WWE: Nature Boy Ric Flair - The Definitive Collection

OK, I just watched the documentary and it is EXCELLENT! The 1st hour is Fantastic! However, it drops off after Flair Comes back to WCW in 1993. Basically Ric says that WCW SUCKED from 1993-2001 and he was glad it was shutdown. I find that hard to believe. His fued with Savage was awesome and that was not even touched on. His 1999 championship is also not touched on. The documentary does pick back up after Ric Returned to WWE in 2001. The last WWE years are covered pretty good(as one would expect!).

Of course everyone is screaming there is not enough matches. I agree. I really wanted to see more Mid-Atlantic stuff with Greg Valentine. His US Title matches from the late 70s etc etc..

All and all I am VERY pleased with the set. However, I have basically every Importnat Ric Flair Match from 1985 Up. Just would be nice to have the all in DVD quality..lol

There are 2 Easter Eggs on Disc 1! Be on The look for them. They are awesome! The first one talks about Tim Woods and the 2nd talks about Rics first Trip to Japan in 1973! Funny Stuff!

This is a three disc set with a comprehensive professional biography and more than two discs filled with matches spanning the 30+ year career of the "Nature Boy." It's filled with exclusive footage from WrestleMania weekend, as well as the emotional sendoff Ric received at Raw the night after WrestleMania XXIV, including footage that never aired on television. Features several matches that have never before been released on DVD, from Mid-Atlantic, World Class Championship Wrestling, WCW, and more.

Disc 1

Beginnings
Plane Crash
The Nature Boy
Traveling Champion
Slick Ric
The Role of a Champion
The Four Horsemen
The Clash with Sting
Slaying the Dragon
Hardcore with Terry Funk
From Crockett to WCW
The Real World Champion
Troubles in WCW
Success in WWE
Evolution
WrestleMania 24 Weekend
Farewell to Flair

Flair Stories
# Too Many Distractions
# Buying Boots
# Bleaching His Hair
# Hanging with the Outlaws
# Ric's Relationship with the Members of Evolution
# Key to the City March 24, 2008

Ric Flair Tribute Video

Disc 2

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling 08/18/82: Jack Brisco Vs. Ric Flair - A nice number of derogatory comments from Flair to start off this event. Flair plays the traditional heel here being scared of the face, but still taking it to him when he could get the advantage. Kind of a short match, but very good on the technical scale. Still very funny seeing Flair tried coming off the top rope even way back then.

World Class Championship Wrestling 08/24/82: 2 out of 3 Falls Match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship: Kerry Von Erich Vs. Ric Flair - This was long before the late Von Erich had become WWE's "Texas Tornado." This match went over forty minutes and is a huge slugfest between two men that couldn't stand one another. Flair became a bloody mess as he usually does and it ended in a gigantic pull apart brawl. Some really good moves and techniques were used by both men, but they were more focused on just beating down each other. Fun match.

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling 08/31/83: NWA World Heavyweight Championship Match: Ric Flair Vs. Harley Race - Oddly enough Flair was the face here while the crowd really gave it to Race. I've never seen too many Harley Race matches, but I can see what the big deal was. He was a great heel and really showed it in the ring with his mannerisms and sheer brutality. These guys beat the hell out of one another for close to thirty minutes and I'm amazed they could keep going on. A screwjob finish full of interference doesn't take away from how good the match was throughout, but it would have been nice to see it end cleanly.

World Wide Wrestling 12/15/85: Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, & Ole Anderson Vs. Dusty Rhodes, Magnum TA, & Manny Fernandez - Flair was the champion at the time and the Andersons were tag champs. These were some heated rivalries back then and the crowd was going nuts during this match. Dusty had an injured leg and was doing all he could just to stand up at times, but the heels made it a point to show how dirty they truly were. Rhodes and TA were known as "America's Team" so taking it to them really got the heel heat going for Flair, Arn, and Ole. Not a bad tag match though that ended up turning into a huge brawl near the end.

Clash Of The Champions 03/27/88: NWA World Heavyweight Championship Match: Sting Vs. Ric Flair - Flair's (the Four Horsemen's) manager JJ Dillon was locked in a cage for this match and raised high above the ring. Sting had the blonde flattop and bright face paint which made him insanely over with the crowd. This was a big-time feud from back in the day which I recall seeing numerous times on different Clash Of The Champions events. At the beginning of the match, the announcers beat home the fact that there is a television time limit for this bout. Needless to say it went the distance and went to the judges' score cards. For the three-judge panel, one was in favor of Sting, another for Flair, and the last called the contest a draw. Flair remains champion, but this was the match that made Sting. Totally in his element.

Great American Bash 07/23/89: NWA World Heavyweight Championship Match: Ric Flair Vs. Terry Funk - Flair makes his way to the ring with four beauties in long silver dresses. This was before Funk's body was broken and totally in shambles and...hey, is that Jake "The Snake" Roberts as one of the ringside security? Weird because I really think it was.

Another good match here as Flair used every bit of technical expertise he knew and really laid into Funk. But Funk is a brawler and, according to what I hear from the announcers here, Flair had a bit of a neck problem. They built it up the entire match that one piledriver from Funk could probably end Flair's career. Funk brought the brutality and kept working on the neck hoping to wear down the champion. Things started breaking down though as Gary Hart interfered on Funk's behalf as did the Great Muta. And an unlikely ally in Flair's former enemy Sting came to his aide.

Disc 3

Madison Square Garden 10/28/91: Ric Flair Vs. "Rowdy" Roddy Piper - I remember this feud and it honestly seemed as if they both hated each other's guts. Piper never really had a style because he could be technical one second and then brawl with you the next. There is also a fun bit of humor from Piper included in this match. If you're looking for a match including two of the dirtiest players in the game though, this is it. There is some good brawling and a bunch of behind the ref's back tactics here making this not the most technical match ever, but a fun one.

Spring Stampede 04/17/94: WCW Championship: Ric Flair Vs. Ricky Steamboat - These two had some of the best matches in the history of wrestling and this is no exception. It amazes me just how great these two complimented each other. Never did they have to try and pick up the pace or their own game so that they could make the other look good; they did it on their own. And having Bobby "The Brain" Heenan calling a Flair match is the icing on the cake because he had this freakish love affair with the Nature Boy that was hilarious. A good number of restholds slow this match down at times, but the near falls and close calls keep the tension mounting.

The ending of this match was a double-pin which wasn't the type of clean ending one would hope for from a great match like this. Flair retained at the time and the double pin didn't ruin it, but later forced the title to be vacated at the time.

Taboo Tuesday 11/01/05: Steel Cage Match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship: Triple H Vs. Ric Flair - Future good friends Triple H and Ric Flair would battle it out over Flair's Intercontinental Title in a match decided on by the fans. It was between a steel cage, a regular match, or a submission match. Steel cage won out by a large margin and paved the way for a bloody battle between two of the greatest.

The match went back and forth a lot in the beginning, but then they would eventually exchange control. Triple H went to great lengths breaking out a steel chain and even getting a chair in hopes of beating the Nature Boy. Flair was busted open and had that bloodied hair look early on so it is a wonder how the man loses so much blood and can always continue. Overall this wasn't perhaps one of the matches I would have chosen to be in this set, but it's still a good match nonetheless.

WrestleMania XXIV 03/30/08: Career Threatening Match: Ric Flair Vs. Shawn Michaels - For months Ric Flair had been fighting for his wrestling life. Vince McMahon told Flair that he didn't have to retire as long as he could keep winning, so every match was a possible career ending match. No matter what was thrown at him, Flair still somehow was able to show that the "dirtiest player in the game" was not going down without a fight. For thirty-five years he had been the ultimate name in both sports entertainment and wrestling while fans both new and old respected and loved him. This night would be one of his greatest matches and also his last.

Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels are two favorites that have been around for a very long time. Not only have they made themselves look good, but they also make every single person they step into the ring with look good. This match would just go to prove that they deserve every piece of recognition, all the compliments, and each of the accomplishments they have achieved in their careers. This match portrayed them as the awesome competitors they are and they just put on an absolute masterpiece. Flair gave it everything he had, but in the end it was just too much. The Heartbreak Kid wasn't too happy about it, but he is the one that retired the Nature Boy. It was truly a classic moment as Michaels mouthed "I'm sorry. I love you!" to Flair before delivering the final blow. No wrestling fan should go without seeing this match.

Extras
Ric Flair's Farewell Address: Raw 03/31/08 - If you haven't already seen this, then I don't know how you can call yourself a wrestling fan. This is from Raw the night after Flair's last match at WrestleMania XXIV, and it is simply fantastic. I believe it lasted about twenty minutes when it first aired and had Flair's farewell speech, Triple H's speech, all his friends and family coming to the ring, and then the entire WWE roster coming out. At about the twenty minute mark is when the WWE exclusive footage kicks in if what happened after Raw went off the air and it needs to be seen to be believed and appreciated.

Promos
# Limousine Drivin' Jet Flyin'
# Stylin & Profilin' - NWA World Championship Wrestling May 25, 1985
# Take a Ride on Space Mountain - NWA World Championship Wrestling June 22, 1985
# The Boss - NWA World Championship Wrestling
# August 17, 1985
# Slick Ric - NWA World Championship Wrestling
# September 7, 1985
# Real Men Stay Up - NWA World Championship Wrestling September 21, 1985
# What's Causing All This - NWA World Championship Wrestling December 20, 1985
# Space Mountainettes - NWA World Championship Wrestling April 7, 1987
# Golden Spoon - NWA World Championship Wrestling November 13, 1987

This is a must have for any fan of wrestling!!

I also have both Ric Flair's DVD's

I hope they put in some 90's WCW Nitro stuff and WWF/E stuff. I don't think they should put the Hall of Fame induction unless they add the tribute to him on Raw W/Undertaker & McMahon. If they put the HOF and not the Trib. i think it's a waist to have the WM 24 DVD and the new Ric Flair DVD

Brian

This certainly won't be on Blu-Ray due to the fact wwe only went Hi-Def / widescreen a couple months ago. All of the Flair footage except for the stuff from this year is standard tv aspect ratio. Lets hope they don't repeat anything from the Ultimate Ric Flair Collection. Some things that would be nice in addition to those already mentioned: Flair v. Antonio Inoki from Korea in 95 (the largest house to ever watch a wrestling event), The one time Flair pinned Hulk Hogan from Monday Nitro in 1996. Flair vs. Funk from GAB 89 (as good or better than the I Quit Match). Maybe one of the early Flair v. Hogan matches from 1991 in WWE that have never been seen. Some 70's stuff w/ Steamboat, Mulligan, Valentine etc.. would be very cool, maybe a very early AWA match too. Starrcade 87 against Ron Garvin is another overlooked match, pretty brutal cage match with the most vicious chop fest ever. Lets hope for some flair commentary on some of these matches too,

Some things that I am hoping for:

1.) PLEASE have both a standard DVD release of this title as well as a HD (Blu Ray) version. I see that the WWE is going to be offering a Blu Ray disc version of WrestleMania this year and so I REALLY, REALLY wish they would go to the trouble of making this available in Blu Ray as well.

2.) Whether or not it's in Blu Ray and whether or not this is included in their WrestleMania DVD package this year - this DVD absolutely needs to have the following:
The match between Flair and Michaels from WrestleMania 2008, his 2008 WWE HOF induction, and the final 25 minutes of RAW where they had the Flair Tribute (and this NEEDS to have the footage of the Undertaker and Vince McMahon that was not televised on USA).

3. The earlier poster was correct about needing the Sting Vs. Flair match up from Baltimore when Sting won his first NWA/WCW World title. He was also making a good suggestion for requesting the Lex Luger/Ric Flair match from WrestleWar 1990. I would like to see the Ric Flair and Arn Anderson Vs. Doom match from the 1990 Halloween Havoc and some of the promos that Ric did for that Horsemen/Doom feud.

4. It also always seems to me that some of Flair's best promos from his WCW days are omitted from the WWE DVD sets. It's like they almost want to ignore 1989-1992 when it comes to his promo's and matches in WCW.
Which is a shame because there were some great ones.
I would like an hour or more of nothing but his promos and interviews from 1988-1994.

5. I also remember a few sets of promos Flair did with Shawn Michaels back in 2003 or 2004 that were REALLY good. I wish those series of promos and interviews would be included as well as all of the interviews and promos leading with Shawn leading up to this years WM match up.

I Have both the Ultimate Ric Flair Collection as well as the Four Horsemen DVD and both are great DVD's but i hope this one has all the matches that i have waited for to be on DVD. Some matches are Ric Flair V.S. Sting (Great American Bash) Ric Flair V.S. Sting (Clash of the Champions I) Rivalry with Macho Man from WWF, Ric Flair V.S. Vader (Starrcade), Ric Flair V.S. Lex Luger (Wrestle War 1990), Ric Flair V.S. Ricky Steamboat (Spring Stampede 1994), Flair returns to WCW to put the belt on Barry Windham, plus there match, And a lot more NWA footage here.