June 10th, 1983 saw Harley Race become a 7th time NWA champ beating Ric Flair in St. Louis in a result that was actually surprising at the time. Sure Race had the cache but other than a couple of guest shots on some big shows, Race was under the radar as he was only working Central States, St. Louis, and even Bruiser's WWA. Harley was always the safe choice to hold the title because of his rep and history but there were other guys who could've really benefited from having the 5 month run that he had as the champion. I don't think that a Crockett wrestler would be in play to win the title because Flair just had it so....

 

David Von Erich = logical choice and subject of many rumors that he would win the title in 1984 but why not give it to him in June 1983. World Class was molten hot and DVE had proven the year prior that he could work easily as a heel as well as face. NWA champ at that time definitely had to work both roles but even more so a heel because babyface challengers = money.

 

Stan Hansen = Stan is another guy who is a logical choice and fits the criteria of working both ways. Hansen was also a Baba guy which was very important in your standing of being the NWA champ.

 

Ted DiBiase = DiBiase was working for non-NWA member Mid-South at the time but he was still a serious candidate for the spot and again his standing with AJPW helped.

 

Now there are three off the top of my head, there are others and you can bring up JCP guys I guess but I just don't think the members would've voted that way at the time.

My immediate thought on seeing this OP and after scouring the reference books etc. for Backlund is that there are probably 10 times as many guys you could realistically put in the frame here than for 1977. I really mean that. All told there were about 3 viable guys we named who could have taken the Backlund role. I reckon there's about 30 guys we could put in the frame here, of whom 5-7 would be really compelling cases.

The whole point of the switch was to put the belt back on Flair at Starrcade so it works best with a former champion who won't be tarnished by the fairly short reign or some other national star. So...umm...heel Tommy Rich? That would actually be kind of awesome.

I'm not sure Race at that point is the most interesting question mark. Flair in 81 is far more interesting to me because Flair was far from a sure thing at that point and there were other guys out there that would have been just as strong - if not better at the time - picks.

1981: Guys who are receiving NWA title matches include Dusty Rhodes, the Funks, Ken Patera, Roddy Piper, the Iron Sheik, Jimmy Valiant, the Andersons, the Assassin, Bobby Jaggers, Buzz Tyler, Buzz Sawyer, Terry Gordy, Kevin Von Erich, John Studd, Ivan Koloff, Greg Valentine, Gene Lewis and Ric Flair. Couple of interesting names. Rhodes wanted to keep the title badly, if I'm not mistaken. Gordy could've made a very good champion at his peak but he's much too young yet. Patera I could see. Maybe Piper. Greg Valentine certainly.

 

1983 was a program that established Flair as a better long term champion. If not Race in that role it seemingly has to be someone like the Funks or Jack Brisco.

The whole point of the switch was to put the belt back on Flair at Starrcade so it works best with a former champion who won't be tarnished by the fairly short reign or some other national star. So...umm...heel Tommy Rich? That would actually be kind of awesome.

A 5-6 interim reign is hardly going to tarnish anyone. Think of Steamboat who was an interim champ for less than that.

 

I don't think it HAS to go to a former champ.

The whole point of the switch was to put the belt back on Flair at Starrcade so it works best with a former champion who won't be tarnished by the fairly short reign or some other national star. So...umm...heel Tommy Rich? That would actually be kind of awesome.

A 5-6 interim reign is hardly going to tarnish anyone. Think of Steamboat who was an interim champ for less than that.

 

I don't think it HAS to go to a former champ.

 

It had to go to someone who was going to be a reasonably big deal for Flair to beat.

Any reason why it couldn't have been Dusty?

I can't see Dusty agreeing to be a heel in that spot at that point

In that case, for the time being, I will offer the name Ivan Koloff, the man who defeated Bruno. He was around and still positioned quite highly on the Crockett roster.

 

Fewer complications than securing Hansen, DiBiase or Jack Brisco at that point. Sets things up for Nikita's debut too.

It's gotta be Terry Funk, right? Great heel, established name, still considered fresh, can talk and work, would've done well in the "mean person being mean to that nice Ric Flair" role, known in several territories, good rep in Japan...and he's Terry Funk!

 

I could also see Hansen also being a logical choice. What was Hansen's mindset in 1981? Would he have wanted to leave Japan long enough to run as the NWA champ for 6 months?

I think it had to be Race. The only other option I see is a heel Jack Brisco. The point was that Flair was beating a stalwart who represented the previous era. Brisco was a heel at that point, so it might have worked, but I think Race was the better option.

Depends if it's 81 or 83 we're talking here.

 

If Funk is NWA champ in June 83 we don't get the retirement deal in All Japan that summer.

I think it had to be Race. The only other option I see is a heel Jack Brisco. The point was that Flair was beating a stalwart who represented the previous era. Brisco was a heel at that point, so it might have worked, but I think Race was the better option.

I know we all hate him, but what about Dory?

There is a massive difference between 81 and 83. 83 I think Race or Jack are the only real options. If for some reason they decided not to go with former NWA champ I think Ivan is a poor choice for a bunch of reasons I will cover later if pressed (at work). Valentine would be the best option in that unlikely scenario as he had previous history with Flair and had long time value in MACW.

 

81 there are many viable options. I think there Patera is the best pick though I'm biased. Again I can explain in detail later if pressed

1981 is more intriguing and something we can visit for sure but Race seemed kinda odd at the time because of his lack of being around the big territories months before winning the title back.

 

Terry Funk "retired" during the time period so he isn't really a viable option.

 

Jack Brisco had turned heel yes but was a JCP guy then just like Dory.

 

Ivan Koloff was working for Vince and Patera was working for Verne.

 

Dusty had already had his run in 1981.

 

If you are going with the Starrcade talking point then a former champion as the champ is key to the cause but here is the thing....if they went with David Von Erich winning the title at Reunion Arena at the Star Wars show on June 17th in a way where Flair could come out looking cheated to the JCP audience then you have a heel DVE coming with Flair going for his revenge.

Do you think Fritz would go for David being a heel on something that would be available nationally through closed circuit TV? Jerry Lawler is an interesting option to think about since we're discussing hypothetical situations anyway. Possibly even Jumbo Tsuruta as Evil Foreigner, giving cred to the supercard concept and allowing them to bill it as a global event. I don't think Jumbo's name was going to mean anything in the US, but a wrestling card with global implications happening in Greensboro is an interesting selling point. Flair could have dropped the title on 6/8 in All Japan, two days before he dropped it to Race anyway.

By the way, for all the complaining we've done about Kiniski at Starrcade over the years, I've read stuff more recently that this was the idea. Kiniski would appear to be biased for Flair to give Race an out in Kansas City. While that may be true, my first instinct is to question that, only because I'm not sure Race or even KC as a town was strong enough to deserve that level of protection at that point. Anyone?

Do you think Fritz would go for David being a heel on something that would be available nationally through closed circuit TV? Jerry Lawler is an interesting option to think about since we're discussing hypothetical situations anyway. Possibly even Jumbo Tsuruta as Evil Foreigner, giving cred to the supercard concept and allowing them to bill it as a global event. I don't think Jumbo's name was going to mean anything in the US, but a wrestling card with global implications happening in Greensboro is an interesting selling point. Flair could have dropped the title on 6/8 in All Japan, two days before he dropped it to Race anyway.

Well Starrcade wasn't nationally on Closed Circuit then....just in certain areas.

 

Lawler is an option as the title switch was done 4 days after the LLT match with Dundee so they could've had Dundee take that match with Lawler leaving town going for the NWA title.

 

Jumbo is an interesting candidate but I don't think the NWA promoters wanted a Japanese guy touring with the belt. Baba winning it and losing it was fine but the promoters wanted a touring champ who could cut promos.

 

Regarding KC......it was one of the lowest territories on the totem pole but they were helped by Geigel being the NWA President for sure.

There is a massive difference between 81 and 83. 83 I think Race or Jack are the only real options. If for some reason they decided not to go with former NWA champ I think Ivan is a poor choice for a bunch of reasons I will cover later if pressed (at work). Valentine would be the best option in that unlikely scenario as he had previous history with Flair and had long time value in MACW.

 

81 there are many viable options. I think there Patera is the best pick though I'm biased. Again I can explain in detail later if pressed

I don't think Ivan is a great choice, I was just saying realistically he was RIGHT THERE and in wrestling sometimes it happens that they'll go with convenience rather than what is the best choice.

 

You will likely not agree at all, but I think Ivan in 83 had a more realistic chance of happening than Patera in 81.

 

If Ivan did get the title, I don't think it would have been in June but likely later. More of a 30-60-day sort of reign. Granted, that would have been a shockingly shit main event for the first Starrcade, but they could have built it up in various ways. NWA vs. old WWWF, USA vs. USSR etc. etc. Plus Nikita is around the corner.

 

I'm not saying it's a great scenario, but if Race wasn't there I can see them looking at it as a possibility.

Ken Patera was on the short list of candidates for the title in 1981. Patera walking out of GCW with the Georgia Heavyweight Title instead of jobbing to Tommy Rich right before Flair won the title didn't help his cause either

What about Lawler?

Brody, as long as you are willing to pay him a hundred jazillion dollars to take the fall at Starrcade (and another hundred gazillion to even show up to lose).

 

It's a horrible idea knowing what Brody might have done with that spot, but Brody getting 6 months with the belt to steamroll several "legit" challengers, building towards the Flair rematch, would have been a pretty big event. Plus you could have Kiniski play the fool-ass ref like he did at Race-Flair (I'm not saying I think he did it to get Race an out in KC, because I don't believe that), and Brody gets his "out".

 

I'm gonna go hide while people rip me a new one now...

Brody, as long as you are willing to pay him a hundred jazillion dollars to take the fall at Starrcade (and another hundred gazillion to even show up to lose).

 

It's a horrible idea knowing what Brody might have done with that spot, but Brody getting 6 months with the belt to steamroll several "legit" challengers, building towards the Flair rematch, would have been a pretty big event. Plus you could have Kiniski play the fool-ass ref like he did at Race-Flair (I'm not saying I think he did it to get Race an out in KC, because I don't believe that), and Brody gets his "out".

 

I'm gonna go hide while people rip me a new one now...

It's good for Crockett, but bad for the rest of the NWA. The NWA faced a real challenge starting that year of balancing their booming territories (Crockett, World Class) while keeping their dwindling promoters happy. What made Race the best option at the time is that he was respected enough to keep the Alliance together. I don't know if most of the NWA promoters would have tolerated a month of say, Valentine/Flair NWA title matches.

Apart from Race and the other former champs, who actually had national recognisability in 1983? I'm talking about someone that fans from LA to New York to Kansas to Florida to New Orelans would have heard of.

 

Outside of Andre, who else is there? Was Wahoo known on that sort of level? Was Hansen?