Match #7 for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship: NWA World Heavyweight Champion ‘Nature Boy’ Ric Flair w/Woman vs. Lex Luger
Instructions are given and the two men circle. Collar and elbow and Flair works into a hammerlock. Luger reverses it but Flair gets to the ropes. Flair tries a cheap shot but Luger knocks him down. The two lock up again and Luger grabs a side headlock. Flair tries reversing with a wristlock but he is thrown down. Flair complains his hair was pulled. Luger reaches for a test of strength. Flair obliges and Luger takes him to his knees. Shoulder tackle by Luger an Flair rolls out of the ring to regroup.

Back in, Flair taunts Luger a little bit. Collar and elbow and Flair goes downstairs. Irish whip to Luger but he comes off the turnbuckle with a clothesline. Flair marches up the entry ramp but Luger chases and sends him back in. Military Press Slam by Lex Luger. Flair rolls out once again and Woman checks on him. He’s slow to come back into the ring. He catches Luger with a kick to the midsection followed by a shoulder tackle. On the come back, Luger catches another military press. He goes for the pin but Flair is too close to the ropes. Luger pulls him up but Flair hits some shots to the mid section followed by a chop.

The chop doesn’t phase Luger who sends Flair for a 3rd military press. Lex catches the champ in a bear hug. Nick Patrick checks the arms but can’t get 3. Flair breaks the hold with a right to the eyes. Luger pursues Flair who backs off. Luger gets up on the 2nd rope for 10 straight rights and Flair stumbles to the mat. Hip toss by Luger but when he follows it up, Flair tosses him out of the ring. Flair rolls outside of the ring and attacks Luger. Lex gets his head run into the railing following a chop. Another chop from Flair.

Luger is slow to the apron but they are both back in the ring. Flair chops him down and dumps him out once again. Woman is up on the apron to distract the referee as Flair continues to use the railing as a weapon. Flair returns to the ring but doesn’t allow Luger to do the same. Finally back in the ring, snap mare take down by Flair followed by a knee to the head. Another snap mare by Flair and yet another knee to the head. He can only get a 2 count as Lex kicks out with fury. Flair tries to chop, but Luger comes back with straight rights. He sends Flair to the corner but the champ moves. Flair gets up and takes Luger down with an arm bar using the rope for leverage.

Flair breaks the hold to respond to the crowd. Flair locks in a hammerlock and uses the ropes once again. Back to their feet and Flair delivers shots in the corner. Luger fights him off. He reverses an arm bar with a clothesline. Back to their feet, Flair takes a cheap shot with a thumb to the eye. Woman takes a cheap shot from the outside. Chops from Flair before he grabs another hammerlock. The crowd gets behind Luger as Flair hangs onto the arm. The referee breaks the hold temporarily but Flair drapes Luger over the bottom rope. He distracts the referee as Woman takes another cheap shot at Luger.

Back in the ring, Flair uses a hammerlock take down and a knee to the back to attempt a pin. The referee notices his legs on the ropes and breaks it up. Flair takes Luger to the corner but he gets his hands on Flair’s neck. He strengths Flair over and sends him for an Irish whip and the champ tumbles over the top and to the floor. The two exchange shots on the floor before Flair rolls back into the ring and begs for mercy. They go running and Luger powers his way into a sleeper hold. Luger works him all the way down to the mat. Luger pulls him up, sends him to the ropes and grabs him in another sleeper but the champ reverses with a side suplex.

Both are slow to their feet. Flair feigns a vertical suplex to the floor but Luger reverses it into the ring. Luger goes to the floor and pulls Flair to the post. He whips Flair’s leg into the post. Back in the ring, Luger attempts a version of the figure four but it’s immediately unsuccessful. Flair grabs the eyes and takes controls with a few chops. On an attempted clothesline, Luger counters with a power slam. He earns a very close two count! Back to their feet, Flair’s chops mean nothing. Flair rolls out of the ring in frustration. Luger gives chase and Flair turns around to poke the eyes.

Slowly back to the ring, Luger reverses a hiptoss into a backslide and gets a super close two count. To the turn buckle, Lex goes for straight rights but Flair comes off with an atomic drop at 6. They both regroup and Flair comes off the ropes with an axe handle. He goes back up to the ropes for a clothesline and gets 2 and a half. Flair lands a double armed suplex and Luger kicks out at 2. Flair jumps on Luger’s back for a sleeper hold. He cranks on it as Luger drops to his knees. Nick Patrick checks the arms but Luger doesn’t give. Lex fights back to his feet. Flair shoots him to the corner and rolls him up for only two. Desperation clothesline out of Luger and he too can only get too. Flair moves away from an elbow drop attempt.

After a chop in the corner, Flair goes to work on the knee. Flair pulls Luger to the center of the ring and lands a knee on knee. He grabs the Figure Four leglock and uses the ropes for leverage when he can. Sting works his way down to the ring on crutches. Luger tries turning over the Figure Four but the hold is broken on the ropes. Flair taunts Sting and Sting pumps Luger up. Flair tries some chops but it’s not effecting Luger. Flair tries to escape to the floor but Luger chases. Flair tries to shoot him into the railing but there is no effect. Back in the ring, Luger hits a big military press on Flair.

The champ pokes Luger in the eyes but the challenger catches his attempt to go off the top rope with a gorilla press of his own. Luger is pumped and he hits a couple clotheslines. The third sends Flair out to the floor. Back on the apron, Luger suplexes Flair back into the ring for a 2 count. Luger sends Flair for the ride and hits a power slam. He tries to pin Flair but Woman distracts him. During this distraction, Flair’s able to come up and get a knee in. The referee is down. Flair’s chops are no match for Luger who pursues him with some straight rights in the corner. An Irish Whip sends Flair flipping over the top turnbuckle.

The champ rushes for the top rope but is hit with a clothesline on his way down. Luger appears to have the pin, but the referee is still down. Instead Luger sets Flair on the top rope for a superplex and executes it. He should have a 3 count but there is no referee. The Andersons rush the ring but Luger knocks them out quickly. Luger calls for the torture rack and gets the champ up in it. Nick Patrick is slowly back to his feet as the Andersons mug an injured Sting on the outside. Luger drops Flair and goes after the Andersons. Nick Patrick makes the 10 count and Flair wins by countout.
Winner and STILL NWA World Heavyweight Champion: ‘Nature Boy’ Ric Flair (Count-Out)

• After The Bell: The Andersons take control of Luger, but The Steiners have a run in to save Lex.
• EA’s Take: This match was a little long for my liking for a count-out finish at 38 minutes. It wasn’t bad, but it’s nothing we haven’t seen from these two before… only longer. With Sting on the mend, ultimately the next man up to fill his spot was Luger. Some may wonder why this was the case, but I ask, who else? There was nobody else remotely capable as there’s lots of young talent, but it’s still brand new and raw. The only problem is we just saw so much Luger/Flair in 1989 and ’88.

EA’s Finisher: Unless you’re going to have two guys fight a classic iron man match, three hours is a LONG time for seven matches. I thought it was a little weird how all the babyfaces wore arm bands for Sting too. He was injured, not dead! All in all, it wasn’t a bad show. I would have given the Road Warriors and Skyscrapers a little more time, but again this is just…vanilla. The injury to Sting was a big blow as we may have seen is big World Title win, but instead we got a “filler” main event. The real standouts of the night are the tag teams, although using the word “standout” may be an exaggeration.

Top Three To Watch
1 – The Midnight Express vs. The Rock ‘N’ Roll Express
2 – Pillman & Zenk vs. The Fabulous Frebirds
3 – The Steiners vs. The Andersons

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