Ric Flair, a 16 time World champion?

[theintensifier 0]

WCW World Heavyweight Championships: 7

 

Ric Flair defeats Sting 1/11/91

Ric Flair defeats Vader 12/27/93

Ric Flair defeats Randy Savage 12/27/95

Ric Flair defeats Randy Savage 2/11/96

Ric Flair defeats Hollywood Hogan 3/14/99

Ric Flair defeats Jeff Jarrett 5/15/00

Ric Flair awarded title on 5/29/00

 

WWF World Heavyweight Championships: 2

 

Ric Flair is awarded the WWF World Heavyweight Championship after winning the 1/19/92 Royal Rumble

Ric Flair defeats Randy Savage 9/1/92

 

NWA World Heavyweight Championships: 10

 

Ric Flair defeats Dusty Rhodes 9/17/81

Ric Flair defeats Harley Race 11/24/83

Ric Flair defeats Harley Race 3/23/84

Ric Flair defeats Kerry Von Erich 5/24/84

Ric Flair defeats Dusty Rhodes 8/9/86

Ric Flair defeats Ronnie Garvin 11/26/87

Ric Flair defeats Ricky Steamboat 5/7/89

Ric Flair defeats Sting 1/11/91

Ric Flair defeats Tatsumi Fujinami 5/19/91

Ric Flair defeats Barry Windham 7/18/93

 

WCW International World Heavyweight Championships: 2

 

Ric Flair defeats Barry Windham 7/18/93

Ric Flair defeats Sting 6/23/94

 

Heh, I'm bored.

[CanadianChris 0]

From the RSPW FAQ (a bit out of date, but acceptable for this purpose):

 

8. Ric Flair

 

8.1) How many times has he been World champion?

 

That's depends on what changes you wish to recognize.

 

In July 1994, Ric Flair said many times that he was an 11 time

world champion. This number was come to by recognizing his 8

undisputed NWA title reigns, 2 WWF title reigns and 1 WCW title

reign. Flair has since held the WCW title twice more, bringing

the undisputed total to 13. However in addition to this, there

have been a number of disputed or not widely recognized reigns,

which are listed below.

 

On March 21, 1984, Flair was defeated by Harley Race in New

Zealand for the NWA title. He regained it on March 23, 1984 in

Singapore. This switch is only now being recognized as official

in the US.

 

On March 21, 1991, Tatsumi Fujinami defeated Flair in Tokyo,

Japan. The Japanese referee for the match counted a pinfall,

while the WCW referee for the match DQed Flair for tossing

Fujinami over the top rope. Flair defeated Fujinami May 19, 1991

in St. Petersburg, FL to end the dispute.

 

On April 17, 1994, Ric Flair and Rick Steamboat went to a double

pin finish. On April 21, 1994, (aired on TV May 21, 1994) Flair

defeated Steamboat to end the dispute. It was never officially

announced that the belt was held up, although Flair gave the

belt to WCW commissioner Nick Bockwinkel and said he wanted it

held up.

 

There are also stories that Flair did title switches with Jack

Venano in the Dominican Republic and Victor Jovica in the

Caribbean, similar to the New Zealand/Singapore title switch

with Harley Race. The Venano story has been confirmed by a fan

who was there live to see the title change, as has the Jovica

one. Neither is recognized in the US as of this writing,

although if the powers-that-be need to pump up Flair's title

reigns again, good money says they will.

[Guest theoldxpac]

There was also a switch with Carlos Colon apprently in 82. The belt was latter handed back to him.

[Guest Staravenger]

Hate to say this, but am I the only one who thinks MORE title reigns means less? He not only won "16", but he also lost "16". The last 5 or 6 were joke reigns from WCW when he was WAY past his prime and losing them every week, so they tarnish his list since some of his reigns in the 80's were all quite good.

[Guest DeputyHawk]

I believe the 16 'official' reigns are:

 

(1)81-83 Beats Dusty Rhodes for NWA World title, loses to Harley Race (Jack Veneno & Carlos Colon changes currently unacknowledged)

 

(2)83-84 Beats Race at the first Starrcade, loses to Race on a tour of New Zealand (this loss went unacknowledged for a long time, which is why Flair boasted of being a 7-time Champion in 91 instead of an 8-time Champion. It has since been legitimised).

 

(3)84 Beats Race in New Zealand, loses to Kerry Von Erich at Parade Of Champions

(4)84-86 Beats Kerry in Japan, loses to Dusty

(5)86-87 Beats Dusty, loses to Ron Garvin

(6)87-89 Beats Garvin at Starrcade, loses to Ricky Steamboat

(7)89-90 Beats Steamboat, loses to Sting at the Great American Bash

 

(8)91 Beats Sting, stripped of the title when he quits WCW for the WWF (NWA title flip-flop with Tatsumi Fujinami currently unacknowledged, as it was unacknowledged by WCW at the time - the two were completely separate bodies by that point and the NWA title was all but meaningless. Flair himself only boasted of being a 7-time World Champion at this point).

 

(9)92 Moves to the WWF, Wins the 30-man Royal Rumble and with it the WWF World title, loses to Randy Savage at WrestleMania VIII

 

(10)92 Beats Savage, loses to Bret Hart

 

(11)93-94 Returns to WCW, beats Vader at Starrcade, loses to Hogan at the Bash at the Beach (his 93 NWA/International title win over Barry Windham currently unacknowledged because the title was meaningless; also his 94 flip-flop with Steamboat currently unacknowledged. He accurately boasted of being an 11-time Champ at this time because the Harley Race change from 84 had been acknowledged).

 

(12)95-96 Beats Savage at Starrcade, loses back to Savage

(13)96 Beats Savage, loses to The Giant

(14)99 Beats Hogan, loses to Dallas Page in a four-way at Spring Stampede

(15)00 Beats Jeff Jarrett, stripped by Vince Russo after a questionable heart attack angle

(16)00 Title returned to him by Kevin Nash, loses it back to Jarrett the same day

 

Yes, the final two reigns were a complete joke but they're still acknowledged. 2000 was not a vintage year for the WCW World title. But hey, his last two runs still had more dignity than David Arquette's.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

That is incorrect. The acknowledged reigns, from FLAIR's MOUTH HIMSELF, come from an article in WWE Magazine:

 

NWA - #1 - Defeats Dusty Rhodes.

NWA - #2 - Pins Harley Race.

NWA - #3 - Defeats Kerry Von Erich.

NWA - #4 Defeats Dusty Rhodes.

NWA - #5 Pins Garvin.

NWA - #6 Pins Steamboat.

 

WCW - #7 Pinned Sting.

 

WWF - #8 Won 1992 Royal Rumble.

WWF - #9 Pinned Randy Savage.

 

NWA - #10 Defeated Barry Windham.

 

WCW - #11 - Pinned Vader.

WCW - #12 - Defeated Randy Savage.

WCW - #13 - Defeated Randy Savage

WCW - #14 - Defeated Hulk Hogan

WCW - #15 Pinned Jeff Jarrett

WCW - #16 Awarded by Kevin Nash

 

The "title Vs. title" bout against Sting was for the WCW WORLD TITLE, which Flair already possessed, although it was hyped as the "battle of world champions". It was also a way to get the more prestigious belt back on Flair.

 

The New Zealand changes are not official. Only known.

 

The deal with Fujinami was never officially acknowledged by WCW, who co-promoted the event.

[theintensifier 0]

Hmm, I remember the "unoffical" title switches with a few of the guys, I know some were because if he didn't lose, he was going to get killed / beaten by the angry fans, or something like that.

[Guest curry_man2002]

i really do not think that titles especially world titles should change at house shows as there is little evidence to prove the the titles change hands or didnt

 

I mean in this time you could have the wwe title say change hands at rebellion in th uk or at the global warning tour in australia because these are televised therefore there is proof of the title switch

[Guest GreatOne]

Hate to say this, but am I the only one who thinks MORE title reigns means less? He not only won "16", but he also lost "16". The last 5 or 6 were joke reigns from WCW when he was WAY past his prime and losing them every week, so they tarnish his list since some of his reigns in the 80's were all quite good.

Well if you remember RVD's segment with Booker T, 'Wow, you lost the WCW title FIVE TIMES'. I don't remember if they worked it in to his program with Flair or not.

 

But if you listen to Bret Hart, he NEVER lost a World title so who knows?

[theintensifier 0]

I know if I was a wrestler, I would try and bring that up to someone like Flair. It'd make an interesting segment, cause what would he say?

 

"Uh......(points to crowd: SHUT UP FAT BOY!)"

 

No, really, I wonder what Flair would say.

[MikeJordan23 0]

Steve Regal did mention it on WCW Saturday night around 96 or 95

 

"You won the world championship 12 times, that means you lost it 13 times, sunshine"

 

Funny stuff.

[Steve J. Rogers 0]

I know if I was a wrestler, I would try and bring that up to someone like Flair. It'd make an interesting segment, cause what would he say?

 

"Uh......(points to crowd: SHUT UP FAT BOY!)"

 

No, really, I wonder what Flair would say.

"Hey, at least I've been IN POSITION to lose 16 WHOOOOOOOOOOOOO! WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLES!"

 

On a more serious note, how does multiple reigns diminish someone's legacy? Do you say Ali doesn't deserve his "The Greatest" title because he never retired champion (Rocky Marchiano was the only one) hence he lost at the end of all his reigns (expect for the one he got stripped of because of his draft dodging)

 

Especially does it matter when all the matches are booked, so the wrestler/tag team has been THAT popular (in both heel and face way) or that much of a back stage politicer that they have been in position to be on top for a long time, is that such a bad thing?

 

Steve

[brighty 0]

On a more serious note, how does multiple reigns diminish someone's legacy? Do you say Ali doesn't deserve his "The Greatest" title because he never retired champion (Rocky Marchiano was the only one)

err, Lennox Lewis??

[Steve J. Rogers 0]

On a more serious note, how does multiple reigns diminish someone's legacy? Do you say Ali doesn't deserve his "The Greatest" title because he never retired champion (Rocky Marchiano was the only one)

err, Lennox Lewis??

Thanks for correcting me, but Lennox is never going to be mentioned in the same breath as Ali or the Real Rock

 

And the fact that boxers in all eras tend to come out of retirement I had forgoten that he HAD retired with the belt

 

BTW, Rocky never fought again, he perished a few years after in a plane crash

 

Steve