THE MOSS COVERED THREE HANDLED FAMILY CREDENZA
ARTICLE #22
JANUARY 14, 2001
Clash of the Champions: The Classics
Clash of the Champions I 3/27/88 NWA World Title: Ric Flair (c) vs Sting
Flair initially outwrestles Sting but Sting fought back by overpowering Flair. Sting easily won a test of strength and no-sold a chop from Flair. Sting hiptossed and dropkicked Flair, who regrouped outside the ring. Flair went for a hammerlock but Sting countered with one of his own and applied an armbar. Flair landed a chop but Sting press slammed him. Sting hit a flying headscissors out of the corner, a hiptoss, and applied a headlock on Flair. Sting scored with another hiptoss and went back to the headlock, even gaining a near fall in the process. Flair rolled Sting over for a near fall but Sting maintained the headlock. Flair anticipated a criss-cross exchange but Sting went back to the headlock and caught Flair off guard. Flair chopped and punched Sting in the corner but Sting responded in kind. Sting gave Flair a hiptoss but missed a dropkick. Flair threw Sting to the floor but Sting bounced right back up and into the ring for a pop. Sting landed some punches in the corner and applied another headlock on Flair. Flair fought back with an elbow and a chop. Sting fought back and press slammed Flair again. Sting caught Flair in a bearhug for a lengthy period of time. Sting maneuvered Flair into a pinning position while maintaining the bearhug and gained a near fall. Sting missed a running elbow in the corner but recovered and attacked Flair. Flair fought back with an atomic drop. Flair took the fight to ringside and whipped Sting into the barricade. Back in the ring Flair landed a couple chops and whipped Sting into the corner twice. Flair gave Sting a couple kneedrops and dominated him in heelish fashion. Flair landed another chop and threw Sting out of the ring again. Flair whipped Sting into the barricade and choked him against it. Flair landed more chops but Sting fought back and punched Flair clear over the top rope to the floor. Sting went for a clothesline outside the ring but Flair moved and Sting hit the ringpost hard with his right arm. Flair worked over Sting�s left arm back in the ring. Sting fought back with a flurry of punches and a hiptoss out of the corner. Sting clotheslined Flair for a near fall. Sting vertical suplexed Flair back into the ring and applied a scorpion deathlock but Flair quickly reached the ropes. Sting used heelish tactics of his own against Flair. Sting no-sold a chop from Flair and flattened him with a punch for a near fall. Sting hiptossed Flair and went after him but Flair ducked and Sting sailed over the top rope to the floor. Flair drove Sting�s neck into the top rope but Sting recovered and hit a flying bodypress for a near fall. Flair fought back with a kneebreaker on Sting. Flair attacked Sting�s knee and chopped him in the corner. Flair gave Sting another kneebreaker and Sting crumbled to the floor. Flair continued to work on Sting�s knee and gave him a back suplex. Flair then applied a figure 4 leglock on Sting and held the ropes for leverage a couple times to gain near falls. Sting then powered Flair away from the ropes and turned over the leglock. Flair tried to suplex Sting to the floor but Sting countered with a vertical suplex for a pop. Sting went for a big splash but Flair lifted his knees. Flair tried to counter but Sting successfully applied an abdominal stretch. Flair hiptossed Sting but missed an elbowsmash. Flair landed a chop but Sting caught Flair on the top rope and slammed him to the mat for a near fall. Sting rammed Flair crotch first into the ringpost. Back in the ring Sting applied a figure 4 leglock on Flair for a huge pop. Sting gave Flair a series of punches and a hiptoss out of the corner. Sting attacked Flair�s right leg. Sting whipped Flair into the corner, Flair took his trademark bump and crashed to the floor. Sting rammed Flair�s head into the barricade. He then rammed Flair into the judges� table and the ringpost. Flair attempted a sunset flip but Sting blocked it and punched Flair. Sting kicked and punched Flair in the corner. Sting blocked an atomic drop attempt and clotheslined Flair for a near fall. Sting missed a stinger splash and crashed hard onto the floor at ringside. Sting won a slugfest back in the ring but Flair applied a sleeper. Sting escaped but Flair threw him out of the ring. Sting went for a sunset flip but Flair blocked it for a near fall using the ropes. The ref broke Flair�s grip and Sting gained a near fall. Flair hit a flying bodypress but Sting reversed his momentum for a heated near fall. Sting no-sold Flair�s offense and attacked him in the corner. Sting hit a stinger splash and applied a scorpion deathlock. Time expired at the 45 minute mark so the judges were forced to render a decision. The third judge scored the match a draw so Flair retained the title.
Clash of the Champions VI 4/2/89 NWA World Title: Ricky Steamboat (c) vs Ric Flair
They exchanged slaps early. Flair and Steamboat had a very crisp, smooth exchange of offense on the mat with some amateur moves and counters. Steamboat applied a headlock but Flair countered with a wristlock. Steamboat fought back and took Flair down. Steamboat hiptossed Flair and took him down with a headlock. Flair managed to maneuver Steamboat into a pinning position and gained a couple near falls. Flair went down for a criss cross exchange but Steamboat caught him off guard and applied a headlock. Flair chopped Steamboat in the corner twice but Steamboat landed several chops of his own. Steamboat hiptossed Flair and gave him a flying headscissors. Steamboat dropkicked Flair and went back to a headlock. Flair backed Steamboat into a corner and chopped him but Steamboat then floored Flair with a chop. Steamboat backdropped Flair and dropkicked him for a near fall. Flair kicked Steamboat and punched him. Steamboat rolled up Flair for a near fall and took him down with another headlock. Steamboat chopped Flair in the corner but Flair fought back. Steamboat flattened Flair with a chop for a near fall. He applied a headlock but Flair countered with an atomic drop. Steamboat chopped Flair for a near fall. Steamboat gained several near falls and Flair went to the floor to regroup. Flair chopped Steamboat several times but Steamboat fought back with chops of his own for a near fall. Steamboat vertical suplexed Flair back into the ring and went for a big splash but Flair got his knees up. Flair landed another chop and gave Steamboat a foot stomp. Flair double arm suplexed Steamboat for a near fall. Steamboat fought back by overpowering Flair but Flair aborted his comeback. Flair and Steamboat traded chops after which Steamboat hiptossed Flair. Steamboat missed a dropkick. Flair attempted a figure 4 leglock but Steamboat countered with a small package for a near fall. Flair turned the small package around and pinned Steamboat to win the first fall in 19:33. Steamboat slammed Flair and came off the top rope with a chop for a near fall. Steamboat applied a facelock but Flair countered with a back suplex. Flair gave Steamboat a kneedrop but missed a second one. Steamboat attacked Flair�s left leg and applied a figure 4 leglock for a pop. Flair reached the ropes but Steamboat then applied a Boston crab. Steamboat hit Flair with several chops but Flair fought back. After an exchange of blows Flair took down Steamboat with a headlock. Steamboat gave Flair a backslide for a near fall but Flair took the fight to the floor. Flair whipped Steamboat into the barricade and slammed him on the floor. Flair again whipped Steamboat into the barricade. Flair attacked Steamboat as he got upon the apron and suplexed him back into the ring for a near fall. Flair applied an abdominal stretch and then gained a few near falls as he maneuvered Steamboat into a pinning position. Flair went for a back suplex but Steamboat countered and rolled up Flair for a near fall. Steamboat went for a backdrop but Flair kicked him. Flair landed a chop for a near fall. Steamboat caught Flair on the top rope and superplexed him. Steamboat landed several chops to Flair�s back and applied a double chicken wing. Flair submitted to that hold at 34:14 and Steamboat won the second fall. Steamboat went for an abdominal stretch but Flair countered. Flair clipped Steamboat�s legs but Steamboat won an exchange of blows for a near fall. Steamboat whipped Flair into the corner and backdropped him. Flair fought back with a chop but Steamboat chopped Flair back. Flair gave Steamboat a kneebreaker and applied a figure 4 leglock but Steamboat quickly reached the ropes. Flair continued to attack Steamboat�s left leg. Steamboat won an exchange of chops. He whipped Flair into the corner, Flair took his trademark bump and Steamboat chopped him on the apron. Flair gained a couple near falls on Steamboat with his feet on the ropes. Steamboat came off the second rope but Flair kicked him. Flair attacked Steamboat�s left leg. Steamboat fought back but missed a jumping knee in the corner and got crotched on the top rope. Flair hit a kneedrop on Steamboat�s left leg and applied a figure 4 leglock. Flair gained a couple near falls while maintaining the hold. Steamboat rolled the hold over and both men went out of the ring. Flair repeatedly rammed Steamboat�s leg into the side of the ring. Steamboat fought back with a couple chops. Flair hit a flying bodypress for a near fall but Steamboat recovered. Steamboat went for a slam but collapsed underneath Flair and Flair gained a near fall. Steamboat fought back with a headbutt. Steamboat hit a flying bodypress for a near fall but then missed an elbowsmash. Flair went for a backdrop but Steamboat countered with a swinging neckbreaker for a near fall. Flair threw Steamboat out of the ring. Steamboat sunset flipped Flair for a near fall. Flair applied a sleeper on Steamboat. Steamboat escaped by ramming Flair jaw first into the corner. Flair dropkicked Steamboat�s leg but Steamboat fought back with an enzuguiri for a near fall. Steamboat missed a top rope splash. Flair attacked Steamboat�s left leg again and landed a few chops in the corner. Steamboat fought back with a bunch of chops. Flair went for an atomic drop out of the corner but Steamboat blocked it and clotheslined Flair for a near fall. Steamboat went for a backdrop but Flair elbowed him. Flair back suplexed Steamboat. Steamboat caught Flair on the top rope and slammed him to the mat. Steamboat applied a double chicken wing on Flair and pinned him with the hold in 54:39 to win the third fall and the match. There was controversy because Flair�s foot appeared to be on the bottom rope when the pin took place.
Clash of the Champions IX 11/15/89 I-Quit Match: Ric Flair vs Terry Funk (w/Gary Hart)
Funk missed a chop and Flair landed one that sent Funk over the top rope to the floor. Flair gave Funk three chops in the corner and whipped him into opposite corners before knocking him down with another chop. Flair pounded Funk at ringside with chops and punches. Funk tackled Flair but Flair then took down Funk as well. Funk pounded Flair near the announcers. Funk chopped Flair on the apron and gave him a headbutt. Flair fought back with a chop but Funk responded with a punch and an elbow. Funk threw Flair out of the ring and rammed him head first into the barricade. Flair fought back but Funk hit him with a microphone as they brawled in the aisle. Funk got the better of Flair as the action returned to the ring and gave him a series of punches in the corner but Flair refused to quit. Flair fought back with an atomic drop and a chop. Flair went for a backdrop but Funk countered with a swinging neckbreaker. Funk repeatedly slapped Flair but Flair landed several chops. Flair went after Funk at ringside with a chop and rammed his head into the barricade several times. Flair pounded Funk with more chops and maintained his dominance as the action returned to the ring. Hart distracted Flair and Funk punched Flair on the apron. Funk gave Flair another swinging neckbreaker but Flair refused to quit. Funk piledrove Flair and legdropped him. Funk threw Flair out of the ring and piledrove him on the floor in the aisle. Back in the ring Funk gave Flair a couple elbows and threw him to the floor again. Funk slammed Flair onto a ringside table. Flair fought back with a couple chops and rammed Funk into the table. Flair continued to pound Funk outside the ring and whipped Funk into the table. Flair also went after Hart. Flair chopped Funk and atomic dropped him on the barricade. Flair hit a kneedrop back in the ring and Funk left the ring again. Flair atomic dropped Funk again and attacked his left leg. In between attacking the knee Flair landed more chops and punches. Funk left the ring but Flair attacked him in the aisle. Flair gave Funk a kneebreaker outside the ring. Flair vertical suplexed Funk back into the ring. He went to apply a figure 4 leglock but Funk punched him. Funk went to suplex Flair into the ring but Flair countered and suplexed Funk onto the apron. Flair landed more chops and applied a figure 4 leglock on Funk. After some great selling, Funk finally said �Yes I quit� over the house mic at 18:37 to give Flair the win.
NEXT ISSUE: ECW Memorable Matches Vol. 2
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