It may seem like sacrilege to have a WCW list of any kind in which Ric Flair does rank at No. 1. After all, he was a headliner for the promotion for decades, its heavyweight champion and the man most readily associated with it. "The Nature Boy" was the leader of the Four Horsemen, a 16-time world champion and, arguably, the greatest worker in the history of professional wrestling. There are not many arguments to be made against his overwhelming greatness. What should have been a great vehicle for WCW to showcase the greatness of its most iconic star, however, was the beginning of the darkest days of Flair's Hall of Fame career. While he remained relevant and was clearly one of the biggest stars on the roster (hence his ranking near the top of this list), he was completely and utterly misused, disgraced and disrespected by Eric Bischoff and the booking team. His legacy was unquestionably damaged by his use during that point in time. Whether he was being mocked and ridiculed by members of the nWo or booked to be the punching bag for Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage, Flair was never treated like the iconic figure in the wrestling industry that he actual was. As a result, fans of the Monday Night Wars, who had never been exposed to the sport before, were left with a very warped perception of the importance of the Nature Boy. There were still enough moments that really put over how great Flair was. Whether it involved putting The Giant over in the grandest way possible, showing very real and very pure emotion as he watched his best friend Arn Anderson announce his retirement, or his return in September 1998, there were still a few moments that belong on any Flair highlight reel. Unfortunately, there were not enough to warrant him filling the top spot in this countdown.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
