GENERAL INFO: In this edition, I'll review the last match in the history of WCW Monday Night Nitro on TNT. The match pitted Ric Flair vs. Sting, two rivals that had had legendary confrontations over the WCW Title on Pay-Per-View and on syndicated WCW television. I taped this match off of live TV. The historical signifigance of this match is not just that it occurred on the last match in WCW Nitro history, but also that these two fought over Sting's U.S. Title (Flair won via DQ) in the second match in WCW Nitro history (9/4/95 [Labour Day]). Here's how this match came about: First thing, when Nitro came on the air, WCW "CEO" Ric Flair came out and addressed the fans - and Vince McMahon. Here's a transcript of what he had to say (courtesy of Christopher Robin Zimmerman of OtherArena.com):
"Did I - Did I - WOOOO! - Did I - happen - to hear - Vince McMahon - say - he - was goin' - to hold - W - CW - in the palms - of his hands? Is that what he said? Does that mean that YOU are gonna hold Jack Brisco, Dory Funk, Harley Race, The Road Warriors, Sting, Luger, The Steiners, Bagwell, Ric Flair, Steamboat - does that mean you're gonna hold us all in the palm of your hand? To coin a phrase, I don't think so! You know, at twelve o'clock today, someone very special to me said 'do not go onto that show tonight knowin' it's the last time you'll ever be on TNT or TBS.' Knowing it's the last time, she said to me, 'Don't go out there and cry - don't go out there and say your sorry,' because I'm not. I've been fourteen times the world champion - in my eyes, one of the greatest - you got it! The greatest wrestling organization in the world - WCW! WE...I'm talkin' about The Stinger, The Lugers, The Steiners, The Road Warriors - I'm talkin' about my best friend, Arn Anderson and the IV Horsemen - we have been on a par, and we have been equal to any wrestling organization in the world.
"As a matter of fact, we have run neck and neck with you, Vince McMahon, for years - for YEARS - and just for trivia, Vince McMahon, do you know that in 1981 when you were trying to become an announcer, your dad was on the board of directors and voted for ME to be the World Champion?! WOOOO! (bounces off of the ropes) How 'bout that? And ever since that day, I have been (jacket's off) a limousine ridin', jet flyin', kiss stealin', wheelin' dealin', son of a gun, that along with the whole WCW - dammit - all - have kissed the girls worldwide - and made 'em cry. (sign in crowd: "McMAHON IS SATAN") 'Cuz ya' see, we were every bit the force we were. WCW - we lived, we breathed, we sweat, we paid the price to be the best - never been about the boys - it's always been WWF versus WCW in the office - the boys that have gone out there, night in and night out, doing everything they could to be the very best at what they chose to do in their life - those boys are here tonight - we are. We're not going anywhere, you can't hold us in your hand and predict our life! We're WCW! We've bled and we've sweat!
"When was the last time you wrestled for an hour - cut yourself five times - bled for forty-five minutes?! When - were - you - there? You weren't! You weren't! You were never in the dressing room, on the road forty days and forty nights, bleedin', sweatin', goin' to the next town - you weren't there! You can't hold people's lives in your hands. We're the greatest wrestling company of all-time! I'm gonna say it again - (beach ball being hit around in crowd: "VINCE SUCKS") you can't control us or our future, and in closing, let me say this - in all my years in this sport, my greatest opponent with this company has been Sting - so tonight, if we're going out, if we're going out on a high note, Stinger, 'The Nature Boy' wants you right here, because - that's right - that's right - ya' hear it, Sting? Sting, my greatest opponent - Sting, your last chance - your last chance to be... ["Sting!"] Sting! Sting Sting Sting Sting Sting - Sting! (white board in crowd: "WWF SUX") To be - the man, you've gotta' beat the man, and Sting - I'M - THE - MAN - WOOOOO!"
So, Flair had challenged Sting to a match on the last-ever WCW Nitro. Later on that night, Sting would reply (again the transcript is courtesy of Christopher Robin Zimmerman of OtherArena.com):
Backstage, amidst a sea of hanging bats, it's Sting! "Surprise, surprise! The Stinger is back, of course, did you think I would miss this night? Not for NOTHIN' would I miss this night. This is an historic night! One more dance with 'The Nature Boy' Ric Flair? We started it years ago, Ric, and tonight, we're gonna end it once and for all! And for all you fans out there who are wondering what the future holds for Sting, well, the only thing that's for sure about Sting...is nothing's for sure. It's showtime, folks!"
Sting had agreed to the challenge, and it was now time for two legends to face off for one last time.
EVENT INFO:
"WCW Monday Night Nitro: Spring Break Out"
March 26, 2001
Panama City Beach, FL
Commentators: Scott Hudson & Tony Shiavone
PREMATCH: Flair is already standing in the ring and waiting for his opponent. The arena is lighted bluish-black, we now hear the second best WCW theme music (besides the Wolfpac theme), "Seek And Destroy," by Metallica, hit over the P.A., and for a considerable amount of time, no one comes out. Finally, making an incredibly dramatic entrance, Sting steps through the curtain for the last time in his legendary career. He's wearing his usual black leather jacket, black ring pants, and white face paint with black lines. He casually walks toward the ring, and what a moment this is.
He makes his way toward the ring, and once there, steps up onto the ring steps, then onto the apron, and then into the ring. Hse goes into one corner, climbs up onto the middle buckle, and shouts out to the crowd with a "WOOO!" catcall, and then takes his jacket off and does the same at the opposite corner. The lights go back on, and he steps off onto the ring mat. The two stand a few feet across from eachother as referee "Little 'Naitch" Charles Robinson stands in the middle of them, and then signals for the bell to ring.
THE MATCH: The bell does ring, and we're off. Flair is wearing a black shirt, blue ring tights, blue leg pads, and black boots. Sting is wearing his usual black-and-white scorpion upperbody attire and his typical black ring pants. Sting "WOOO!" catcalls out to the crowd, and the two then circle around the ring. Flair runs off the ropes while Sting stretches on the opposite cables. They continue circling eachother, and then lockup. Flair forces Sting into the corner, but is fought off and pushed back several feet, sent tumbling backwards on his head before quickly using the ropes to climb back to his feet. He grabs at his hair and signals to Robinson for a hairpull, but there was none. Flair shoves Robinson, but is shoved back. He turns toward Sting and ties up. Flair locks on a side headlock, but Sting whips him into the ropes. Flair is sent down with a shoulderblock. Flair gets up quickly and runs off the ropes, only to be clothesline/punched back down. He gets back up quickly and, with clenched fists, gets ready for Sting to come at him, but he doesn't. They again circle around and square off.
Single-arm Greco-Roman lockup. Sting twists and squeezes Flairs's hand, causing the 10-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion to moan out in pain as Scott Hudson mentions the relationships of these two with The Four Hoursemen. Flair uses his free hand to poke Sting's eye, escaping the assault. He brings him into the corner, where he gives him a chop, a punch, and two more chops before Sting switches positions with his foe and nails a gutkick, a punch, a face chop, a punch, a face chop, and another gutkick. He then hiptosses him out of the corner. Flair rises back up and is floored with a high dropkick. He rolls to the outside as Sting celebrates with a catcall. Flair gains some rest time on the outside as Sting rallies up the fans inside of the ring. Flair eventually re-enters and they again tieup. Flair locks on a side headlock and is whipped into the ropes. He shoulderblocks Sting down, and then runs off the ropes again. He hops over Sting and bounces off the opposite ropes as Sting climbs to his feet and leapfrogs. Flair doesn't duck under, but instead backs up into the corner then does his signature strut as they again square off.
Another single-arm Greco-Roman lockup. Flair nails a quick gutkick and goes for a whip, only for Sting to reverse it and send him into the ropes. Sting catches Flair with a press slam and throws him off. Flair sells a back injury well and crawls into the corner, where he tries to beg Sting off. He gets none of it, though, as Sting stands him up, climbs onto the second buckle, and gives him 10 straight punches. Sting gets off and backs up, only for Flair to stumble forward and fall face-first into the mat. Sting catcalls to the crowd, but Flair quickly climbs to his feet and chops his foe. Sting grabs him by the neck with choke, and Flair stumbles down to his knees. He low blows Sting, who eventually falls down to the mat. Flair runs off the ropes and stomps on Sting, who's now on his hands and knees. HAHA! I can see two guys in the front row dressed up as the red, green, and white lWo (Latino World Order) versions of Psychosis (on the left) and La Parka (on the ring). They're doing bowing motions to Flair. Now that's funny!
Flair gets up and brings Sting into the corner, where he twice chops at him. He brings him back into the center of the ring and one-arm snapmares him down to the mat. Flair backs up into the corner, walks in, and lands on Sting's face with his signature jumping knee drop. Flair does a mini-strut, and then picks Sting up and chops him down. Once Sting again rises, he receives another chop, but instead of going down, he tries to whip Flair into the ropes. The 20+ year veteran (Flair), though, counters with a blow and again one-arm snapmares Sting down to the mat. Flair climbs through he ropes, onto the apron, and onto the top-rope. Sting, though, is up, and Rocket Launches (press slams) him off of the top-rope and down to the mat below. Flair eventually gets up, but is clotheslined down. He gets up again, and the same result occurs. Flair again gets up and is whipped into the ropes. Sting tries a double-leg dropkick, but Flair holds onto the ropes and Sting lands hard back-first onto the mat.
Flair limps around for awhile, selling the assault, before, twisting Sting into the Figure Four Leglock. Robinson is right there to hear an "I Quit" or see a tab out if it comes. Flair uses one arm to grab onto the middle-rope and balance himself. Sting falls onto his back, and Robinson gets to 2 before he abruptly perks back up. The fans rally behind Sting, who again falls back, but perks up at 2. Flair grabs onto the middle-rope with both hands to again balance himself. Sting grabs onto the middle-rope with one arm for a split second before releasing. Sting crawls backward and is now in the middle of the ring. He hulks up, battering his fists off of his chests like an ape, and tries with all of his might to flip the hold over. Flair begs for him to no succeed, but he eventually does. It does little good, though, as Flair crawls out of the hold within two seconds. Sting climbs to his feet and limps toward the ropes.
Flair comes over and turns him toward him. Chop. It has no effect on Sting. Another chop. No effect. Punch. No effect. Sting instead flexes his muslces like Hulk Hogan and backs Sting into the corner, where he delivers a gutkick, a throat thrust, a punch, and a face chop. Flair is whipped to the opposite corner, where he rolls forward onto the top-rope, and then falls back and lands on the mat in a typical Flair Flip bump. Sting comes over and inverted atompic drops him into a crotched position on the top-rope. Sting climbs up, too, onto the second-rope, and superplexes his foe off. Sting immediately twists Flair into the Scorpion Deathlock (Sharpshooter), which Flair quickly submits to by shaking his head repeatedly. Robinson calls for the bell, which rings (7:19), and we've got ourselves a winner.
WINNER: STING
POST-MATCH: Sting's Metallica music hits as Robinson raises his hand. The WCW loyalists walks over to Flair, who he helps to his feet. The two embrace with a hug, and Flair continues selling his fatigue by stumbling back toward the ropes. They release as Flair falls back onto his bottom. He offers Sting a handshake, which is accepted, and Flair climbs back to his feet. The two, still with locked hands, again embrace. Sting looks out at the crowd as Flair tries to catch his breath. The two slap hands and again embrace for about a second. Everything relating to WCW then seems to be reflected in that moment: the uncertainty; the honor; the respect; the sadness; the love and the passion for the sport. Flair pats Sting's belly twice as we fade out and immediately go to Vince McMahon's TNT/TNN simulcast.
MEMORABLE QUOTES BEFORE, DURING, OR AFTER THIS MATCH:
- Scott Hudson, as Sting made his entrance and they faced off in the ring
- Tony Shiavone, as the two locked up
- Scott Hudson, as the two make up after the match
- Tony Shiavone, speaking the last words ever to be spoken on WCW television (by anyone but Paul Heyman, Jim Ross, Vince McMahon, and Shane McMahon); The screen would then fade out to the simulcast, which will be reviewed by me in an upcoming segment review.
POST-MATCH THOUGHTS: WOW. Notice how in the above quote by Scott Hudson, I spelled Flair, "F-l-e-i-h-r." Why? What Scott Hudson says was not part of a storyline or anything. It was the truth, and he wasn't speaking to Ric Flair the wrestler, but instead to Ric Fleihr (and Steve Borden [Sting]), the person. I have mixed feelings watching this match. On one hand, it was defiitely nothing special in terms of pure wrestling. However, the historical significance of it is immeasurable. This was the last match in WCW history, and how right it was for it to pit Flair against Sting. If you can get your hands on this match, you should. It's worth it. The commentary and everything is so directly from the heart that I think that it's worth a fair amount of money to buy.
The match itself was a dissapointment (at least to me), with bad selling (mainly by Flair), a slow pace, and average (maybe a bit below) psychology, something that you usually wouldn't expect from these two legends, but the emotion was always there. The match clearly didn't reflect the ability of these two superb performers in their prime. Both are far past it, as, for Flair, it was back somewhere mid-80's, and for Sting, it was in the early to mid-90's. I dont' care what you're thoughts are on this match; Both of these men deserve to be supremely respected for their unreplaceable involvement in this great business. They made me proud to be a fan, and they made millions of others proud to say that they were fans.
RATING: *
To check out the full report of this show by what he had to say (courtesy of Christopher Robin Zimmerman of OtherArena.com, CLICK HERE. I hope you enjoyed this match review. Until next time...
I'm Jonathan Barber.
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