1. Ric Flair vs. Ricky The Dragon Steamboat (Clash Of The Champions VI, April 1989)
Arguably the greatest match in WCW lore is also, arguably, the greatest match in all of wrestling history. Words cannot accurately describe the situation that led to each bout in the three-match series between Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat in 1989 being praised with the ultimate sign of critical respect a 5-star rating. Perhaps the most flattering thing to say about the NWA World Heavyweight Championship matches is that they hold up against the modern standard, allowing those wrestling enthusiasts that have taken their fandom to analytical levels to almost universally agree to this day that Flair vs. Steamboat at The Chi-Town Rumble, Clash of the Champions, and WrestleWar all deserved 5-star marks. The debate will rage on for years as to which of the trio was the most outstanding, as each offered something a little bit different. If you are a fan, though, of the old school mentality of wrestling for an hour being the hallmark of a true champion and master of the craft, then the clear choice is the 2-out-of-3 Falls match at Clash of the Champions VI. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rk8dQCJoCN4 For fifty four and a half minutes, Flair and Steamboat rewrote the script of how to execute an hour-long match. As of 2014, it remains the best match wrestled at or near 60-minutes in modern pro wrestling history, ahead of WWEs Ironman matches that mostly featured more falls and a larger number of high spots. Back in 1989, the high spots were a lot tamer. Fans were conditioned to appreciate simpler moves with greater meaning and no two wrestlers were as capable of keeping the crowd entertained using those simpler moves than Flair and Steamboat. The Nature Boy and The Dragon effortlessly flowed from one part of the match to the next, cutting a blistering pace that well-displayed their respective cardiovascular endurance. The unpredictability of the falls was pronounced, the entertainment factor through the roof, and the psychology as perfect as you would find in those days. To make it all the more impressive, Steamboat and Flair went out there and called the entire match on the fly.
"The Doc" Chad Matthews has written wrestling columns for over a decade. A physician by trade, Matthews began writing about wrestling as a hobby, but it became a passion. After 30 years as a wrestling fan, "The Doc" gives an unmatched analytical perspective on pro wrestling in the modern era. He is a long-time columnist for Lordsofpain.net and hosts a weekly podcast on the LOP Radio Network called "The Doc Says." His first book - The WrestleMania Era: The Book of Sports Entertainment - ranks the Top 90 wrestlers from 1983 to present day, was originally published in December 2013, and is now in its third edition.
Matthews lives in North Carolina with his wife, two kids, and two dogs.
