TGM
Hank Scorpio
Posts: 6,073
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Post by TGM on Jan 20, 2019 14:50:39 GMT -5
Two of the absolute best in ring performers of all time. Who was better?
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Post by blissified on Jan 20, 2019 14:52:50 GMT -5
Flair was more entertaining to me but i enjoyed Bret's matches more.
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Post by abjordans on Jan 20, 2019 14:53:19 GMT -5
Bret in ring, Flair everywhere else and overall.
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Post by The Dark Order Inferno on Jan 20, 2019 14:58:06 GMT -5
Flair was the better mic worker for a large portion, but not all, of his career, Bret was better in the ring overall. Flair could have a great match when he wanted to but spent a lot of time in WCW on cruise control, doing Flair by the numbers.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2019 15:15:34 GMT -5
Going by what I've watched from both, I prefer Bret. I still need to see more from Ric in his prime, but I've never been able to stand him at all (especially when he shows up now)
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Squirrel Master
Hank Scorpio
"Then the Squirrel Master came out of left field and told me I'm his bitch!"
Posts: 6,637
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Post by Squirrel Master on Jan 20, 2019 15:15:36 GMT -5
What a difficult choice to make. I have been thoroughly entertained and impressed by both of these guys, at all times.
Two ring generals at the helm of the two most important stables ever... I must choose between circa 1988 Four Horsemen or circa 1997 Hart Foundation? More greatness and reinvention thereafter, too. Yikes, this is a tough call.
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Post by BRAINFADE on Jan 20, 2019 15:17:33 GMT -5
Flair was a better all round performer and entertainer, maybe the best all rounder ever. But bell to bell I prefer Bret.
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Post by MrElijah on Jan 20, 2019 15:36:50 GMT -5
Bret's my guy, But prime Flair, I've grown to enjoy very much.
Imagine, speculate if you will, '85-'89 Ric vs. '94-'97 Bret.
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Pushed to the Moon
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Tony Schiavone in Disguise
Working myself into a shoot
Posts: 15,819
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Post by Pushed to the Moon on Jan 20, 2019 15:44:02 GMT -5
I've never watched any pre 90s Flair stuff so I feel like I missed his prime and can't judge. To me growing up in the 90s he was always just the crazy old legend who commentators/wrestlers told me used to be the greatest while he was elbow dropping his jacket or whatever. Bret all the way.
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Post by nickcave on Jan 20, 2019 15:46:33 GMT -5
Both guys are two of the greatest wrestlers of all time for a reason, both had the ability to make their opponents look amazing. I will give the edge to Bret though because he was able to get amazing matches out of guys like Kevin Nash and I think I prefer his technical style a little bit to Flair's more showy type of matches.
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Mozenrath
FANatic
Foppery and Whim
Speedy Speed Boy
Posts: 121,016
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Post by Mozenrath on Jan 20, 2019 15:54:34 GMT -5
Bret is more to my taste, but I think both are world class talents. It's a shame Ric's first WWF run was kind of spotty in terms of how well he did there, but the Rumble was in many ways THE best night of his career.
Bret was in many ways the master of adapting matches to the strengths of his opponents. His match with Diesel, for example, is probably the best match of Nash's career, and he wasn't carried to it by Bret so much as Bret just knew how to meet him half way and not wrestle him like someone he wasn't.
Flair was the master of the live show marathon performances, so I feel like so much of his career isn't on film, making it an unfair comparison for people looking back, but even still, he was a great performer. He just marred his reputation some by things like the Hogan matches, his having entered the 90s in WCW kinda stale before the Herd square-off, and all the Russo shit later on. He did get to redeem himself in his second WWE run, at least.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2019 16:06:27 GMT -5
Being honest I've only ever partially understood Bret's appeal. Like, I can think of a lot of matches of his I love but he is not someone I would go out of my way to watch the work of and he'd never come to mind for me if I were trying to think of all-time greats. Nothing really against him, just kind of a, "Not my thing."
Although regardless of ring ability I'd say Flair is miles better just because of having vastly more star presence and astronomically better mic skills.
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Post by Mister Pigwell on Jan 20, 2019 16:07:38 GMT -5
Bret in ring, Flair everywhere else and overall. This.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2019 17:23:33 GMT -5
I can't vote here. Out of the choice I'd lean one way one day and the other the next.
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Post by abjordans on Jan 20, 2019 17:32:27 GMT -5
Bret is more to my taste, but I think both are world class talents. It's a shame Ric's first WWF run was kind of spotty in terms of how well he did there, but the Rumble was in many ways THE best night of his career. Bret was in many ways the master of adapting matches to the strengths of his opponents. His match with Diesel, for example, is probably the best match of Nash's career, and he wasn't carried to it by Bret so much as Bret just knew how to meet him half way and not wrestle him like someone he wasn't. Flair was the master of the live show marathon performances, so I feel like so much of his career isn't on film, making it an unfair comparison for people looking back, but even still, he was a great performer. He just marred his reputation some by things like the Hogan matches, his having entered the 90s in WCW kinda stale before the Herd square-off, and all the Russo shit later on. He did get to redeem himself in his second WWE run, at least. I don’t think Flair’s WWE/F run is spotty. Actually, WWE treated Flair better than anyone.
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Post by Tiger Millionaire on Jan 20, 2019 17:34:17 GMT -5
I think Flair as a wrestler gets underrated because much of his prime stuff wasn't on TV, and by the time he was on TV a ton, he was almost exclusively in full get his ass kicked chicken shit heel mode. His late 70s stuff, early 80s stuff was awesome
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Post by Cyno on Jan 20, 2019 17:36:38 GMT -5
Flair had a larger-than-life personality, but Bret is one of the best technical wrestlers I've ever seen. My vote goes to the Hitman.
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Post by thetower52 on Jan 20, 2019 17:39:15 GMT -5
I can’t stabd either of them in or outside of the ring
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2019 17:45:03 GMT -5
I was surprised by the results at first, but I assume most FAN users grew up during Bret's rise and prime.
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Post by Jokaine on Jan 20, 2019 19:26:25 GMT -5
Ric Flair, in his prime (which stretched for a lot of years) was one of the three or four best overall wrestlers I ever saw. Since I can't say the same for Bret Hart, I have to go with Naitch.
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