Match #8 – Career vs. Title: WCW World Heavyweight Champion Big Van Vader w/Harley Race vs. ‘Nature Boy’ Ric Flair
The Flair chants are deafening. They lock up and Vader tosses him backwards. Collar and elbow and the same result happens. Flair bails out to the floor and Vader chases him. Vader is frustrated and slowly reenters. Collar and elbow, a headbutt and rights from Vader. The champ grabs a wristlock and Flair screams out. Slaps to the face by Vader and a big clothesline. He grabs the wrist again and taunts The Nature Boy. Flair blocks a right and tries chops in the corner but Vader just ragdolls him across the ring. Flair regroups on the floor. Collar and elbow, Vader with position and he sends in a series of body shots and stomps.

Race heckles him from the outside. Military press slam by Flair and he rolls out to the floor. Vader gives chase and slingshots him across the steel. Flair crawls to the gate, Vader comes in with a splash, Flair moves and starts unloading. He throws Vader head first into the post, but Race cheapshots him. From the apron, a vertical suplex by the champ. Flair rolls to the opposite apron, Vader pulls him up and does it again. Headbutt by Vader and he lays in lefts and rights in the corner. Irish whip by Vader and another one. Flair somersaults over and flops onto the runway. Back to the ring Flair is sent for a devastating clothesline.

Measured rights by Vader, Randy Anderson warns him. Flair tries more chops but they don’t effect Vader. Bodyslam by Vader and Flair manages to kick out. From the middle turnbuckle a clothesline to the jaw. Snapmare and back to the 2nd turnbuckle, Flair dodges the big splash. Flair climbs to the top and comes down with an ax handle. A chop by Flair and an ax handle from the other top turnbuckle. He staggers the champ and drops the champ with a 3rd top rope ax handle. Flair delivers a signature knee, but Vader is able to get up and grab a clothesline. He lifts Flair on his shoulder and seats him on the top turnbuckle. Big superplex from the champion. Vader drops an elbow to the gut, he tries a big splash but Naitch moves. Flair hits the ropes but he runs into a brick wall.

Flair is dumped to the floor where Race boots his forehead. Flair tries responding with chops, it’s Vader with the Irish whip and Flair moves. Vader reverses the next Irish whip and splashes him in the corner. Race is telling the reeling Flair to quit as Vader pounds away. Wrist lock by Vader but Flair drops him with a long left right combo. He drags Vader to the apron and wraps his knee around the post. Flair grabs a chair and bashes Vader’s knee. More rights and chops drops Vader to the floor. Flair buries his rights while holding Vader in a headlock. He grabs the chair again and hits him across the back of the neck. Big clothesline drops Vader to the floor. Vader climbs back in, Flair continues to pound on the big man and he bites the bridge of the nose.

Flair wears down the knee to get ready for the Figure Four. He’s feeling the crowd, he yanks the leg and tries the submission but Vader kicks him away. Vader gets a 2nd wind and goes for the Vader Bomb but Flair moves. He goes back for the Figure Four and this time he locks it in. Race is up and screaming on the apron and the ref tells him where to go. Race maneuvers to show that Vader is holding the rope so the hold is broken. Flair walks into Vader’s big boot and drops an elbow to the abdomen. He drives his elbow into Flair’s face and goes back up the turnbuckles. He launches a moonsault from the top and Flair avoids it. Flair goes for a pin, but Race has climbed to the top rope behind them.

Harley tries a diving headbutt, Flair rolls away and he hits his client instead. Randy Anderson pushes Race out and tells him to get out of here. Flair hits a forearm from the ropes and dishes out some chops. He hits the ropes but runs into a wall. From behind, Flair grabs Vader’s ankle to knock him off balance. The big man falls on his back and Flair hooks the leg, we have a new champion.
Winner and NEW WCW World Heavyweight Champion: ‘Nature Boy’ Ric Flair (Roll-Up)

• EA’s Take: *Sarcasm Warning* – I’m not sure if the result shocked you, but it turns out Flair’s career wasn’t ended in 1993! The Charlotte crowd was hot for ‘Naitch’ and that always enhances a match like this. I think Flair lost a tooth or two on that top rope clothesline. It sounded extremely stiff and Flair was bleeding from the mouth for the rest of the match. Kind of a surprise finish, but the build to it was great. Rhodes vs. Austin was the best worked match of the night, but all the drama and emotions involved made this the overall best match of the night. Surprising considering Flair was never supposed to be the opponent and only replaced old ‘Stabby’ Sid Vicious.

Backstage: Eric Bischoff is trying to get an interview with the fallen champion, but Vader is raging and trashing the locker room.

In The Arena: Flair reappears in the entrance way for a curtain call. He returns to the back to join ‘Mean’ Gene and his family. He’s very emotional, compliments Vader and thanks the fans, he was overcome tonight. Sting joins them for his thoughts, he congratulates Flair and calls him the greatest World Champion of all time. Ricky Steamboat also offers his hand to The Nature Boy, and calls it a great honor to stand with this great man.

EA’s Finisher: In late October, Sid Vicious’ infamous hotel fight with Arn Anderson that featured a double stabbing resulted in Sid’s dismissal and they went with the Flair/retirement angle instead. Winning in 1983 and again 10 years later is a nice little side story for the man most would dub ‘Mr. Starrcade’. He definitely hammed it up with all the prematch segments and it was a trip seeing a 7-year old Ashley (Charlotte) featured in the open. Anyone who knows anything about Flair knows that he’s incredibly emotional, so I’m sure his welling up at the end was, to some degree, a shoot. Some high-highs in this event, but a few rough lows. Basically, the 3 matches listed below were awesome, but the rest of the show left more to be desired.

Top Three To Watch
1 – Ric Flair vs. Big Van Vader
2 – Dustin Rhodes vs. Steve Austin
3 – Lord Steven Regal vs. Ricky Steamboat

Which match was your favorite? Let us know on social media @theCHAIRSHOTcom and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

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