Author Topic: The rReal World Champion  (Read 3654 times)

cheftim

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The rReal World Champion
« on: July 23, 2009, 12:09:45 PM »

I always watched the WWF. But of course I knew of Ric Flair. It was one of my best Wrestling days when Heenan came on with a Belt and said it belonged to the Real World Champion, Ric Flair. Finally we were gonna see the long anticipated showdown between Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair. Now maybe someone could explain to me what happened here? That belt that Flair had? Was that the WCW belt, the belt from where ever he came from, or just made up? Did he leave the the other wrestling federation as champion and then prance all over the WWF with their title? I remember that they used to block it out on TV but never knew if it was just part of the show or not? Anyone have the story behind this?

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Re: The rReal World Champion
« Reply #1 on: July 23, 2009, 01:52:30 PM »
that was ground breaking at the time because up until that point the WWF had never acknowledged the existance of wrestling outside their federation..
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Montague

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Re: The rReal World Champion
« Reply #2 on: July 23, 2009, 02:19:18 PM »
I forget all the details, but I know they had to make another belt for Ron Simmons to wear. It wasn't a nice looking belt.
Sting also wore it for a time.
Then the attorneys got involved and WWF had to stop showing Flair’s NWA/WCW belt on TV, and I guess Crockett or Turner (or whoever the fvck) got it back.

I've always had a hard time remembering the chronology of NWA & WCW - the name and the ways it changed hands between Crocket and Turner, and its airing on TBS, etc.

Then the Jarrett’s ended up with the old NWA belt and called their promotion NWA-TNA, and now just TNA…
FFS.
I thought Vince owned all of the NWA/WCW stuff...
WTF!!!
 ???

Montague

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Re: The rReal World Champion
« Reply #3 on: July 23, 2009, 04:31:42 PM »
source/credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WCW_World_Heavyweight_Championship#Big_Gold_Belt

In December 1988, Ted Turner purchased Jim Crockett Promotions, which had promoted under the name "NWA World Championship Wrestling". While the promotion remained a member of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), the use of the NWA name was gradually reduced on televised programming, in favor of the name "World Championship Wrestling", or "WCW". On January 11, 1991, Ric Flair defeated Sting to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and was recognized as the WCW World Heavyweight Champion. The new championship was not initially represented by its own title belt, and WCW continued to use the NWA World Heavyweight Championship title belt. Because of this, WCW regularly claimed the NWA World Championship lineage for its own championship.

On July 1, 1991, a creative disagreement with WCW Executive Vice President Jim Herd led to Flair leaving WCW for Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Federation. When Herd refused to return his $25,000 deposit (that was left with the NWA), Flair kept the "Big Gold Belt" that had represented the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. WCW was forced to create its own title belt (a belt owned by Dusty Rhodes from the then-defunct Florida Championship Wrestling used as the PWF Heavyweight Championship with a gold plate tacked on its faceplate with the words "WCW World Heavyweight Champion"), which was awarded to Lex Luger after he defeated Barry Windham in a cage match for the vacant championship at 1991's Great American Bash. Shortly after the Bash, an original WCW World Heavyweight Championship belt was created.
In late 1991, WCW sued Flair for using the Big Gold Belt on WWF television, but later settled out of court, paying Flair $38,000 for the amount of the NWA deposit, plus interest. Flair returned the Big Gold Belt to WCW. The Big Gold Belt was used for the revived NWA World Heavyweight Championship, a co-promotional gimmick between WCW and New Japan Pro Wrestling.


In September 1993, WCW left the NWA over a dispute regarding the other NWA members demanding that NWA world champion be available for booking, and due to the use of the NWA World Heavyweight Championship on syndicated programming recorded months in advance. By fall 1993, Rick Rude was appearing at the "Disney Tapings" as the NWA World Heavyweight Champion, despite the fact that in regards to the storyline, Flair was still champion. After leaving the NWA, WCW kept the Big Gold Belt, and it was re-named the WCW International World Heavyweight Championship.

At Starrcade '93, Flair won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, by defeating Vader. WCW decided to unify the WCW World Heavyweight Championship (represented by the new belt) and International Championship (represented by the "Big Gold Belt"), by having Flair wrestle Sting in June 1994. Flair won and the WCW International Heavyweight belt replaced the old WCW World Heavyweight Championship while the International Heavyweight Championship itself was dropped. When Hulk Hogan entered WCW and won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship (now represented by the "Big Gold Belt") from Flair, Hogan helped WCW become the top wrestling company in the United States. By 2001, however, WCW suffered a succession of failures.
During Hogan's 1996–1997 run as champion, the title was spray painted with the NWO initials and referred to by New World Order members as the "nWo" World Heavyweight Championship.

In March 2001, the World Wrestling Federation purchased World Championship Wrestling. Soon after, "The Invasion" took place in which the WCW/ECW Alliance was ultimately dismantled. During the "Invasion", only four WCW titles remained active, including the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, which was referred to simply as the "WCW Championship".
After the "Invasion" concluded at Survivor Series in 2001, the title was unbranded as the "World Championship". The title was then unified with the WWF Championship at Vengeance where Chris Jericho defeated The Rock and Steve Austin to win the unbranded World Championship and the WWF Championship respectively. As a result, Chris Jericho was recognized as the last WCW World Champion,[2] and he became the first Undisputed Champion in the World Wrestling Federation.[4]

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Re: The rReal World Champion
« Reply #4 on: July 24, 2009, 05:17:21 AM »
They could have done much, much more with Flair back in 1991 when he came. They really f*****d that one up IMO. Think of the possibilities:

Savage vs Flair
Hogan vs Flair
Warrior vs Flair
Undertaker vs Flair

And these wrestlers were all much younger back then. The matches would have rocked.

cheftim

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Re: The rReal World Champion
« Reply #5 on: July 24, 2009, 04:46:20 PM »
They could have done much, much more with Flair back in 1991 when he came. They really f*****d that one up IMO. Think of the possibilities:

Savage vs Flair
Hogan vs Flair
Warrior vs Flair
Undertaker vs Flair

And these wrestlers were all much younger back then. The matches would have rocked.
It could have been the biggest match ever. Hogan/Flair. Champion vs Champion at Wrestlemania. When Flair arrived in the Federation he turned the place upside down. Bobby finally got his Champion. Mr. Perfect had another lead role. It could have easily been one of the best build ups to a Mania main event ever. Hey I loved Flair/Piper. Saw it live in MSG and it was killer. Loved the whole thing with Savage and Nature Boy banging Liz. But VKM had all the time in the World for those fueds down the road. Hogan/Flair is what the entire Wrestling World was dying to see. Not just when Flair came to the Federation but for years and years before that! The question always was. Who's the greatest champion of all? If they faced off at Mania I bet Flair would have won. This interview still gives me goose bumps. My Brother and I were going ape shit when we saw this the first time!!! Finally the Dream Match was going to happen.

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Re: The rReal World Champion
« Reply #6 on: July 27, 2009, 04:44:47 AM »
I'm still having a hard time trying to figure out why Vince changed the card at WM8 by making Savage fued with Flair instead. No one really wanted to see Hogan vs. Sid. That fued would have been good after WM* leading up to a cage match or something at Summerslam in Wembley Stadium.

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Re: The rReal World Champion
« Reply #7 on: July 27, 2009, 05:34:58 AM »
This is just my theory:

I don’t think Flair ever wanted to leave NWA, but did so to stand his ground and prove a point – especially the business with the title.
And as another side note – it never made sense to me as to why a promoter would have another promotion’s champ show up on their show and trash the belt they held. To me, that says that belt meant nothing, which also means the talent you just acquired means nothing. Wouldn't you want to build up the guy you just brought in?  :-\

Vince wouldn’t have pulled an “Alundra Blayze” with Flair’s NWA belt. And if Flair had any control over his character, then he would never have allowed it anyway. It would crap on his 16 (or whatever) year championship legacy with Crockette.

All that being said, I think McMahon knew deep down that he wouldn’t have Flair for long. And the reasons he wouldn’t have him long may have been why he was reticent to put him in a program with Hogan at Mania.
Jim Herd would probably have given in and settled quicker to prevent a Hogan feud if the old man started the buildup.

Vince at least generated some interest that got fans tuning in and, in turn, boosting his ratings, when hinting at a Flair/Hogan program. It also left a door open for the possibility should Flair have stayed, which was highly unlikely. But, you never know.

cheftim

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Re: The rReal World Champion
« Reply #8 on: July 27, 2009, 11:52:54 AM »

Flair rocked the house in this press conference! Look at Perfect and Bobby in the Background.

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Re: The rReal World Champion
« Reply #9 on: July 27, 2009, 12:44:25 PM »
Flair was always golden on the mic.

cheftim

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Re: The rReal World Champion
« Reply #10 on: July 27, 2009, 01:33:23 PM »
It's just a shame that after that huge victory at the Rumble. What did he throw something like 50+ chops in that match? He was awesome! Bobby Heenan finally got his World Champion. Then he lost it straight away to Savage at Mania. What a heartbreak.

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Re: The rReal World Champion
« Reply #11 on: July 28, 2009, 04:25:44 AM »
It's just a shame that after that huge victory at the Rumble. What did he throw something like 50+ chops in that match? He was awesome! Bobby Heenan finally got his World Champion. Then he lost it straight away to Savage at Mania. What a heartbreak.
That was another title change that shouldn't have happened. They shoul have let flair squeek by Savage and lose the title at Summersalm in Wembly if anything. They made him lose the title way too soon.

cheftim

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Re: The rReal World Champion
« Reply #12 on: July 30, 2009, 12:35:25 PM »
That was another title change that shouldn't have happened. They shoul have let flair squeek by Savage and lose the title at Summersalm in Wembly if anything. They made him lose the title way too soon.
What exactly was the point of him loosing so soon? It's just a time in my life that I'm gonna have to try and block out.

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Re: The rReal World Champion
« Reply #13 on: July 30, 2009, 01:01:54 PM »
What exactly was the point of him loosing so soon? It's just a time in my life that I'm gonna have to try and block out.
Who knows. 1991-1992 was a f****d up time for the WWE because of the sex and steroid scandals.

cheftim

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Re: The rReal World Champion
« Reply #14 on: July 30, 2009, 03:51:55 PM »
Who knows. 1991-1992 was a f****d up time for the WWE because of the sex and steroid scandals.
I've been complaining about the Hogan/Flair Mania match up ever since it didn't happen. Most of my wrestling friends say Hulkster refused loose to Flair? It was still very cool and controversial when Flair interferred in the Hogan/Taker match up.

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Re: The rReal World Champion
« Reply #15 on: July 31, 2009, 04:12:46 AM »
I've been complaining about the Hogan/Flair Mania match up ever since it didn't happen. Most of my wrestling friends say Hulkster refused loose to Flair? It was still very cool and controversial when Flair interferred in the Hogan/Taker match up.
They could have started the build up at WM8 making Flair interfere in Hogan's match against Sid. It would have made a killer match for Summerslam later that year in Wembley stadium in England in front of 80,000 people.

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Re: The rReal World Champion
« Reply #16 on: August 04, 2009, 04:36:27 AM »
Flair interfering instead of Papa Shango would have been a waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better idea for sure. Mania 8 was prett lame.
Papa Shango even missed his que. That's why Sid was forced to kick out of Hogan's leg drop.

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Re: The rReal World Champion
« Reply #17 on: August 08, 2009, 02:16:45 PM »
but the pop warrior got when he came out is arguably top 3 EVER.
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