Flair to the WWF in 1991

[JoeDirt 0]

I've read some on this, but I was hoping people here could talk about Ric Flair coming to the WWF in 1991 and all that went down. Could someone go over exactly how Flair debuted, and what happened in his early days in the WWF, all the way to him winning the WWF title at the Rumble? How did Bobby Heenan get involved with supporting Flair? Why did he leave WCW in the first place? Why did the WWF sign him to such a short deal, allowing him to leave in early 1993? Was the 1992 Rumble victory a major shock to people at the time? Any cool angles or matches you remember from his early WWF days?

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

<<<< Could someone go over exactly how Flair debuted>>>

 

Ric Flair DVD. Prime Time Wrestling, I believe. Introduced by Heenan as the Real World's Champion.

 

<<<and what happened in his early days in the WWF, all the way to him winning the WWF title at the Rumble?>>>

 

Ric Flair DVD.

 

Destroyed Neidhart's leg with figure four. Brawled with Piper. Taunted Hogan with the Big Gold Belt. Sneaky win at Survivor Series. Won Rumble.

 

<<<How did Bobby Heenan get involved with supporting Flair?>>>

 

Ric Flair DVD.

 

Heenan was the big over heel mouthpiece announcer. He was a natural to A) entertain the smarts and B)introduce Flair to the non NWA/WCW fans.

 

<<<Why did he leave WCW in the first place?>>>

 

Creative differences with head honcho Jim Herd and desire to leave a sinking ship.

 

 

<<<Why did the WWF sign him to such a short deal, allowing him to leave in early 1993?>>>

 

I'm pretty sure Vince just didn't perceive him as the rest of the WWF boys, aka a circus sideshow. Thus, Vince didn't see him as a draw. SURVIVOR SERIES - the best match on the show (Flair's) is put FIRST, could've easily been main event. WM 8, the WORLD TITLE MATCH (with Flair) is not the main event. SUMMERSLAM, Flair not booked. Seeing a trend? Flair would also drop the title and not main event Survivor Series 92.

 

<<<Was the 1992 Rumble victory a major shock to people at the time?>>>

 

Not to me, but its the biggest ever "heel outdoes all the babyfaces" victories in WWE history and was refreshing.

 

Any cool angles or matches you remember from his early WWF days?

 

Get the Flair DVD! LOL, seriously, that's why its that amazing.

[Guest LooneyTune]

From Heenans Shoot: He was managing Flair at first because Flair wasn't allowed to come onto WWF TV, so Heenan was used to talk for him and carried the belt around to get him "over" with the WWF fans (like Flair needed to try) until he personally debuted. After that, Curt Hennig took over as his Executive Consultant or whatever and Heenan went back fulltime to PBP.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Personally, as my family didn't get cable (and subsequently WCW on TBS) until '92 or so after Flair had left WCW, I hadn't seen much of him. I had heard of him from a friend though, but never seen him wrestle. It was a pretty big deal when he came in, and it was surprising to the marks to see him win the Royal Rumble, as I recall anyway. Maybe the smarks on the internet knew it was going to happen, I don't know as I didn't get on the 'net until early '96.

 

As far as why he was signed to a relatively short deal...according to Flair's book (which you should read if you are interested in the man at all), it sounds like Vince knew he was going to be moving the WWF to a younger and more athletic group of workers, so he probably didn't want to get tied up with having Flair in a long term contract and having nothing for him to do.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

He just kind of came out and cut a promo. He had the WCW World Title so he lugged that around and referred to himself as the "Real World's Champion." At some point they started scrambling the title due to lawsuits from WCW. His early WWF days consisted mostly of messing with Piper.

[MikeJordan23 0]

I remember Bobby Hennan came to Hogan's dressing room at SummerSlam 1991 with the World Title telling him the Real World Champion was coming and Hogan slammed the door in his face(Never saw Hogan though). Great TV.

[yankovic fan 0]

I was 10 and pretty stupid at the time and during one of the Survivor Series promos, Flair was with his group talking, wearing just his belt and his tights.

 

They were talking the usual heel stuff.

 

Only thing is, they had the belt scrambled out, and stupid me thought the man was naked.

 

My thoughts were "Now that's a man that is stuck on himself."

 

Um, it's important to note, I had just started watching 2 or 3 months beforehand, so I might have over looked the whole belt angle at the time.

[Guest sek69]

Actually they started digitizing the belt because WCW bought the Big Gold Belt back and Flair was actually wearing a WWF tag belt.

 

Flair left because for one, Jim Herd was gone, and also he and Vince both knew the WWF was going in a different direction so they agreed to let him go back to WCW.

 

I for one am shocked that Vince didn't do what he did to anyone else that came from WCW at that time (Dusty, Steamboat, Ron Garvin) and make them into jokes just to prove how WWF stars are better.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

Opps, I knew they bought it back and he was wearing a Tag Title. I just stupidly wrote something else.

 

The Horsemen seemed to avoid Vince's wraith for some reason. Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard got treated really well during their brief tenure there as well. Maybe Vince is a closet Horsemen mark or something.

[cawthon777 0]

Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard got treated really well during their brief tenure there as well.  Maybe Vince is a closet Horsemen mark or something.

That depends on who you ask.

 

Tully did a Q&A at the NWA Fanfest back in August and complained about having to job to the Bushwhackers for 4 months straight before finally winning the tag straps.

 

He also tends to think that Flair is in the position he's in now because Vince wants to bury him.

 

I'm not saying he's right in what he thinks, I'm just saying it depends on who you ask.

[Guest LooneyTune]

Well the Bushwackers were pretty over with live crowds, but I don't think jobbing the Busters to the Wackers was the best idea, but it certainly wasn't horrible. The Bushwackers weren't exactly jobbers yet. They had only recently debuted themselves.

[Slickster 0]

Opps, I knew they bought it back and he was wearing a Tag Title. I just stupidly wrote something else.

Well, it wasn't an *actual* Tag Title belt; it was a new belt identical to the Tags except there were 3 stars where the Tag titles said 'Tag Team,' so now the belt only said 'World Wrestling Champion.'

[Guest sek69]

Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard got treated really well during their brief tenure there as well.  Maybe Vince is a closet Horsemen mark or something.

That depends on who you ask.

 

Tully did a Q&A at the NWA Fanfest back in August and complained about having to job to the Bushwhackers for 4 months straight before finally winning the tag straps.

 

He also tends to think that Flair is in the position he's in now because Vince wants to bury him.

 

I'm not saying he's right in what he thinks, I'm just saying it depends on who you ask.

I think Vince had a hard-on for saddling former NWA champions with silly gimmicks when you think about it:

 

Harley Race: dyed blonde hair and the King gimmick.

 

Dusty Rhodes: Polka dot fool with an old black lady for a manager.

 

Ron Garvin: REFEREE OF DOOM~! feuding with midcarders.

 

Kerry Von Erich: Texas Tornado that to this day some less intellegent folks still think was the guy who was the second Warrior "when the first one died".

 

I think Tully and Arn escaped embarrassment by being better known as a tag team than singles champs.

 

Of course Tully completely fucked his WWF run himself by failing drug tests, so what can you say.

[IWD 0]

Just to clarify, Flair left because McMahon wanted to put him in matches for the IC title which he felt was beneath him. When Flair signed, McMahon said he could leave if he did not feel he was being treated properly. Flair therefore decided to leave on good terms with McMahon, and was asked to put Curt Hennig over on Raw before leaving.

 

Cheers.

[IWD 0]

Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard got treated really well during their brief tenure there as well.  Maybe Vince is a closet Horsemen mark or something.

That depends on who you ask.

 

Tully did a Q&A at the NWA Fanfest back in August and complained about having to job to the Bushwhackers for 4 months straight before finally winning the tag straps.

 

He also tends to think that Flair is in the position he's in now because Vince wants to bury him.

 

I'm not saying he's right in what he thinks, I'm just saying it depends on who you ask.

I think Vince had a hard-on for saddling former NWA champions with silly gimmicks when you think about it:

 

Harley Race: dyed blonde hair and the King gimmick.

 

Dusty Rhodes: Polka dot fool with an old black lady for a manager.

 

Ron Garvin: REFEREE OF DOOM~! feuding with midcarders.

 

Kerry Von Erich: Texas Tornado that to this day some less intellegent folks still think was the guy who was the second Warrior "when the first one died".

 

I think Tully and Arn escaped embarrassment by being better known as a tag team than singles champs.

 

Of course Tully completely fucked his WWF run himself by failing drug tests, so what can you say.

Add Vader to that list.

 

Cheers.

[Guest LooneyTune]

Add Ron Simmons... a guy dressed like a roman gladiator wearing a nerf helmet? Then he becomes the leader of a black gang against puerto ricans, redneck bikers, and south american whatevers?

 

Let's not forget DDP. Jobbed to the Undertakers WIFE!

[Austin3164life 0]

Vince paid Harley Race very well during Race's WWF stint. Vince was somewhat bitter when Race declined a $250,000 signing bonus to no-show Starrcade 1983 and head over to the WWF with the NWA Title, and there's no way Vince would've put Harley Race, an aging NWA star, over his golden-boy Hogan. Guys like Race, Flair, etc. didn't get "treated" well because they didn't fit in with what the WWF was all about.