Clash of the Champions I: NWA Title - Ric Flair (c) (w/ JJ Dillon) vs. Sting
Date: March 27, 1988
Link: http://network.wwe.com/video/v32286157
Background: Sting was an up-and-comer finally getting his chance to break through as world champion. Naturally it's only right that he be facing the ultimate star-maker here.
The Match: Jim Ross and Tony Schiavone on the call.
Young and incredibly skinny editions of Randy Anderson and Teddy Long force JJ Dillon to get into a cage that is then suspended from the ceiling. There are judges sitting ringside in case this thing goes to the time limit, and Jim Ross notes that unlike the usual 60-minute time limit, this one is 45 because of TV time constraints.
Sting converts the early lock-up into a headlock, but Flair reverses into a hammerlock, which Sting in turn powers out of. The early feeling-out continues, as Sting offers a test of strength. Flair seems to shake it off, then goes for it, then immediately gets reminded why he didn't want to do that as he instantly crumples. The champ manages an escape and a hard chop, but Sting no-sells and intimidates a rattled Flair into taking a breather. I respect that he no-sold so effectively, because it becomes evident shortly after this that Flair actually broke Sting's pec open with that chop, as Sting carries a noticeable open wound there the rest of the way.
Press slam by the Stinger. Headscissor takeover. Side headlock into a pinning combo, but obviously no dice. Flair attempts a hip-toss as Sting comes at him off the ropes, but Sting reverses that into his own hip-toss instead. The challenger maintains control on the mat; can't say I love all the time spent in what feels like a fairly pointless resthold so early.
Flair tosses Sting through the ropes to the outside. Sting just lands on his feet and immediately pops back into the ring. Nothing Flair is doing seems to be making a dent in the challenger. We hear the announcement that 10 minutes have lapsed. Stinger sends the champ into the ropes, then hits him with a press slam. Into the ropes again, and now a bearhug. Not that I mind this spot, but I find that bearhugs just don't really work for me unless they're being executed by a huge monster. Even then I don't exactly love them, but I think they're mostly fairly stupid when non-monsters do them.
The bearhug spot goes on for a decent while. Flair, to his credit, sells that it's destroying his back. It forces Flair to his back for multiple near-falls while still in the hold. Sting eventually relinquishes on his own to follow up. Sting with a running elbowdrop that Ric rolls out of the way of, but an undeterred Sting pops back up and keeps after it, though when he follows with a missed Stinger Splash into an empty corner, he finally shows some real vulnerability, selling a right shoulder injury (where he impacted the corner).
Inverted atomic drop by the leader of the Horsemen. He rolls out and pulls an agonizing Sting out with him. Sends him into the steel barricade. Twice. Back into the ring, a hard whip into the corner by Flair is taken by Sting like it's a big bump, as he staggers out with even more lower back pain. Same thing in another corner. Flair with the measured running kneedrop. And another. This sequence where Flair just systematically works Sting over is fun.
Want to take a moment and throw out some props to Tommy Young, who is doing a lot of these NWA matches (including this one, this would be a weird tangent if this was a Randy Anderson match) and who was clearly all kinds of great at the job. As a background character he really subtly adds to the matches.
Flair stalks a staggering Sting. Throws in a hard chop, which I'm sure Sting especially appreciated given the state of his chest. Back outside. Flair tries to grab a chair, and Tommy Young stops him, physically pulling it away from him. Flair DGAF and just flings Sting into the guardrail again. Back in the ring, Flair lays in more chops. After a couple, Sting sort of hulks up and fights back at him, including an uppercut that sends the champ out over the top. Tommy Young rules that the over-the-top part was unintentional, and the match goes on.
Outside the ring, Sting goes unnecessarily for the kill shot, a Stinger Splash against the steel post. Flair moves and Sting takes a hard post bump. Love the spot, especially as squarely as Sting took it. It was kayfabe stupid by Sting, but a young up-and-comer making a mistake like that is totally believable. Jim Ross correctly notes that it was a bad decision from a risk/reward standpoint, that it couldn't win Sting the title outside the ring but that it could put him in terrible shape, and just did.
Flair is now in control, but it lasts a surprisingly short period of time, as Sting fights out of an armbar with right hands and a knee-lift, and hammers away on Flair in the corner. Gotta say, this Sting comeback was just so quick that it kind of brings down that post spot for me on the outside. That really should have led to a decently long heat segment.
Delayed suplex by the former Blade Runner. Goes for the Scorpion Deathlock, and…and…Flair fights it the whole way, then only finally succumbs to it once he's right by the ropes. I like it. Hip-toss by Sting, tries to follow with a jumping clothesline or cross-body or something, but Flair ducks and Sting goes tumbling to the outside. Sting is right back in quickly though (a little too quickly IMO) and launches a flying bodypress off the top rope that connects for two.
Nature Boy takes a measured kick at Sting's left leg that puts Sting down, and Naitch proceeds to keep working that leg hard. Sting back up, but instantly gets chopped back down by another kick to the back of it. Back suplex by Flair as the 15-minute warning is announced. Figure-four applied, and Sting is nowhere near the ropes. It's stuff like this where Tommy Young shines: Sting in the figure-four, suffering. Young trying to see if he wants to give up. From behind Young, Flair tauntingly says "woooo." Young gives him a hilarious dirty look that just says, "you douchebag," before resuming checking on Sting.
The challenger suffers for a really long time in this hold, but finally finds some adrenaline and turns the hold over. Flair takes some damage, but ultimately the hold falls apart and is broken. Flair hauls a severely hobbled Sting over toward the ropes, then goes to the apron himself and makes like he's going to suplex Sting from the ring to the floor. Sting blocks and reverses into a delayed suplex. I disapprove of the "delayed" part given the state of Sting's leg.
Flair throws Sting into the ropes, attempts to hook an abdominal stretch on the way back, but Sting reverses into an abdominal stretch of his own. 10-minute warning as Flair hip-tosses his way out of the stretch. A Flair elbow drop misses. Flair keeps charging forward and tries to go up top, but gets caught and thrown off. Sting did limp hard to go grab him, and going forward here he seems to remember that his leg is hurt. Sting drags Flair toward a corner, slips out of the ring, then pulls Flair crotch-first into the post.
Back in, Sting teases the Scorpion Deathlock and then locks in the figure-four on Flair instead. Almost nobody actually submits to this hold, and this is no exception; Flair reaches the ropes. Continues the attack, targeting Flair's knee. Flair takes a moment to push Tommy Young, seemingly seeking a DQ, and Tommy Young just pushes him down and gets out of the way. I loved Flair's ref-shoving spots. Flair whipped into the corner, flips out over the top. Sting follows and rams him into the guardrail. And the judges' table. A chop from Sting leaves Flair tumbling out over the guardrail. They brawl for a moment, but Sting gets back in to break up the count as the 5-minute warning sounds.
Flair attempts to sunset flip into the ring, but Sting blocks it and beats his own chest. Rakes Flair's eyes across the top rope. Flair manages an inverted atomic drop, but Sting no-sells and clotheslines. =Stinger Splash into the corner comes up empty, Sting flies out of the ring and seemingly conks his head on the concrete floor. Three-minute warning as Sting beats the countout back in.
Flair with a sleeper that Sting instinctively escapes from right away by sending Flair into the corner. Flair throws Sting back outside. Sting attempts to sunset flip back in as the two-minute warning sounds. Flair grabs the ropes and sits down looking for the cheap pin.
Tommy Young gets to two and sees Flair's hands on the ropes. He forces them free, which allows Sting to roll Flair through for a pin. Two-count. Great sequence. Flying cross-body from the top by Flair, Sting rolls through, two-count. These late false finishes are A+.
Flair chops, Sting again no-sells and hammers away as the one-minute warning sounds on the time limit. Sting pounds away in the corner, gets down, whips into the other corner and connects on a Stinger Splash. Scorpion Deathlock follows as the 30-second warning is announced. Flair is stuck nowhere near the ropes. 20 seconds. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, and Flair is saved by the bell after withstanding Sting's submission finisher for 30 seconds.
They go the full 45 minutes and it will go to the judges' scorecards.
After a commercial, we're back with a result. First judge scores for Flair. Second for Sting. The tiebreaking third card doesn't break the tie, and instead calls the match a draw. That means the final result is a draw, and by the slimmest of margins, Flair escapes with his title.
Result: Time Limit Draw (45:00)
Meltzer Rating: ****3/4
My Review and Rating: There's part of me that wants to be hard on Sting for doing too much no-selling and seeming to have lapses in memory on selling his leg injury, but the fact is that after it's all said and done, I didn't feel like it actually brought down the match. I would say the same for the other things I criticized during my writeup. There were flaws, but when you stand back from it, this was pure greatness, even better than I remember it, and I co-sign Meltzer's rating. ****3/4