wrestling "news" was the Apter mags at my local grocery during this period and I remember the speculation was that DiBiase was to be the NWO financier.

 

I thought he WAS the financeer. I mean what else was he meant to be?

Can anyone explain how the transition from DiBiase to Bischoff happened?

 

I remember Ted on the shoot talking about that time period as the lowest point in his career.

Did Bischoff change the plan? My only exposure to wrestling "news" was the Apter mags at my local grocery during this period and I remember the speculation was that DiBiase was to be the NWO financier.

 

I thought he WAS the financeer. I mean what else was he meant to be?

 

The Bischoff turn seemed to be more about the thought of "how does nWo get its own promotion eventually." I know Bischoff had the idea of eventually going down that road.

 

I suspect he backed off that after negative response to the first Souled Out, then tried it again with nWo taking over Nitro and doing the whole set switch live... and we all know how that worked out.

 

EDIT: Speaking of all this, why didn't WCW ever figure out that DiBiase should have been DDP's benefactor?

I have never really been crazy about Necro Butcher or garbage wrestling in general. But watching his 9/17/11 match in Z1 against Masato Tanaka, it occurs to me that he has a pretty soft touch with his opponents. And he takes the nastiest bumps, not them.

 

Bad for his own health, of course. But I'll bet it makes him sought-after as a match opponent.

I always thought Bischoff joined the NWO because he wanted to be part of the cool thing that was so big at the time, and basically bumped DiBiase out of his spot.

I always thought Bischoff joined the NWO because he wanted to be part of the cool thing that was so big at the time, and basically bumped DiBiase out of his spot.

According to Jim Cornette that's what happened.

Of course he would know.

The Death of WCW sort of implies that as well. That Bischoff joining the nWo was because he wanted to be associated with the hot ticket in the business, and it sounded like fun.

Ted says much the same thing in his shoot. That the angle had taken off so Eric jumped in and took Ted's spot, leaving Ted to do little but "hold Hogan's belt" which he took as a massive insult. It's the only time in that shoot where he sounds bitter.

Well, it may have been so, but in execution, Bischoff was actually a hundred time better than DiBiase in the role. Bischoff was getting monstruous heat, was cutting excellent promos and showed ass. His personnality was really showing, and nWo Bischoff really was a precusor to Mr. McMahon. DiBiase was kinda working his WWF gimmick, but without much emphasis put on him anyway, and he never brought much to the table in the role. He was useless after he turned face he got put with the Steiner, who didn't need anyone anyway. And it's not like DiBiase had a great track record of acting as a manager, as his WWF stint with the Million Dollar Corporation wasn't exactly anything to brag about. I like DiBiase as much as anyone, but Bischoff was a much better fit anyway.

No I agree. I mean I'm the biggest Ted mark around and I think he was out of place in the NWO. And his WWF run as manager is the best example I can think of of a manager getting heat over the talent. That wasn't entirely his fault: they BOOKED it for DiBiase to still be the main heel and all of the members of the corporation as his minions.

 

BUT HE COULDN'T TAKE BUMPS OR HAVE MATCHES

 

So what was the point? I think the Million Dollar Corporation is the worst booked stable of all time - that's right, below Dungeon of Doom.