10 Best Wrestling Rivalries That Kept It All In The Ring
2. Ric Flair Vs. Ricky Steamboat
A perfect clash of personalities pitting a flash, hedonistic playboy against a grounded, honourable family man, Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat was an extremely personal rivalry. It kicked off when Steamboat knocked 'The Nature Boy' out with a backhand chop during a promo in Jim Crockett Promotions, but while the feud involved plenty of shenanigans outside the ring, it was defined by its strongest matches.
The rivalry stretched out across multiple decades, though the most celebrated period came in 1989. The first bout took place at the Chi-Town Rumble, where Steamboat defeated Flair to capture his first (and only) World Title, and the last (at WrestleWar) saw him drop the belt back to Flair. Each contest was given the ***** treatment by Dave Meltzer, making it one of the most acclaimed runs of matches in American wrestling history.
The duo would later revive their feud in 1994, and while the matches weren’t of the same standard as their 1989 classics, Flair and Steamboat still produced a series to make their younger peers blush. Their mutual mastery of psychology and technique, coupled with their contrasting personalities, made each match feel special, keeping things exciting across their dozens of singles bouts.