10 Wrestling Matches That Started Riots

7. Ric Flair Vs. Nikita Koloff - September 1985

Ric Flair Nikita Koloff Dusty Rhodes Four Horsemen Omni Atlanta
WWE.com

Man, the traditional NWA territories of the 1980s were white-hot at times. And one such example of this, is the frenzied reaction of those in attendance during a September 1985 event at Atlanta's Omni.

There, Ric Flair battled Nikita Koloff in a Steel Cage contest. In his third reign as the NWA Worlds Champion at the point, Flair successfully retained his beloved title against Nikita on that 29 September night - and his victory would be followed by a beatdown from Nikita and Ivan Koloff.

To the Nature Boy's recuse, it was Dusty Rhodes rushing the cage and landing shots on the two despicable Russian heels. But the fix was in, for Arn and Ole Anderson headed to the ring and took part in a 3-on-1 brutalising of Rhodes alongside Flair.

Those in attendance last night were furious, and it was only that the wrestlers were confined within a steel structure that the fans weren't able to inflict their rage on Flair, Arn and Ole.

Coincidentally, this was the early goings of the Four Horsemen, with Tully Blanchard soon joining this trio - and then Double A casually referring to the group as the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse during a promo, in turn cementing that most famous of stable names for this collection of iconic talent.

All of this would also lead to Ric Flair vs. Dusty Rhodes at Starrcade 1985, where the American Dream would emerge victorious.

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Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer and Presenter, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund and Eli Roth to Kevin Smith and the Russo Brothers, to Kevin Conroy and Frank Miller, to Bret Hart and Sting, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, and Brian Flynn, to many, many more. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is a long-standing season ticket holder and an FSA Award-winner for his time co-hosting the Fearless in Devotion podcast.