|
Flair set a must-see
By
BOB KAPUR - SLAM! Wrestling
|
  
|
Flair enters as the third man in the Rumble. For the next hour, he
takes a pounding from nearly every other entrant until, finally, he is
the last man standing - and the WWE champion for the first time. It's a
true testament to Flair's talents that even among some of the biggest
names of all time - Hogan, Piper, Undertaker, Savage, the Big Boss Man -
he is able to draw all the attention and all the heat, and nobody gets
bored watching.
Of course, "boring" was never a word that most people associated with
Flair, either in or out of the ring. His interviews have always been
considered to be among the industry's best, and "The Ultimate Ric Flair
Collection" boasts some of the real gems, including several that haven't
been seen for years. Flair was the master at blending over-the-top
bluster ("Whoooo!") and a genuine passion for the sport. It is this
passion, he says, that made him what he is today: a genuine leader in an
industry that he loves more than anything else.
And, as shown in the segment entitled "A Special Night in
Greenville", the industry loves him right back - and recently got the
chance to let him know that. Following the match pitting him against
then-champion Triple H, the entire "Raw" roster came out to celebrate
the man's long tenure in the sport. To be acknowledged publicly by his
peers, Flair says, is the greatest honour he could ever receive. The
footage of Flair emotionally choking out his gratitude to the wrestlers
and to the crowds that have cheered and jeered him for years... well,
only a misguided perception of manliness prevents me from saying it made
me misty-eyed. The footage was taped after the TV broadcast had
finished, and this is the first time it has been made available to
anyone who wasn't in attendance that night.
If there is one negative thing to say about "The Ultimate Ric Flair
Collection", it's that they should have added another disc to the set.
Personally, I would have liked it if they had included his match against
Vader from Starrcade 1994 (my favourite Ric Flair match ever), or his
series of scientific matches against Steven Regal, or his only match
against his best friend and fellow Horseman Arn Anderson, or more
matches from his first WWE stint (of course, on the other hand, we were
spared from the lower moments of Flair's career, like the time he wore a
dress, or the Black Scorpion angle, or his "heart attack", or anything
involving Lex Luger).
But, that "complaint" aside, the set is definitely a must-see for any
wrestling fan. Besides some of the brilliant matches mentioned above,
other interesting features include the "WWE Confidential" segments on
the Four Horsemen and the airplane crash that nearly ended Flair's
career, clips of Flair talking about the various opponents he's faced in
the ring, and countless other classic moments. The end result: like him
or not, learn to love this set, because it's the best thing going today.
Whoooo!
NOTE: Koch Canada, the Canadian distributors for World Wrestling
Entertainment video products, won't be releasing the three-disc
compilation until January 27, 2004. It can, of course, still
be ordered from U.S. sources now.
More on
Ric Flair
Visit the SLAM! Wrestling store!
Buy
The Ultimate Ric Flair Collection 3-DVD Set
"Bloodthirsty" Bob Kapur has been contributing to SLAM! Wrestling since
1997. Out of respect for Ric Flair, he won't suggest here that a DVD set
of the Big Boss Man's career highlights would be an even bigger draw.
