WWE – Nature Boy Ric Flair: The Definitive Collection – DVD Review

DVD Reviews, Reviews, Top Story

ricflairdefinitivecoll
Available at Amazon.com

Being a long time fan of wrestling in general, it’s rather difficult to actually pick who would be my favorite wrestler of all time. I’ve watched WWF, WCW, ECW, NWA, WWE, TNA, GLOW, ROH, NJPW, and any other promotion you can possibly think of. So many big time stars have come and gone, returned and left, or faded away long before their time should have been up. But when it comes to currently saying who is the most memorable and probably one of the all time greatest wrestlers to ever step into any ring, well, that’s easy. I simply look at a recently retired star that started wrestling before I was even born…The Nature Boy, Ric Flair.

**Warning: There are spoilers to the matches in this review!**

Disc One


It is really amazing the things you would never think about a person until you actually hear them straight from their lips. Ric Flair was apparently sold as a black market baby long ago and made his way to a foster home with other children who were stolen from their families. He was adopted and lived in Minneapolis, Minnesota with his parents where he grew up loving wrestling, watching the AWA, and going every year on his birthday to the wrestling matches with his father. As a kid in school, Ric was a bit of a handful that was sent away to a boarding school where he played football and competed in wrestling. After college, he went on to sell life insurance for a year and then met Ken Patera and Verne Gagne. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Flair actually went into his first wrestling camp weighing in at about three hundred pounds, which is just unheard of for those that have watched him over the years. He had his first match which was actually called by Mean Gene Okerlund and immediately, they knew something was special in him. In 1974, he flew down to North Carolina and joined up with Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling; he knew it was the right thing for him so he never left. Soon after, he started getting money and got himself a car – the precursor of stylin’ and profilin’. But thereafter Flair would deal with something that would change his life forever again. In October 1975, he was in a small plane that crashed, and the injuries he sustained should have either killed him or stopped his wrestling career.

It wasn’t long after that, though, that Flair’s unique style had come to him after many told him he reminded them of Buddy Rogers. And six short months after breaking his back in that plane crash, Flair was back in the ring, and before you knew it he had won the tag-team titles with Greg Valentine. He had his eyes set on higher sights though and wanted to move to the top of the ladder so he could look down at everyone else. As time went on, Flair would start to develop into the slick character many would come to know and promoters wanted all wrestling fans to get a taste of this new star; especially after winning the NWA World Title from Dusty Rhodes. Now he had the chance to not only perform with wrestlers from different territories, but to also bring out their best and make them better. But at the same time he was being Ric Flair, the Fliehr family at home was missing a coveted member.

Being Ric Flair though, he couldn’t stop wrestling and he was moving up faster and faster. Then comes the “limousine ridin’, jet flyin'” and WOOOOOOOOOOO version of Ric Flair that fans have come to know and love. And being the big name he was, Flair needed a few close friends to bring his dominance even higher so he brought in Arn Anderson, Ole Anderson, Tully Blanchard, and JJ Dillon. The Four Horsemen represented championship superiority as all four members were champions; they would be only the best. Arn Anderson says that the Horsemen actually came about as a fluke because he brought up the “four horsemen of the apocalypse” in an interview and it just stuck.

From there Ric Flair and the Horsemen would cause havoc throughout WCW for years to come. Together they were one of the most dominant forces in wrestling history and would be the centerpiece of WCW for a long time to come. Flair’s career moved onto some great feuds as he would always bring out the greatest talent in whomever he faced in the ring. Some of his greatest feuds came from the likes of Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, Terry Funk, and the man known as Sting. Steamboat and Flair would have these technical bouts that were things of beauty from the first bell to the final decision. Funk would bring out the hardcore instincts in Flair and battle him like no other. Sting and Flair were simply two of the biggest names in wrestling and would bring the house down every time they got in the ring together.

Eventually Flair would bring his success and great name over to the WWE from WCW and as things changed, the more they remained the same. Flair was still the same great man he always was in wrestling, but he was happy to be in a legitimate company that was being run right. One of my greatest memories of Flair first appearing in WWE was him arriving with the NWA World Heavyweight Title (the big gold belt). It was just insane seeing that belt on Primetime Wrestling instead of Clash Of The Champions. Things got even more complicated now because fans could finally see two of the greatest names in wrestling step into the ring together. WWE had Hulk Hogan and now WCW’s best in Ric Flair had come over to the other side and the dream match was possible. Believe it or not, things were only getting bigger for Flair the further his career advanced.

After two years in WWE, Flair had returned to WCW and in his own words, “they were floundering in every juncture that a company could.” Ole Anderson was running the company, but Flair’s advice eventually got Eric Bischoff promoted to top dog. From there Hulk Hogan was brought in along with a number of other former WWE big names and he slowly was pushed to the back burner in WCW. In an interesting note, both Savage and Hogan each beat Ric Flair four times before they ever had another opponent in WCW. They were both brought in thanks to Flair, and now they were pushed far above him. WCW was floundering in every sense of the imagination and over time it caved into the WWE conglomerate and Vince McMahon.

Since then, Flair came back to WWE and had great amounts of success as he always has in every aspect of his life. He is a huge name that fans around the world know and it doesn’t matter if they are a ten-year-old kid or topping eighty. Ric Flair is synonymous with wrestling and he always will be. This year his career finally ended after thirty-five years of being wrestling entertainment. If you need any indication that he is a legend and true icon of professional wrestling, then look no further then his final match with Shawn Michaels and his farewell address the next night on Raw. Everyone was there to show their respect and the tears flowed down the faces of fans, announcers, and wrestlers all the same. Ric Flair is wrestling. Ric Flair is sports’ entertainment. Ric Flair is…the man. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Disc Two



~ 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 Three



~ 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.

The event is shown in 1.33:1 Full Screen format for the match footage and in Widescreen when interviews are being shown. Everything looks absolutely perfect and you can’t ask for a better job in presentation.

The event is heard in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and all can be heard clearly as well and that’s including the old time footage with the bad sound. All can be heard very well and the matches with bumps, throws, and punches sound wonderful too.

Disc One



Stories– each of the following stories are told by Ric or his wife and they range in time from a minute to five minutes. Each is very interesting to listen to, and at times can be funny or sad.

Too Many Distractions

Buying Boots

Bleaching His Hair

Hanging With The Outlaws

Ric’s Relationship With The Members of Evolution

Key To The City 03/24/08 – This is a nice feature that shows the footage of the ceremony where Ric got the key to the city of Columbia, South Carolina.

Ric Flair Tribute Video – Set to Fuel’s “Leave The Memories Alone,” it is a nice montage of moments throughout Flair’s career. Let’s just say I got chills on numerous occasions while watching this video.

Disc Three



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.

Holy hell did that give me the chills. Nope, not spoiling it.

Promos – These are some of Ric’s greatest and most memorable promos from his career. As you may notice, they are from very early on and there’s a good reason for that. He found things that worked and worked well in the early stages of his career so he figured why not use them all the time? And he did just that and he was more then right. Those promos got the same great reactions earlier this year that they did in the early to mid eighties.

~ Limousine Ridin’, Jet Flyin’, Stylin’, & Profilin’: NWA World Championship Wrestling 05/25/85

~ Take A Ride On Space Mountain: NWA World Championship Wrestling 06/22/85

~ The Boss: NWA World Championship Wrestling 08/17/85

~ Slick Ric: NWA World Championship Wrestling 09/07/85

~ Real Men Stay Up: NWA World Championship Wrestling 09/21/85

~ What’s Causing All This: NWA World Championship Wrestling 12/20/85

~ Space Mountainettes: NWA World Championship Wrestling 04/07/87

~ Golden Spoon: NWA World Championship Wrestling 11/13/87

TrailersBehind Enemy Lines: Columbia, Ric Flair & The Four Horsemen, and WrestleMania XXIV


Nothing needs to be said about this set except that is the best release from WWE by leaps and bounds. There are only a select few matches and each of them is absolute perfection. The main feature that chronicles not only his career, but his life is one of the best things I’ve ever seen put together by World Wrestling Entertainment. The special features are simply classic Ric as we hear his stories, see his promos, and relive some of the greatest moments from his illustrious time in and out the ring. The Raw farewell will have you in tears and chills from moment one to the final walk up the ramp. You must get this set if you want to ever consider yourself a wrestling fan and watch it time and time again. Watch it sixteen times in a row for all I care. Nothing more needs to be discussed here. Oh wait, yes something does. Thank you Ric.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………




WWE Home Video presents Nature Boy Ric Flair: The Definitive Collection. Featuring: Ric Flair, Sting, Triple H, Ricky Steamboat, Harley Race, and many more. Running time: 540 minutes on 3 discs. Rating: Not Rated. Released on DVD: July 8, 2008. Available at Amazon.com