Ric Flair was a WCW guy before WCW was ever truly a thing, as he was the main attraction for their precursor, NWA and Jim Crockett Promotions. Ric Flair was seen by many as the real World Champion, and the thought of him ever leaving WCW for WWF was too ridiculous to consider. After a contract dispute, Flair did in-fact leave WCW with the NWA World Heavyweight Championship belt, and appeared on WWF television as The Real World Champion. A few months after his WWE arrival, he entered the 1992 Royal Rumble match, which was for the WWF Championship, which had previously been vacated following a number of controversial matches between Hulk Hogan and The Undertaker. Ric Flair entered the 92 Rumble at #3 and lasted almost exactly an hour long, eliminating five men to claim victory. This was the first time someone entered so early and lasted long enough to win the match, and was a great way for WWE to showcase Ric Flairs skills to their possibly unfamiliar audience. Flairs victory made him the WWF champion while still recognised by many NWA fans as their true champion. Flair would lose the title to Randy Savage at WrestleMania, but would win it one more time for a short period before dropping it to Bret Hart and returning to his home in WCW.
