Ric Flair vs. Sting (WCW 1995)

[Wardlow on Wardlow 54]

So, I was revisiting this angle as part of a 1995 fantasy booking of WCW. And it amazes me how obvious it was that Flair was going to betray Sting in the run-up to Halloween Havoc. Flair has a falling out with best friend Arn Anderson, then loses to Arn thanks to Brian Pillman's interference. Flair proceeds to win a series of singles matches against them, but gets beat down after each one. He then specifically requests Sting to be his partner and the entirety of the recruitment is Flair saying, "c'mon, Stinger, you and me, we'd make a great team!" and Sting saying, "yeah, but Ric, you'll just betray me."

Flair finally swayed Sting by bringing a bunch of young Sting fans into the studio to appeal to him and Sting agrees to team with him, but warns him that there'll be hell to pay if Flair pulls anything. They have a match set on Nitro with Anderson and Pillman, Sting doesn't show up right away, but eventually comes out and helps Flair win. Now Sting trusts Flair. So of course, at Halloween Havoc, Flair gets attacked backstage and Sting has to go it alone. Eventually Flair shows up, Sting makes the hot tag... and Flair punches him in the face.

STING! What the hell, dude?! You even admitted you couldn't trust him! Why did you still go into this match, knowing full well this would probably happen, instead of just telling the kids, "sorry, Ric's a weasel who can go pound sand"?? There's a reason he's the prototype for dumb babyfaces and this angle is it, full-stop.

[tafkaga]

And what was Flair's motive?

A month of elaborate theatrics, including Flair and Anderson dropping matches to each other, Flair getting his ass beat by his own team... so he could trick Sting?

If he wanted at Sting, why not just have the Horsemen attack him backstage, or do a run in and beat him up after one of his matches? Why go to all this trouble?

It irks me because it's some of the most asinine booking that I've ever seen. Everyone involved looks like a complete jackass, especially Flair who just gets booked in matches with Sting, and loses every one. Was he expecting a different result?

Why was Flair even messing with Sting in the first place? They weren't even on each other's radar at the time, then Flair just spontaneously decides he wants to trick Sting? Was it revenge for his 6 month long Black Scorpion campaign not panning out? At least in that case there was a revenge motive, and Sting did have the title.

[Mozenrath]

Aug 2, 2022 20:42:23 GMT -5 tafkaga said:

And what was Flair's motive?

A month of elaborate theatrics, including Flair and Anderson dropping matches to each other, Flair getting his ass beat by his own team... so he could trick Sting?

If he wanted at Sting, why not just have the Horsemen attack him backstage, or do a run in and beat him up after one of his matches? Why go to all this trouble?

It irks me because it's some of the most asinine booking that I've ever seen. Everyone involved looks like a complete jackass, especially Flair who just gets booked in matches with Sting, and loses every one. Was he expecting a different result?

Why was Flair even messing with Sting in the first place? They weren't even on each other's radar at the time, then Flair just spontaneously decides he wants to trick Sting? Was it revenge for his 6 month long Black Scorpion campaign not panning out? At least in that case there was a revenge motive, and Sting did have the title.

Yeah, this is much more confusing to me than Sting trusting him, since Flair's whole plan is just getting the shit kicked out of him. Like, why did he need to do any of that to attack Sting, something he could have done at any time?

At least when Ole betrayed Dusty in a cage, that got Dusty in a cage, five on one. This is just something Flair could have done just about any week.

[cjh]

Aug 2, 2022 20:42:23 GMT -5 tafkaga said:

And what was Flair's motive?

A month of elaborate theatrics, including Flair and Anderson dropping matches to each other, Flair getting his ass beat by his own team... so he could trick Sting?

If he wanted at Sting, why not just have the Horsemen attack him backstage, or do a run in and beat him up after one of his matches? Why go to all this trouble?

It irks me because it's some of the most asinine booking that I've ever seen. Everyone involved looks like a complete jackass, especially Flair who just gets booked in matches with Sting, and loses every one. Was he expecting a different result?

Why was Flair even messing with Sting in the first place? They weren't even on each other's radar at the time, then Flair just spontaneously decides he wants to trick Sting? Was it revenge for his 6 month long Black Scorpion campaign not panning out? At least in that case there was a revenge motive, and Sting did have the title.

I always assumed that Flair and Anderson just made up at some point off camera, possibly in the last few days before Halloween Havoc.

[tafkaga]

Aug 2, 2022 21:04:18 GMT -5 cjh said:

Aug 2, 2022 20:42:23 GMT -5 tafkaga said:

And what was Flair's motive?

A month of elaborate theatrics, including Flair and Anderson dropping matches to each other, Flair getting his ass beat by his own team... so he could trick Sting?

If he wanted at Sting, why not just have the Horsemen attack him backstage, or do a run in and beat him up after one of his matches? Why go to all this trouble?

It irks me because it's some of the most asinine booking that I've ever seen. Everyone involved looks like a complete jackass, especially Flair who just gets booked in matches with Sting, and loses every one. Was he expecting a different result?

Why was Flair even messing with Sting in the first place? They weren't even on each other's radar at the time, then Flair just spontaneously decides he wants to trick Sting? Was it revenge for his 6 month long Black Scorpion campaign not panning out? At least in that case there was a revenge motive, and Sting did have the title.

I always assumed that Flair and Anderson just made up at some point off camera, possibly in the last few days before Halloween Havoc.

That would have been easier to sell to myself had the commentators not been screaming that it was Flair's master plan all along.

[cjh]

Aug 2, 2022 22:44:37 GMT -5 tafkaga said:

Aug 2, 2022 21:04:18 GMT -5 cjh said:

I always assumed that Flair and Anderson just made up at some point off camera, possibly in the last few days before Halloween Havoc.

That would have been easier to sell to myself had the commentators not been screaming that it was Flair's master plan all along.

Schiavone said something like that but seemed unsure while Heenan said he was surprised as he thought Flair and Anderson were beyond saving their friendship.

[ThankGodForSidJustice]

It was dumb and made no sense while doing nobody involved any favors. Sting looks dumb for trusting Flair despite him even admitting he was leary of it. Flair looks dumb in that his big plan required him getting his ass kicked a bunch by Arn and Pillman and then on top of that needlessly getting Sting pissed at him resulting him in getting his ass kicked some more and losing matches to Sting where none of the other Horsemen made any attempt to help him because..............I don't know. On top of that it's not like Sting was even the champion at this point. So what was Flair wanting to accomplish by doing this? If Hogan was the guy he was trying to set up it would've made sense since Hogan was champion at that point and the plan would get him closer to the goal of winning the title. There was nothing to gain at all from targeting Sting.

It also didn't do Arn any favors as in his team with Pillman he was the leader for once instead of his usual role of follower and was actually coming off like someone who could be a main event heel. However instead he throws it away to assume his usual role of playing second fiddle to Ric. Strangely the only guy who benefitted in any way from it was the least important part of the angle, Pillman, who was finally getting ahead by rubbing elbows with the big boys and creating a great new persona for himself.

[4real]

Two kayfabe reasons:

1. Sting really wanted Flair to be his friend. Which is sweet
2. Flair just really liked messing with Sting

One non kayfabe:

Didn’t Flair get the World title by the end of the year? Was that a reason he was happy to lose to Sting again & again?

[The Ichi]

Every Sting partnership (ironically, Sting isn't the Scorpion here)

[Deleted]

In the end though...



You all might boo me, but this time I turned on them before they turned on me!

[sportatorium]

All I know is that Arn cut a promo on Flair during that feud saying he couldn’t find a friend with a fistful of fifties. I’ve still used that phrase up to today.

[chrom]

Flair always preferred being the Villain so he probably nixed the original plan

[Wardlow on Wardlow 54]

Looking back, 1995 is such a strange year for Flair.

SuperBrawl: a retired Flair gets involved in Hogan vs. Vader

Uncensored: Flair dresses in drag to attack Savage, then later loses Vader's strap match for him

Slamboree: Flair's big return, he and Vader lose to Hogan and Savage, then he beats up an old man

Great American Bash: beats Savage (was reportedly set to lose, but refused to put over Savage or his dad)

Bash at the Beach: loses a lifeguard match to Savage, then attacks Vader after Vader loses to Hogan again

Clash 31: loses to Vader in a handicap match, splits with Arn, is somehow the babyface

Fall Brawl: loses to Arn, thanks to Pillman

Halloween Havoc: spends a month getting his ass kicked, only to reveal it was a conspiracy with the guys kicking his ass, so they could get to Sting

World War 3: gets his ass kicked by Sting the whole month of the show

Starrcade: World Champion again... somehow


No wonder he threatened to quit if he lost at Clash 32. Dude was booked so unevenly for the whole year prior.

[GodzillaIsMyMonster]

I actually really liked the Arn/Flair feud. Double A's promo before the Fall Brawl match is excellent and I really enjoy the match.