Customer Reviews

WWE - The Ultimate Ric Flair Collection

5 star:		(109)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(17)

 

 

Here is the official listings for this 3 DVD set due out November 18th, 2003.

"His name draws universal awe and admiration. He is the 16-time Heavyweight Champion of the world. He has held the World Championship more times than any competitor in the history of sports-entertainment. Fans around the world pay tribute by shouting his trademark "Woooooo!" He's influenced more Superstars than anyone else. There are legends and all-time greats, but there is only one Ric Flair.

Wrestling match footage from the 70's, 80's, 90's and today. This includes some of Ric's most famous matches with: Harley Race, Dusty Rhodes, Barry Windham, Ricky Steamboat, Terry Funk, and Sting.

Ric Flair vs. ... (shown in their entirety)

1. Harley Race Starrcade (11/24/83)

2. Dusty Rhodes Starrcade (11/28/85)

3. Barry Windham World Wide Wrestling (01/20/87)

4. Ricky Steamboat Clash of the Champions VI (04/02/89)

5. Ricky Steamboat WrestleWar (05/07/89)

6. Terry Funk I Quit Match Clash of the Champions IX (11/15/89)

7. Royal Rumble (01/19/92)

8. Sting Undisputed World Title Unification Clash of the Champions XXVII (06/23/94)

The DVD will also feature:

*Debut match with the WWWF vs. Pete Sanchez 3/1/76

*A day in the life of the Four Horsemen

*Flair'd match with Triple H from 5.19.03 Raw with a post-show tribute that has never-been-seen before on TV

Plus all the promos & controversies surrounding his greatest matches against Harley Race, Dusty Rhodes, Barry Windham, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, Terry Funk, Sting as well as his 1992 Royal Rumble victory.

BONUS: 6 hidden Easter eggs

Finally, the WWE has gotten it right. Ric Flair's DVD is by far and away the single greatest DVD ever produced in the wrestling industry. If you're a Flair fan, it's a must have even if you've seen the matches over and over again.

The buildup for his classic matches with Harley Race, Dusty Rhodes, Ricky Steamboat, Terry Funk, Sting, Barry Windham, and the '92 Royal Rumble are all included.

Besides the great matches, they do a sitdown interview with Flair and they discuss his career throughout each disc including his departure from WCW in 1991.

I've been a Flair fan for 15 years and there's a lot of stuff on here that I've never seen before such as many of the lead-in items with the Race match.

Also, there are somewhere between 5-7 easter eggs featuring some of Flair's best promos. Plus, check out the two features on disc 2 involving the Four Horsemen. Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson talk about the history and the lifestyle of the Four Horsemen.

Overall, it's a great DVD that trumps anything the WWE has done before. It makes Hogan's 2-disc DVD set look like child's play.

To say ths is the greatest DVD set in WWE history is an understatement. This si a must have for any wrestling fan. There are 10 full matches on the DVD, and I'll rate them out of five stars.

vs. Harley Race Starcade '83. ***1/2. This match is an excellent cage match that sees Flair regain the title. It drags on at times, and casual wrstling fans may grow restless. The DVD provides the promos leading up to the match, where Race puts a $25,000 bounty on Flair.

vs. Dusty Rhodes Starcade '85 ****. Probably the best match that these two have had. Once again, they do a great job of providing the story leading up to the match, when the Horsemen break Dusty's ankle.

vs. Barry Windham Worldwide Wrestling 1/20/87 ****1/2. This is an execllent 45 minute match feauting Flair facing Windhan in his prime. There are many twists and turns that get you in to the match. The commercial breaks (it was on TBS) and the confusing finish are the only thing that keep this from being a five star match.

vs. Ricky Steamboat Clash of the Champions VI *****. This was a two out of three falls match that is a technical masterpiece. Once again, it features the event leading up to the match, such as when Steamboat returns to the NWA in a tag match. This match leads up to the next match...

vs. Ricky Steamboat Wrestlewar '89 ****1/2. Again a great match. They call this match "The Greatest Match". While I prefer the previous match, this match is no dud. Flair wins back the title, and a post-match incident with Terry Funk leads up to...

vs. Terry Funk Clash of the Champions IX ****. After five technical matches, it is nice to see an all out brawl. This is an I Quit match and they inflict pain on each other.

Royal Rumble 1992 ****1/2. Flair puts on the performance of a lifetime in his only Rumble. The WWF title is up for grabs here and Flair overcomes the odds when he enters third in the Runble. Bobby Hennan's commentary is absolutely priceless and it is funny to see Monsoon agrivate "the Brain".

vs. Sting Clash of the Champions XXVII ***1/2. Personally I think that the macth between these two at Clash of the Champions I was better, but this is a great match. It is a little short for my liking, however, and this match is used to set up Flair match with Hogan. But it is a good match none the less.

vs. HHH Raw 5/19/03 ****. I rated this match four stars, not because of the match itself (although it was good), but because it had a lot of emotion in it. The post-show tribute is also on here, which is a must see.

vs. Pete Sanchez **. This is a lackluster match, where Flair beats a jobber. Pete has a limeted moveset, and Flair wins with a suplex of all things.

There are also features on the Horsemen and on his 1975 plane crash, which nearly ended his carrer. I would recommend this DVD to just about anybody, so you should buy tbis today!

It's debatable, but in my opinion Ric Flair is the greatest wrestler of all time, and this DVD included all his greatest matches. I would've liked to have seen the Flair/Sting Clash 1 match, Flair/Vader, and Flair/Steamboat at Chi-Town, but the fact that they included some awesome matches I'd NEVER thought would grace a DVD gives this an easy 5 *'s.

1. Ric Flair Vs. Harley Race (83) - Great old-school match with Race brutalizing a determined Flair inside the confines of a steel-cage! A true passing of the torch and it's cool to see Race on DVD. ****1/2

2. Ric Flair Vs. Dusty Rhodes (85) - Dusty wants revenge against Flair after the 4 horsemen break his ankle. As far as Dusty matches it's not bad. **1/2

3. Ric Flair Vs. Barry Windham (87) - These 2 regularly had 90-min matches at house shows (imagine that now!) and if anyone had Flair's number it was Windham as he almost won the title on numerous occasions. Everyone thought he would finally dethrone Flair on TV... or would he..? *****

4. Ric Flair Vs. Ricky Steamboat (89 - II) - 2 out of 3 falls shown free on TV. This is my ALL-time favorite match as Flair tries to regain his title from the Steamer. *****

5. Ric Flair Vs. Ricky Steamboat (89 - III) - Wrestler War. The 2 greatest wrestlers in the world at the time, (and evenly matched) wrestle for the most respected title in the world. You know I barely blink when I see people going through tables anymore, but the Flair/Steamboat chops STILL make me winc when I see 'em! *****

6. Ric Flair Vs. Terry Funk (89 - Clash) - I-Quit match. WOW! Awesome! I'm glad (and surprised) they included this great match! Flair/Funk had been feuding like manaics for months and this was THE match to settle the feud and see who the better man was. *****

7. Royal Rumble (1992) - I was afraid they would clip this match, but it's shown complete. My match of 1992. When Flair entered the WWF I figured he would be built up, then lose to Hogan a billion times. Instead he lasts almost the entire Rumble with a finish that I consider my biggest mark-out moment of all time :-) Plus "The Brains" commentary makes this the greatest Rumble of all-time. *****

8. Ric Flair Vs. Sting (94?) - WCW Vs. NWA (International belt) Unification match. These two have had much better matches, such as their 5-star Clash 1 match, but this one was good. ***1/2

9. Ric Flair Vs. Triple-H (2003) - Flair goes for the WWE championship belt. This match is in the extra section and is a great match, but much too short. **

And there you go.. The greatest wrestling DVD off all time..

Hardcore Flair fans like me are going to always expect more, because we have so many memories of the man, I just beg the WWE brass to at least bring out a Volume II and at least cover some of his feuds with Greg Valentine, Wahoo McDaniel, The Brisco Brothers, Roddy Piper, Jimmy Garvin, Andre the Giant, Lex Luger, Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Vader, Nikta Koloff, as well as some footage of his feud with the Hollywood Blonds, Arn Anderson and some footage of his AWA days and his beginning in the NWA, and if they have it I request his match with the other Nature Boy, the legendary Buddy Rogers and the match in North Korea when he faced Antonio Inoki. Some footage between him and Bob Backlund, Sgt. Slaughter, and Bret Hart would of been cool. New school wrestling fans just need to know.

Now on with this superb DVD.

My personal favorite is the Harley Race segment. I think fans of the Attitude and Sports Entertainment era need to pay extra attention here, as it clips show how well both Flair and Race sold this feud, and how well the build up to their classic match at Starcade 83 was done. And for those who asks, who's Harley Race and what's the big fuss, this should answer all those questions.

The Dusty Rhodes section brought back a lot of memories, because it was around that time I began watching the NWA. I really miss watching Dusty, he wasn't much to look at, but he was very mobile for a guy his size and so charasmatic, you forgot he was say, a big fat guy. Flair-Rhodes feud in the mid 80's made me the wrestling junking I am today.

The Barry Windham section was a shocker, but I am more than happy they added it on. Totally agree with Flair when he stated Windham never got his due. Flair-Windham war was a treat in early 87, I was disappointed that their payoff match at the Corckett Cup 87, wasn't added.

Ricky Steamboat, well nuff said here. Any Flair-Steamboat War is worth watching, whether it's from the 70's, 80's, or 90's.

Terry Funk section could have been more detailed, but no complaints here.

Flair's WWE then WWF run from 91-93 was highlighted by the Royal Rumble, most clips are from his arrival leading up to the Rumble and after the Rumble.

The Sting section was a disappointment to me, only because there were better matches they had than the one they chose. Their classic 45 minute match at the first Clash of the Champions should have been on this DVD, but I guess the brass are saving it for something better. However the clips were priceless.

Then we have his Madison Square Garden debut where Naitch looked a lot younger and not so polished as he was later on, but he had just recovered from that plane crash as well. The tribute in Greenville, SC is covered, as well as other spots, including the Confidential segments on the Horsemen & The plane crash (disc 2) and a funny workout that included Roddy Piper (disc 3).

This is a must have for any wrestling fan. Woooooo!!!!!!

The Ultimate Ric Flair Collection is a 3 DVD set chronicling the career of probably the best wrestler in history, Ric Flair. It is a great collection for any long time wrestling fan and features some of his greatest matches in history. Every match on this set contains the full match and many bonus features to go along with the match and pre-match and post-match interviews.

Disc 1:
1. Ric Flair vs. Harley Race (Starrcade 1983 - NWA Championship)
Good match between two legends. This match stemmed from Harley Race injuring Flair's back and forcing him to retire. (9/10)
Some of the bonus features for this match include Harley Race putting a bounty on Ric Flair and Flair retiring from wrestling due to the attack.

2. Ric Flair vs. Dusty Rhodes (Starrcade 1985 - NWA Championship)
Although Dusty may not be the best wrestler, he always puts on one heck of a show. These two worked great together and put on another great match. (9/10)
One of the bonus features include Flair and Arn Anderson snapping Dusty Rhodes ankle inside a steel cage.

3. Ric Flair vs. Barry Windham (1/20/1987 - NWA World Championship)
Very entertaining match. These two put on a heck of a show. Props go out to both men for this classic. (9.5/10)
One of the bonus features include Flair and Windham in another classic from a week before the above match. Another great match. (9.5/10)

Disc 2:
The first chapter on disc chronicles Flair's legendary battles with Ricky Steamboat. This particular chapter includes two of their matches.
1. Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat (Clash of the Champions VI - NWA Championship)
This is a classic. These two just mix so well together. It reminds of Angle and Benoit of today. Great match. (10/10)

2. Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat (WrestleWar 1989 - NWA Championship)
Another classic. It is better than the above match. Great match based contest with many submission moves, reversals, and close falls. One of the best ever. (10/10)
The bonus features include the lead up to these two matches.

3. Ric Flair vs. Terry Funk (Clash of the Champions IX - I Quit Match)
These two were best of friends, turned bitter enemies due to the Funk attack on Flair. This is a very interesting match because it is one the earlier Hardcore matches and one of the first times you will ever see a table used. Good match. (9/10)
Again the bonus features just give a lead in to the above match.

Disc 3:
This disc contains the WWE/WCW portions of Flair's career.
1. 1992 Royal Rumble
This is the Rumble in which the WWF tile was vacant and the winner of the Rumble would become WWF Champion. Royal Rumbles are always great. It is awesome to see all of the old time superstars in this match. Very nostalgic. (9/10)
The bonus features basically talk about Flair coming to the WWF from the NWA.

2. Ric Flair vs. Sting (Clash of the Champions XXVII - WCW Title)
I was a little surprised to see this match, only because these two have had some other classic battles. Still a great match nonetheless. You gotta love Sting. I hope he comes to the WWE. Another classic. (9.5/10)
One of the bonus features include Sting getting kicked out of the Four Horsemen.

3. Ric Flair vs. Triple H (RAW 5/19/2003 - World Heavyweight Title)
Flair shows he can still put on a great performance in this match. Very exciting. The crowd was really into it. One of the better matches of the year in the WWE. Probably not top ten, but definately top 15. (9/10)
The bonus feature for this match shows the post match celebration/dedication to Flair. You can see the admiration other wrestlers have for Flair and Flair's dedication and love for the sport.

Some of the other bouns features includes Flair's first match in the then WWWF in 1976 against Pete Sanchez. Another emotional bonus feature is Flair addressing the audience at the final WCW Nitro.

I would pick up this DVD if you are a long time wrestling fan. If you are recent fan and don't like see the old school type of wrestling, stay away.

Overall Rating: 9/10

"Nature Boy" Ric Flair will go down as one of the greatest wrestlers in the history of this business. There's nothing else I can say about Ric Flair that hasn't already been said about him so let's just skip to the review.

The way this DVD is structured is to have chapters on some of his classic feuds throughout his career. During each chapter, they'll have Flair comment on the feud and have his favorite match from that feud while the bonus features are interviews & recaps of incidents.

Harley Race: Steel Cage Match from Starrcade '83 where Flair wins the NWA Title for the second time.
DVD extras for this include Race putting a bounty on Flair, Dick Slater & Bob Orton Jr. collecting it & injuring Flair's neck, Flair retiring because of the injury, Flair returning to get revenge on Orton & Slater, the press conference for the Race/Flair match, and all the pre & post match promos from Starrcade.
A classic encounter, don't know what else to say here.

Dusty Rhodes from Starrcade '85 where Rhodes wins the title in a controversial ending.
DVD extras here include footage of Rhodes having his ankle broken by Flair & the Andersons, promos by Flair & Rhodes including Dusty's famous "Hard Times" promo, and refere Tommy Young explaining the controversy surrounding the match causing Dusty to return the championship to Flair.
Another classic match & my second favorite match after their cage match from the Bash '86

Barry Windham from NWA Main Event in Jan. 1987 that ended in an hour draw.
DVD extras here include a promo from Windham & his partner Ronnie Garvin with footage of Windham being attacked by the Horsemen, footage of an unscheduled match between Flair & Windham that involved the Horsemen & Rhodes & Rock N' Roll express, Dusty & Flair's post match comments.
This match just showcases why Windham is still an underrated wrestler to this day. Lost classic here.

2 matches against Ricky Steamboat including the 2 out of 3 Falls match from the Clash Of The Champions VI & WrestleWar '89 where Flair regained the title.
DVD extras here include footage of Steamboat's return to the NWA in a tag match with Eddie Gilbert vs. Flair & Windham, Steamboat's workout against 3 wrestlers (including a very young Dustin Rhodes) before having a physical confrontation with Flair, Flair & Steamboat's confrontation at the Clash Of Champions V. Also included are promos from Flair, Steamboat, WCW President Jim Herd, and Flair's attorney regarding the controversal ending to the Clash match along with the pre-match Flair promo from WrestleWar.
What can I say about these series of classic matches that haven't already been said for years. The WrestleWar match is one of greatest matches of all time.

Terry Funk (my personal favorite) in an "I Quit" match from Clash Of Champions IX
DVD extras here are the press conference for Flair's return after being injured by Funk at WrestleWar, Funk attacking Flair at the Clash Of Champions VIII & putting a plastic bag over his head, Funk & Flair promos regarding the "handshake" stipulation, another Flair promo, and two sets of pre match promos from Flair & Funk.
I love Terry Funk & this was one of his best matches in the series with Flair that was hardcore but filled with some comedic moments. Classic Funk here.

Royal Rumble in 1992 where Flair entered #3, won the Rumble, and the World Championship
DVD extras are Bobby Heenan prepairing for Flair's debut, Flair's WWF debut on Prime Time Wrestling, two sets of Flair promos including one on the Funeral Parlor with Paul Bearer, Flair attacking Roddy Piper at the broadcast booth that saw Vince get hit with a chair in the process, and the post match promo where the World Title was presented to Flair.
One of the most entertaining Rumbles down to Bobby Heenan reacting to Flair's every move on commentary. Other highlights of this Rumble was Randy Savage getting his hands on Jake Roberts and the Hogan/Sid confrontation at the end.

Sting in a unification match from Clash of the Champions XXVII where Flair unified the WCW International & WCW World Championship.
DVD extras here include the segment from Clash of the Champions X where the Horsemen kick Sting out of the group, a promo regarding Flair's match with Sting from the first Clash, and Sting's pre-match promo.
This was the weakest match on this set as instead of picking another classic encounter they had (the first Clash, Great American Bash '90, or even one of their matches from their 1995 fued), they picked the match that was more focued on Flair's upcoming feud with Hulk Hogan (just listen to the commentary) than the actual match with Sting itself.

Other highlights include his match with Triple H from RAW in May of '03 and the post-show tribute to Flair, his Madison Square Garden debut in '76, his speech from the last Nitro, and 2 Confidential stories regarding the "original" 4 Horsemen with stories from Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard. Hidden extras include Flair's titantron, WWE talent & staff doing a tribute to Flair's "WHOOO!!!", and 5 Flair promos. The only downside to this, besides the Sting match I mentioned earlier, is nothing is mentioned about Flair's second time in WCW & nothing is mentioned about Flair's time in WWE past the Royal Rumble but I guess there's always a chance for a volume two.

If your a fan of Flair's then your already going to get this but if are you aren't...then just look at it & you become a fan or at least gain more respect for the Nature Boy. Diamonds are forever & so is Ric Flair...WHOOO!!!!

Here are the easter eggs!

Disc 1: Go to Chapters. Right click on the chapter titled: "Barry Windham: Keeping up with the Champ." You will see a promo from Flair from the Summer of 1985 where he talks about Magnum T.A., Nikita Koloff, Buddy Landell and James J. Dillon (3:30)
Disc 1: Go to Chapters. Go to the Dusty Rhodes chapter section. Left click on the sub-chapter titled: "Flair Cuts a Promo." You will see the never-before-seen "Lost Promo" from Flair! On the 8/31/85 edition of World Championship Wrestling on TBS, Ric Flair opened the show doing a promo with Tony and David where they announced Ric Flair had been awarded "Man of the Year" by the Wrestling Press International in New York. It was one of Flair's greatest interviews and the TBS studio crowd was eating it up as Flair rattled off all the names of his opponents, faces and heels alike. Only one problem. No one saw it. As would often happen, the Atlanta Braves ran long that afternoon, the interview was pre-empted, and the show was joined in progress about 15 minutes in. Later in the show, when Flair and Ivan Koloff were having a confrontation, Ivan made reference to the interview and Flair being Man of Year, but no one would know specifically what Ivan was referring to until now! (2:07)
Disc 2: Go to Chapters. Right click on "Home." You will see a promo with David Crockett and Ric Flair following the newly formed Horsemen injuring Dusty Rhodes.
Disc 2: Go to Chapters. Left click on the chapter titled: "Day in Life of the Horsemen." You will see a promo with Flair from June 1987 talking about Jim Garvin, The Freebirds and Larry Bird.
Disc 3: On the main menu page go to Play. Left click and once the WWE logo is highlighted, hit enter. You will see a Flair promo from 1987 talking about the Road Warriors, Freebirds, Jim Garvin and Precious (2:14)
Disc 3: Go to Chapters. Go to the Special Night in Greenville chapter section. Go to the bottom and select Menu. The beer in the picture will highlight. Hit enter. You will see Flair's WWE Entrace video featuring Sprach Zarathustra (Theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey)(1:54)

Vince McMahon has truly outdone himself, and has used his investment of the purchase of the WCW vaults WISELY. I now own footage of Flair that a few years ago was virtually impossible to buy. Quite possibly the greatest wrestling DVD in the market today, fittingly for the Greatest Wrestler in the History of the Sport.

We see the debut of the Nature Boy, hear all about the death defying plane crash, and hear about the greatest feuds of his incredible career. We see the BS that he had to go through in WCW, and see what the idiots like Bishoff running that organization tried to do to a True legend. We saw the incredible feuds with Race and Rhodes, with Steamboat and Windham, I was lucky enough to view two of those wars live, and it was a highlight of my life for sure. The footage of he and Piper wrestling amateur style in a studio and what happens is worth the cost of the DVD alone.

Ric Flair, simply put, is Pro Wrestling, and Pro Wrestling is Ric Flair. He is everything that is great about the sport, he is a representative of all that is honorable. Eric Bishoff got his in the end, and now is a towel boy for Vince, and a joke among wrestling circles, while Ric is finally getting the respect he deserves, and that night in NC when all the wrestlers toasted him after the match with Triple H is, if you are a real wrestling fan, what this sport is all about. Ric Flair is to pro wrestling what Joe Namath is to football, what Kurt Angle is to amateur wrestling, what Dr. J is to basketball, what Reggie Jackson is to baseball. A representative of what a World Champion is all about, and a touch of class. He is a limosine riding, jet flying, whiskey drinking, kiss stealing son of a gun, and whether you like it, or dont like it, learn ot love it, because Luger, Sting, Nikita, Big Dust, Race, Hogan, Windham, Steamboat, if you wanna BE the Man, you gotta BEAT the man, and thats impossible, because Ric Flair can make or break you, and he is the best going today, and I say Slick Ric has got one more championship run left at Wrestlemania XXI, before they create the Wing of the Nature Boy at the Hall of Fame, and the 10 pounds of Gold, the original NWA title needs to go into the casket of Ric Flair when he dies, surrounding the waist of the greatest athlete of his generation. Long live the Nature Boy, and may his grandchildren inherit the Earth!

In the long, proud annals of professional wrestling, one name stands alone. One man walked that aisle thousands of times to give the fans, whether they loved him or hated him, everything he had. One man fought them all and beat them all. One man could stay all night, and stay a little longer, take all the ladies for rides on Space Mountain and then make them cry, and still get in that ring night in and night out and be the man. When you say "Champ," you can only be referring to the 16-time heavyweight champion of the world, the Nature Boy Ric Flair.

This is a fantastic collection that all Ric Flair fans must own. Three DVDs is not enough to even begin to cover his illustrious career, of course, so every fan will have loads of matches that are not included in this collection. Still, there's a ton of great stuff here, 11 hours worth of wrestling matches, interviews, and classic Flair moments. From his first televised match to his final appearances on Nitro and Raw, this is a wonderful tribute to a man who meant more to his sport than any other athlete ever will. I was fortunate enough to grow up right here in Ric Flair country - I have many wonderful memories of the old NWA days with Ric, Valentine, the Andersons, Steamboat, and all the other greats. Ric Flair was unique, maintaining a core set of fans regardless of whether he was a good guy or a bad guy. When it comes to being bad, of course, he was the best - the dirtiest player in the game. All those fans up north thought Hulk Hogan was the man, but that was only because they didn't get a chance to really see Flair until the advent of cable television. I'll admit Hogan and his kind are big and bad, but they aren't really wrestlers in the true sense of the word. Flair knew how to wrestle, and that made him the ultimate paragon of wrestling tradition.

So what all do you get here? You get Flair's emotional, hard-fought victory over Harley Race at Starrcade '83 (this was back in the day when bleeding was not only allowed, it was encouraged) - this is one of the longest, most physical matches I've ever seen. You get two of Flair's fights against former Four Horseman Barry Windham, as well. Then there's Dusty Rhodes, the American Dream; he and Flair had a heated rivalry back in the '80s. Now you can relive some of that belligerent fun with Flair's matchup against Rhodes in Starrcade '85. Best of all, though, is the footage of the Four Horsemen breaking Dusty's ankle after Dusty came into the steel cage to help Flair after a match. It's one of my favorite wrestling memories of all time, and now I can relive the fun of Dusty's agony over and over again.

Moving on to Disc 2, the main focus is on Ricky Steamboat. Steamboat was right there supporting Ric after he beat Harley Race in '83, but there was no love lost between these two incredible competitors a few short years later. You get two Flair-Steamboat matchups in this collection: Clash of the Champions VI (2 out of 3 falls) and WrestleWar 1989. Flair's fight against the despicable Terry Funk at Clash of the Champions IX closes out the disc. Disc 3 is truly special. First off, you get to watch Flair do the impossible at the WWF 1992 Royal Rumble: outlast the best wrestlers in WWF for an incredible 62 minutes, having been the third man to enter the ring. Bobby Heenan is beside himself throughout the entire match because no one had ever even thought of the third man in a rumble actually winning the group melee. That night, Flair showed WWF what many of us already knew - the Nature Boy was the greatest wrestler the world will ever see. You also get Flair's matchup against Sting, the man he considers his toughest opponent of them all, at Clash of the Champions XXVII. Then, after watching Flair bid farewell to WCW Monday Nitro, you get to see Flair's final moment in the sun as he takes on Triple HHH, live on Raw, for the world championship belt. Flair shows the world what a 54-year-old man can do. After the show went off the air, the crowd got to witness a very special tribute to the Nature Boy - the respect they show this greatest of all champions is incredibly moving, especially for those of us who grew up watching and supporting Ric Flair.

I haven't even mentioned all of the extras and Easter eggs - there are tons of them. Ric talks about the plane crash that almost killed him early in his career, his opponents, and his career; there are a number of vintage interviews with Flair going back all the way to the mid-70s, there are pre- and post-match interviews for most of the matches included in the collection, and there is even the tape of Ric Flair's first televised wrestling match back on March 1, 1976 against Pete Sanchez in Madison Square Garden.

Whatever you think of Vince McMahon and WWE, it is important to know that McMahon allowed Flair to go out in style. Eric Bischoff and WCW treated Flair horribly in the later years of his career, despite the fact that Ric Flair essentially was WCW. We would have none of the tributes included on this collection (heck, we wouldn't even have this Ultimate Ric Flair Collection) were it not for McMahon's efforts to treat the Nature Boy like the champion he was.