13. Triple H vs. Ric Flair - Last Man Standing (Survivor Series 2005)
For those of you that grew up watching wrestling from the Attitude Era to near the end of last decade, did you appreciate getting to watch Ric Flair wrestle for WWE in the 2000s? If you did not get to see Flair wrestle in his prime, then surely you must have heard about him when you became a fan. He might very well be the most revered grappler amongst his peers in modern wrestling lore. Perhaps you watched him mix it up well into his late fifties and did not understand how such a person with all his internet age-driven, well-known faults could garner that brand of respect. It was honestly true, though, what so many pundits suggested: he really was, even in his late fifties, better than 90% of the WWE roster throughout his 2002-2008 run. Other than his match with HBK at WrestleMania 24, no other twilight-of-Flairs-career match was better than the Last Man Standing battle between the Nature Boy and Triple H in 2005. There is just something about student vs. mentor matches. If you have a mentor or have mentored someone, you know that it is a pleasure to work with your teacher or protégé; a real honor. When you watch Triple H and Flair work together, think of what a thrill it must have been for them both. Trips idolized Flair and Flair, in turn, was incredibly touched that the man he felt was the greatest in the world at the time continually pumped him up and reminded him of what he meant to the business. The Last Man Standing match was not the best version of that gimmick, but it stands the test of time as quite a fight if you can suspend your disbelief.
"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.
