Pro Wrestling Chronicle

Match # 17: Ric Flair vs. Hulk Hogan (Nitro 1/29/96)

One formula meets the other. The babyface Hogan formula match is melded with the heel Flair formula. Flair gives and Hogan takes. Your enjoyment, and mine, is probably going to be based on how you feel about those styles of matches, and if you can live for the moments they create instead of tight work. Me personally, I always had a chip on my shoulder that heel Flair never went over strongly in any of these matches.

Hogan overpowers and outsmarts Flair early. Flair bumps around like there’s money in the canvas. The fans aren’t in love with Hogan the way they once were at this point in his run. Crowd reacts to some spots, but not with passion. Flair does a chop block and Hogan sells the left leg for the heat. Surprisingly good selling with a limp, in fact. Match is better for my tastes with Flair in charge.

Hogan should send a check to Flair for how hard he’s working in this match. Flair sells the hope spots and comebacks like gold, and then cheats to get ahead. Hogan is wearing some tragically silly yellow wrist bands, by the way. Bobbhy the Brain Heenan is extra great the way he smashes and taunts Hogan on commentary. He was always a key to the whole Hogan TV presentation.

We run through the figure four before Hogan makes yet another comeback. The whole Hulk up shockingly doesn’t get the crowd going. Arn Anderson comes in, and Hogan knocks him outside. Hogan’s got the pin, but now Flair has Miss Elizabeth’s shoe. Upside Hogan’s head it goes. Flair pins Hogan for the cleanest pin he’d ever gain on Hogan, making this much more pleasant for me even if the crowd didn’t love the match. At 13 minutes this is one of the better timed runs from these two. Enjoyable for what it is. 3 ¼ and 6.4/10.