WWE: Ranking Ric Flair's 16 World Title Runs - From Worst To Best

7. NWA World Heavyweight Championship (2nd NWA, 2nd Overall) November 24, 1983 - May 6, 1984

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAuh70gVoCg Ric Flair's second time as champion which started with a victory over Harley Race in a steel cage match refereed by former champion Gene Kiniski at the inaugural Starrcade was his shortest time with the belt as champion during the 1980s (164 days) and like many stints with the NWA Championship, it wasn't without its interruptions and controversial finishes, though these were recognized by the NWA and WCW for a time in the '90s they were not recognized at the time and have since been redacted from the record. Over the course of three days and two shows, starting in Wellington, New Zealand, on March 21, and ending in Kallang, Singapore on March 23, 1984, Flair lost and regained the championship to Harley Race. Having the title change hands at international shows without the approval of the NWA directors was commonplace during this era as the champion would almost always come back from his overseas tour with the championship still intact it was easier and more convenient to not recognize the title changes ever happened, while still allowing international fans the excitement and thrill of seeing a title change hands, something that happened very rarely outside the United States. The other memorable moments of this reign were Flair's antagonism of David, Kerry and Mike Von Erich during this time, specifically David. The older of the three, David had picked up serious momentum during the latter stages of 1983 and was viewed and predicted by many to be the next World Champion and had earned a title match against Flair in which Von Erich would choose the stipulation after Flair failed to beat Mike Von Erich in 10 minutes in a match in January 1984. The match was to have taken place in April or May that year. David Von Erich passed away February 10 in Tokyo while on tour with All Japan Pro Wrestling. The impact of Von Erich's passing was felt throughout professional wrestling and Kerry was able to channel the sympathy and sentimentality into momentum that he rode into a title opportunity against Flair, which some say was earmarked to be David's title shot, at Texas Stadium in Dallas, the Von Erich's backyard. The Texas Tornado was able to defeat Flair for the championship. This was by far the shortest and least memorable period with the championship during Flair's heyday in the 1980s and it is more remembered for the series of matches in March and the unsettled differences between Flair and David Von Erich and what could have been between the two. That said, it was still during Flair's heyday and saw the continued evolution of Flair into the Flair we know today as his interview segments and matches during this time, including the match with Race at Starrcade '83 that saw him win the championship are amongst his best.