Sting vs. Ric Flair - This match has been talked about ad nauseum and the weaknesses are still there. Too many repeat spots, too long, etc. If this was a 20 minute match it may have stood as Stong's best match. The only drawback to that scenario would be that Sting was trying to prove he could hang with the World Champ and 20 minutes would not have proven anything. Still, while this is not a favorite of mine, it is one of those matches that has to be on there becasue of the notoriety it has received.

I'm giving this a high end nomination. I watch this match through Rose colored glasses . So I see the good and overlook the flaws. I thought both guys connected well with the crowd. I thought it was smart early for Sting to use the headlock. Flair is able to keep it real interesting working underneath and generate heat. Flair busts Sting's chest and even draws blood which is a great visual. Sting uses some high impact moves and starts working the back. Eventually, Flair cuts him

off and does some great payback and shows Sting how to work the back. Flair did this, some nasty eye raking, fish hooks etc. Flair was good at giving Sting some comeback spots and Stings inexperience would show and he'd make a mistake . Eventually, Flair is a master and just destroy's the leg mixed in with the physicality of the chops.We build to a super hot finish which culminates with Flair in the Scorpion. Flair's sell if the hold was great with his head and biting on his hand to absorb the pain. Flair was great at putting over Sting's stuff and a famous match .

My views on this match have changed and I am giving it a no vote. I recently watched this and I have the opposite of rose-colored glasses. I have boredom and a case of Groundhog Day where they keep going back to the same spots and I can't get over it.

NWA World Heavyweight Title: "Nature Boy" Ric Flair © vs. Sting

 

The judges for the match if needed were Gary Juster, Sandy Scott, Patty Mullen, Jason Hervey, & Ken Osmond which is quite the eclectic group I tell you. JJ Dillon of course had to be put in the old cage above the ring and the match had a special 45:00 TV time limit. Sting was built up well heading into this match but Flair didn't take him seriously as he was treating him like George South early on but Sting didn't take long though to change Flair's outlook. You watch Sting at this time and the future stardom is just reeking off of him and his athleticism was at a high level. They definitely are working long and the early part of the match tells that story and you don't have judges at ringside for nothing so smart folks should've known this was going the distance. Flair was in complete make a superstar mode and Sting was definitely willing to hold up his end of the bargain. This is one of the earliest Sting/Flair matches so you could see the future formula going but the fact that they were going long and being so early made this one different than normal. Sting worked Flair's back fiercely for a while before missing a splash into the corner and landed right arm first on the top rope then got nailed with an inverted atomic drop which allowed Flair to take Sting to the floor where he threw him into the railing. Flair is now in full control and now he is working over Sting's back among hitting his key offensive spots but he is very aggressive now. Sting though fires it up and with one punch he sends Flair over the top rope but misses a flying clothesline into the ringpost hurting that arm again. Flair now keys on the arm but Sting is like a superhuman right now fighting through it all to dish out the pain on Flair. Sting gets the Scorpion Deathlock the first time at the 25:00 mark but Flair gets to the ropes to save himself but the damage was done. Sting would again go flying to the floor but again came back quick and hit a huge cross body block off the top rope for a nearfall which Flair answered back with his patented kneebreaker. Flair now has new life and he is very aggressive at working the knee before finally getting the figure-four leglock with 30:00 gone. Sting again is superhuman in this match and he pulls Flair completely into the middle of the ring and flips the hold but Flair would get to the ropes though. Both men are now selling this war of attrition and trade big swings in momentum before Sting hits a big press slam and then he crotches Flair into the ringpost. Sting then locks on his own figure-four leglock in the middle of the ring before breaking the hold and yelling to the crowd. Sting continued to work Flair's knee though which pissed Flair off enough to shove Tommy Young who shoves right back. Flair goes flying to the floor now as Jim Ross is going insane and Sting is just taking it to Flair posting him which brings out the juice. We now have 5:00 left in the match and both men are putting it all on the line especially Sting who takes a wild bump on a Stinger Splash miss where he goes head first to the floor. The crowd heat is amazing as the minutes go by and Sting is getting nearfalls with Ross & Schiavone killing it on commentary. Tom Miller calls for the 1:00 mark as it is really turning up huge then Sting hits the Stinger Splash and gets the Scorpion Deathlock with 30 seconds left. Flair is fighting his ass off and finally survives as the bell rings ending this epic encounter. It's all in the hands of the judges now with Patty Mullen scoring for Flair which was hilarious, Gary Juster scores it for Sting, Sandy Scott scores it a draw, but they don't read out Jason Hervey & Ken Osmond's scores which is hilarious as they just stop at those 3. Nevertheless this was amazing TV in 1988 and amazing TV in 2015....and this match was the match that made Sting's career. I've seen this many times and every time it holds up. Terrific stuff and one of the most important matches of the era. Slam Dunk Nomination.