15 Times WCW Was Better Than Literally EVERYTHING
14. Ric Flair Is WCW’s First Saviour
Something felt off about Ric Flair being over in the WWF between 1991-1993. Sure, that 2 year run gifted the biz some of its finest matches (the 1992 Royal Rumble and a 'Loser Leaves Town' collision vs. Mr. Perfect were both pulsating and some of WWE's greatest matches ever), but the 'Nature Boy' was more in line with the NWA/WCW's presentation than Vince McMahon's. He wasn't a "WWF Superstar" - he was a real rassler!
So, WCW's throngs were thrilled to see Ric return home in time to topple the feared Big Van Vader at Starrcade 1993. Originally, Sid Vicious was supposed to wrestle Vader in a battle of the powerbomb-giving monsters, but he'd been let go after a nasty incident with Arn Anderson over in the UK. Let's just say that wrestling fans won the lottery here, because Flair was a vastly superior replacement for big Sid.
Sid was great, but he wasn't Ric Flair between the ropes.
Flair had been such a huge heel for years, so it was fun to see him play the homecoming babyface hero who desperately fought to save his career in the face of mammoth adversity vs. Vader. Starrcade's build up include 'Mean' Gene Okerlund visiting a melancholy, pensive Flair household as Ric kissed family members goodbye and wondered if he'd be coming back in one piece.
It was a wonderful example of simple-but-effective wrestling storytelling, and was made all the sweeter by Flair's against-all-odds victory in Charlotte (his billed hometown). Pre-Sting vs. the nWo, and even pre-Lex Luger against the same group, it was 'Slick Ric' who proved to be WCW's first saviour.