Ric Flair vs. Ron Garvin (Cage Match) - Even though Garvin was booked like a chump in the lead-up to this match, the Garvin feud is one of my favorite Flair matchups. I always felt bad for Garvin as the fans turned on him but I blame that on the booking more than anything he did. I think the cage match that saw Garvin win the world title was much better but this still holds up esp. seeing it complete and not clipped like on the commercial tape. I also enjoy this much more than the Race-Flair match form the first Starrcade. I am throwing this one on the block.

I like this match more than most people. Flair/Garvin as a series is really one of Flair's best feuds, especially because you saw all this non-Flair stuff from Flair and they just really beat the hell out of each other. Just a terrific match best watched in full. I'm glad 24/7 aired it unedited.

 

YES.

I'll go with a solid nomination bordering on a high end nomination. These guys have a unique chemistry with each other. The physicality on display is brutal. These guys must have been using the Neosporin by the case.

Steel Cage Match for the NWA World Heavyweight Title: "Hands of Stone" Ronnie Garvin © vs. "Nature Boy" Ric Flair

 

You can say what you want about how Garvin was booked as champion but it was always leading up to this match and it was fun seeing Flair as the challenger not the champion. I can watch these two wrestle all day long as their matches have this physicality that you didn't see much then and don't see a lot of now. This is two grown men going out there and saying "FUCK IT, LET'S THROW DOWN" for our enjoyment. You also get the rarity of Flair wearing white tights which is a great touch in a cage match and ironic since Ronnie wore white a lot. We get the GARVIN STOMP early and holy shit it's one of my favorite spots in the history of wrestling....I always pop for it. Flair then used a cheap shot to stop Garvin and got an inverted atomic drop to start his offensive barrage. Flair would soon get the figure-four after his kneebreaker and I love that Flair is in full "fuck the bullshit" mode and just wants to beat Garvin. Flair is working this like his version of a BattlARTS match which is great as he is ruthless working over Garvin and tries to ram Garvin into the cage but it's blocked twice until Garvin reversed it and slammed Flair into the cage twice which brings out the blood. Garvin is working the cut like crazy and Flair tries to escape but Garvin climbs up there with him as he bashes Flair's head off the top of the cage twice causing Flair to drop to the mat. Garvin then press slammed Flair off the top rope before locking on his own figure-four leglock that Flair sells like death. This is now turning into a full war with both men trading shots and big moves like Garvin with a big cross body block off the top rope for a nearfall. Flair again tries to escape but he gets bashed into the cage again then headbutted before getting crotched. Garvin then got his sunset flip off the top for a nearfall and the place is going nuts as these men continue to battle. Garvin then hit his big right hand for a nearfall until Flair caught Ronnie in the air and rammed him head first into the cage then pinned him to win the title. The one problem I have with the match is the finish being like it was because all it took was that one shot into the cage for Garvin to get beat but Flair was demolished and couldn't go down. Nevertheless this match was AMAZING and a grand slam nomination.