Posted January 16, 200817 yr comment_5427201 Ric Flair vs. Barry Windham - The first 15 minutes or so are controlled by Barry. It may just be me but this match is flying by as Barry is keeping things going at a faster pace than I am accustomed to in Flair matches. Flair takes control after Barry runs into the corner and meets a Flair low-blow and they go outside which ends up with Barry being busted open. Inside, Barry turns the tide and puts Flair in the Figure-4. There are 2 ways you can look at it... either a typical Flair spot for the opponent to use Flair's move on him or a nod to the 1st Battle of the Belts. The last 15 minutes are just great back and forth action where the momentum keeps shifting and there are about 6 or 7 points where you think... this match is over. THe biggest problem might be that people knew there was no chance in hell that Barry was going to win but this was Florida and maybe it was possible he got a KVE run with the belt. This is an easy nomination but the big question now is which Flair-Windham matchup is the best. I think I may enjoy this one more than the 1/20/87 match (which was hurt by commercial breaks) but not as much as the Crockett Cup match. I'll have to revisit these when the sets are made.
January 16, 200817 yr comment_5427205 I haven't watched this in a while. I remember loving this match. The pace at which the wrestlers work was blistering.
November 18, 201311 yr comment_5573083 NWA World Heavyweight Title: "Nature Boy" Ric Flair © vs. Barry Windham (2/14/86) The crowd loves them some Barry here. HOLY SHIT!!!!!!!!!! Flair comes out to EASY LOVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AMAZING.........I totally have never seen the intro for this match until now and I only thought Flair came out to this once at The Omni. This has rocked my world. The match itself was fantastic as both men worked their asses off and the crowd was into it the whole way. Windham was very solid working over Flair's back with Flair in desperation posting Windham on the floor with Windham's face becoming a crimson mask. This became a total war of attrition and Flair got in more offense in than normal even breaking out a nice short headscissors followed up by a fun Windham counter and they were doing this with 25 minutes gone in the match which is something you normally would see with 5 minutes gone. Flair even broke out a piledriver here which he didn't use a whole lot as both men were doing whatever it took to get an advantage. Windham would hit a big flying lariat for a nearfall and then soon paid Flair back by posting him twice on the floor bringing out the juice. The stretch run was so damn good as Flair got the figure-four and Windham fought out of it and they were pulling out all the stops to get the win before we got a ref bump. Flair then tossed Windham over the top to the floor which pissed Barry off and he came back with a missile dropkick over the top rope but Bill Alfonso was still dazed and couldn't make the count. Windham would come back with a sleeper but Flair wouldn't die then he hit a sweet suplex with a floatover for another nearfall again with Flair not dying. Flair then would hit Windham with a cross body block with both men crashing over the top to the floor hard and then they fought to a double countout which meant the last 3 matches of this show ended in double countouts. This was a phenomenal match and a grand slam nomination.
