10 Greatest Cage Matches On The WWE Network
5. Ric Flair vs Harley Race - Starrcade 83
The inaugural Starrcade caps off with this match, an old school tussle between two of the most revered pros ever to lace a pair of boots. It’s a big money bout that’s pitched perfectly, with Flair as the smaller but wilier man and Race as the quasi-feral bruiser with nothing on his mind but violence. The qualities of the two men are never in doubt, and all the way through it could go either way.
Former NWA Heavyweight champion Gene Kiniski steps in as special guest referee, adding credence to the notion that only the steel cage can keep this war from spilling out into the arena. Flair sells and schemes, demonstrating his technical chops alongside his "dirtiest player" bag of tricks (he does a Fiend-esque neck snap at one point).
Race, meanwhile, builds upon his brutal persona brilliantly, becoming increasingly irate with Flair and the world at large as the smaller challenger just won’t go down. Flair eventually wins, and the scene is a beautiful one, with Jim Crockett’s constituency of babyfaces running out to congratulate the Nature Boy.
A classic scrap that’s aged like fine wine.